Hitting Aussie shores within two months of streaming giant Netflix in 2015, Stan offered some fierce competition right out of the gate. This was largely in part to its exclusive rights to the premiere of Breaking Bad’s spin-off series, Better Call Saul.
Since the show wrapped in 2022, it begs the question of what else is worth watching on the homegrown platform. The hit series Yellowstone has undoubtedly been its biggest drawcard over the last few years, however, that too is about to finish up this year. That said, if you’re into RuPaul’s Drag Race, Stan’s going to be your best friend.
Admittedly, many of its other streaming exclusives could be considered rather B-tier compared to the likes of its competitors — namely Disney Plus, Paramount Plus and of course, Netflix — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but you may be wondering whether Stan is worth maintaining an ongoing subscription to.
That’s where we step in. We’ve compiled research on Stan, its prices and plans, content offerings and more, to help determine if this true blue Aussie streamer is for you.
If you’re interested in price comparisons across streaming services in Australia or what the best streaming services are, we’ve got you covered. If you're in need of some recommendations of what to watch next, our continuously updated guide could be worth checking out too.
Stan Australia plans and prices
Stan currently offers three monthly subscriptions and one add-on to new and existing customers:
Basic | AU$12 p/m
Standard | AU$16 p/m
Premium | AU$21 p/m
Stan Sport add-on | AU$15 p/m + your base subscription
Stan is one of the few streaming services available that does not include any ads in any of its plans, which is a big win in my book. Stan gives new customers a 30-day free trial to any of its subscription tiers, which can be cancelled at any time. Across all three plans you can access the platform’s entire library of TV shows, movies and more.
Recently, Stan secretly raised the price of its Basic tier to AU$12 p/m — a AU$2 increase from its previous price of AU$10 p/m. We’re not sure when this change rolled out, but we have reached out to Stan to comment on whether this affects existing subscribers.
Basic — AU$12 p/m
Coming in at AU$12 p/m, Stan's Basic plan allows you to watch SD resolution on one screen at a time. You can only download content on one device as well.
Standard — AU$16 p/m
With a Standard plan, Stan allows you stream on three devices simultaneously in HD resolution. You can download content across three devices for offline viewing.
Premium — AU$21 p/m
Stan's Premium plan offers 4K viewing on four screens at the same time, priced at AU$21 p/m. Additionally, you can download content across five different devices. Much like the Stan standard plan, this plan comes in at a higher price point compared to premium plans on other streaming services.
Stan Sport — AU$15 + base subscription
This AU$15 p/m add-on could be worth the investment for sports fanatics. Stan offers you ad-free viewing of live and on-demand sports. Again, this is an optional add-on, so it could be worth it if you're heavily involved during the busy sporting seasons of the year.
How to pick the right plan for your needs
For a majority of streaming services — Stan 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.
Stan’s plans are similar in theory. They offer you full access to the platform’s entire content library, you can cancel your subscription at any time and you get a 30-day free trial, regardless of what monthly plan you sign up for (and a month free is pretty exceptional when compared to other services offering free trials).
However, every plan offers a different streaming resolution and number of screens, which means the lower the price, the lower the resolution/screens. Quality-wise, basic plan users can only stream in SD (are we living in the Dark Ages?), standard plan users can stream in the increasingly common HD and premium users can stream in HD and 4K. It’s definitely something to note, because other competitors may offer lower prices but offer higher resolution for a similar or more expansive content catalogue (i.e. Netflix’s ad-supported plan streams in HD or Prime Video’s monthly sub which includes some Ultra HD 4K content for no extra charge).
If you’re in a smaller household, with one or two screens (for example, a smart TV or phone), a basic Stan plan would be more than enough. It also depends on your budget. Stan’s plans cater to different budgets, but if you’re signing up to Stan for the Sports add-on, then it may be best signing up for the lowest plan so your monthly spend isn’t too extreme.
If you’re in a larger household with multiple devices or multiple users with different interests, Stan recommends a premium plan. Users with high-end televisions may also want to opt for this simply to make their telly purchase worth it.
Are there ways to save on subscription costs?
With the exception of the 30-day free trial that you can cancel at any time, there are no offers or third-party providers that allow you to save on a Stan subscription. We will keep this page updated if any do become available.
How does Stan's pricing compare to other streaming services?
Stan's subscription costs are average amongst all streaming services in Australia, and are pretty much on-par with those charged by Netflix. When compared to Netflix's Standard offering, Stan's standard plan is pretty similar and skims 99c off Netflix's monthly cost. If you include the sports add-on though, you’re looking at AU$25 p/m at minimum, which absolutely skyrockets Stan’s prices.
In terms of content, Stan’s exclusives like smash-hit American western Yellowstone, dark comedy Wolf Like Me starring Isla Fisher and Josh Gad, and Better Call Saul — the show that kicked started it all — are absolute must-watches on the platform.
The platform’s movie library is pretty great too, with a large number of new and classic films to watch. There’s also a growing number of Stan-produced feature films on offer, like Nitram, a psychological drama and True History of the Kelly Gang, which is, you guessed it, based on the adventures of Ned Kelly and co.
Stan also offers a mammoth selection of Stan Originals content, with an almost unrivalled lineup of Aussie based productions. These include Bump, which centres around an ambitious 16-year-old who unexpectedly gives birth, Wolf Creek, a chilling spin-off to the horror movie duo and Bali 2002, a docudrama surrounding the 20th anniversary of the Bali attacks.
Notably (and largely the reason I subscribe) Stan is home to RuPaul’s Drag Race and its many spin-offs, including the newest seasons of Drag Race Down Under. Now some may see it as appointment TV, but for those of us obsessed with sequins, glitter and lip sync battles, RuPaul has it all.
It would be remiss of us not to mention the large variety of sports that the Stan Sports add-on has to offer. Stan Sports has something for everyone. At the time of publishing the Australian Open has been widely consumed across the nation and Grand Slam and Wimbledon will soon join the ranks. It also features rugby, the UEFA Champions League, motorsports, cycling and equestrian, just to name a few.
Has Stan's price increased over time?
Price-wise, the basic plan's AU$10 monthly cost has stayed consistent since 2016 until recently when the streamer introduced a sneaky AU$2 price hike. Both its standard and premium plan have seen price hikes in the last nine years.
The standard plan saw a slight increase of AU$2 from AU$14 to now AU$16 p/m and its premium plan has increased by AU$6 to AU$21p/m.
Is a Stan subscription worth it?
If you’ve gotten this far, and you’re still questioning if a Stan subscription is worth it for you, here’s what we suggest.
While there’s lots of great content on Stan, you may be better off reactivating your account when fast-tracked must-watch shows are set for release. If you’re thinking of signing up for Stan, then we’d recommend trialling the platform within the 30-day free trial and only stick around afterwards if you deem it worth your time and money.
Considering Stan’s subscription costs are similar to Netflix’s offerings, we’d argue that Netflix has a stronger content catalogue. Stan is loyal to its homegrown content though, so if you want more Australian-based productions, then Stan is a great choice.
If you’re thinking of cancelling your subscription, we have a guide on how to cancel your Stan subscription that you may want to check out.
