Despite rumours that Max might make its way to Aussie shores next year, we can't dismiss the true blue home for HBO shows in Binge. The homegrown streamer launched in mid-2020 and is part of the Hubbl bubble (formerly Streamotion), becoming the hub for the best of HBO's content catalogue.
Not only that, Binge has become a surefire way to stream the latest and greatest reality TV shows, including the likes of the Real Housewives franchise and Vanderpump Rules. Binge is now home to one of 2023’s biggest hits, Oppenheimer, and is sure to have a major line-up of new shows, movies and docos to add to its library in 2024.
But with recent streaming price hikes, some may be debating whether or not to ditch Binge completely in favour of a different service. You may even be wondering how much the service will cost you this month or over the course of the year and that’s where we step in.
We’ve compiled a thorough guide on Binge, with details on what’s included in its monthly plans and more below. If you’re interested in price comparisons across streaming services available in Australia or finding out what the best streaming services in Australia are, we’ve got you covered with our localised Aussie streaming guides. Or if you're looking for recommendations of what to watch this month, we've got you sorted, too.
Binge Australia plans and prices
Binge currently offers three monthly subscription plans at different price points:
Basic | AU$10
Standard | AU$18
Premium | AU$22
Starting at AU$10 p/m for a Basic plan, Binge offers a 7-day free trial for new users, which you can cancel at any time.
Basic
Similar to Stan's Basic offering, with Binge’s basic plan you can stream in HD on one screen at a time. According to the platform, this plan is ad-supported, with ads clocking in up to five minutes every hour.
Standard and Premium
This mid-level plan will cost you AU$18 p/m for two screens at the same time and 4K/HDR viewing without ads. The only difference between Binge's Standard and Premium plan is the extra $4 p/m and two additional screens.
How to pick the right plan for your needs
With most streaming services — Binge included — plan prices tend to revolve around the number of screens and streaming resolution on offer. Obviously, there are other factors that may go into this, like catalogue access and non-streaming benefits, but for the most part it comes down to this: more screens = higher subscription costs.
Binge’s prices very much reflect this, with each plan based around screens and resolution. The key difference is the inclusion of ads on Binge’s cheapest plan, which could detract some away from the basic offering.
The basic plan could be a great choice for a smaller household or single user, with one device to stream the service on (e.g. a smart TV or laptop) and you don’t mind watching an ad or two every 30 minutes. However, if you want more flexibility between screens (and no ads), then you may be better off investing in the standard plan.
We wouldn’t necessarily recommend the Premium plan unless you require two additional screens. We feel the standard plan would suit larger households with multiple devices and you can set up user profiles to differentiate between kids and grown-up content. Also, there’s no difference in audio or streaming quality between the standard and premium plans, so you might be better off saving your extra dollars every month.
Are there ways to save on subscription costs?
At the time of publishing, there’s no way to save on Binge subscription costs. However, the platform does offer a 7-day free trial for new customers, so you can give it a go and see if it’s worth your money.
Binge has a current offer with Qantas Frequent Flyer that scores you 1000 Qantas points if you sign up to Binge using your associated frequent flyer email address via the link on the airline’s website.
If you’re an Optus customer you have the option to get a Binge subscription through select home internet or mobile phone plans, so you may be able to maximise savings by bundling your services.
How does Binge pricing compare to other streaming services?
Binge's AU$22p/m premium offering is cheaper compared to Foxtel’s essentials plan at AU$25 p/m and Netflix's premium plan, also priced at AU$25p/m. Currently, premium streaming plans average at AU$18.99p/m.
In terms of basic and standard plans, Binge is on the higher end compared to other services. Binge's basic ad-supported plan costs AU$10p/m, costing the same as the average. Meanwhile, Binge's standard plan costs more than the AU$13.74p/m average, totalling AU$18p/m and AU$216 per year.
How does Binge's content catalogue compare?
In terms of content, Binge ranks below most streaming services, only offering 2,730 titles. Those titles consist of 1,314 movies and 1,416 television shows. While that does seem like a lot, it pales in comparison to competitors like Prime Video and Netflix, which have over 10k titles and 7,122 titles respectively.
It's also worth mentioning that Binge's content can be found on other platforms such as Netflix and Foxtel Now. However, Binge offers exclusive and fast-tracked access to HBO's biggest shows, including the Jodie Foster-starring True Detective: Night Country, GoT prequel House of the Dragon, the chaotic but aesthetic teen drama Euphoria, Succession and Jennifer Coolidge’s comeback, The White Lotus. Beyond that, Binge offers a wide array of classic HBO shows like The Sopranos, Sex and the City and Game of Thrones.
For new releases, Binge houses blockbuster hits, Oppenheimer and Barbie, as well as the rom-com Anyone But You. Binge also welcomed the newest season of Colin From Accounts last month and will debut the second season of The Twelve in July.
In terms of movies, Binge features the tantalising Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the role-play in real-life film Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Keanu Reeves’ John Wick: Chapter 4.
It’s also worth mentioning that the platform has some interesting Hallmark-worthy Holiday films on offer — and dare I say — could compete with Netflix if “Cheesy Christmas” was a streaming category. Some of these titles include Saving Christmas Spirit, Christmas on Repeat and — my favourite concept — A Royal Corgi Christmas.
Binge gives viewers access to an extensive catalogue of reality TV, such as Below Deck, Gordon Ramsay’s Hell's Kitchen and the Real Housewives franchises. It’s also home to those guilty-pleasure TLC shows like Stacey and Darcey, 90-Day Fiance and Dr Pimple Popper (which is grossly satisfying).
Have Binge prices increased over time?
This homegrown streaming platform was one of the services that introduced ad-supported plans and price hikes last year. As of October 2023, its standard subscription increased by AU$4 to AU$18 p/m, and its premium plan rose by AU$4 to AU$22 p/m.
The platform first upped its prices in 2022, just two years after its first launch. Originally, a standard plan in 2020 would have set you back a mere AU$14 per month, and a premium plan would have cost just AU$18 per month. These current hikes total a 22% increase for standard and 18% for premium in the past two years alone.
Meanwhile, the basic plan remains unchanged since 2020 at AU$10 p/m.
Is a Binge subscription worth it?
If you’ve gotten this far, you’re probably still thinking about whether a Binge subscription is worth your time and money. Here’s where we step in and give you some advice.
With a steady stream of HBO originals and an expansive content library, we would consider staying subscribed to Binge year round. However, we know that Binge’s catalogue may not be for everyone, but if you’re interested in what it has to offer, we’d suggest giving the free trial a go.
It’s worth mentioning that a lot of Binge’s content can be found elsewhere — namely on Foxtel Now and Netflix — so if you can find what you’re looking for on a platform you already subscribe to, then it may not be necessary to sign up.
If you’re thinking of cancelling your subscription, we have a guide on how to cancel Binge that you may want to check out.
