Apple TV+ Has An Annual Plan, And It Saves You Money

Apple TV+ actually has an annual plan which can help to save on the cost of a subscription over the course of a full year. Annual plans are nothing new, but not every streaming and subscription service offers one. For those that do, the option to sign up and pay yearly may not always be so obvious. At the same time, an annual plan for a service like Apple TV+ might not suit every individual or household.

Once upon a time Apple TV+ was not the best option for those looking for a new streaming service due to the limited variety of content that was available. However, Apple has been continually adding high quality shows and movies to its catalog and now offers a decent library that can be watched at any time. This is unlikely to change anytime soon, with Apple TV+ only likely to continue to offer more reasons to sign up, and stay subscribed.

A standard Apple TV+ subscription costs $4.99 per month and considering that’s the price advertised most clearly on the Apple TV+ website, it is likely to be the option most consumers choose when signing up. However, it is not the only option as subscribers can just as easily sign up and pay yearly. With the cost of the annual plan set at $49.99, the option to pay for the year ahead results in a saving of $9.98 per year. In other words, those signed up to the annual plan end up getting twelve months of access to Apple TV+ for the cost of 10 months.

How to change Apple TV+ from monthly to annual

Whether an existing Apple TV+ subscriber or signing up for the first time and taking advantage of the free trial, the option to switch to the annual plan can be done through the subscription’s settings.

1. Visit the Apple TV+ website
2. Sign in with Apple ID
3. Click on profile icon (top right corner)
4. Click on Settings
5. Scroll down to “Subscriptions”
6. Click “Manage” under Apple TV+
7. Select “Apple TV+ (Annual)”
8. Click “Next”
9. Click “Confirm”

Once the “Confirm” button has been clicked, the subscription will automatically switch from monthly to annual. However, unlike other services that offer an annual plan, the subscriber won’t immediately be charged the higher price. While some services simply charge the user for the difference in price, taking into consideration the remainder of the current subscription, Apple TV+ doesn’t. Instead, the monthly subscription will continue as normal and up until the date when a subscriber would normally be expected to pay the next monthly bill.

When that date arrives, the user will then be charged the $49.99 for the year ahead instead of the $4.99 they normally pay each month. One of the benefits of this approach is that the Apple TV+ subscriber retains the ability to switch back to monthly again if they change their mind about switching to an annual plan. Of course, how long of a period a consumer has to make that decision will depend on how much of their current monthly billing cycle remains at the time of making the switch. If the subscriber decides that they’d rather continue to pay monthly, they can repeat the instructions above and simply select “Apple TV+ (Monthly)” during step 7 instead of “Apple TV+ (Annual).”

Is annual Apple TV+ the right choice?

Whether an individual or household is better off subscribing to Apple TV+ on a monthly or annual basis will depend on their individual needs. Obviously, the ability to save the equivalent of two months is hugely beneficial and will help to lower the cost overall. However, that is solely based on the assumption that the individual or household plans to remain subscribed to Apple TV+ for the entire year.

If the service does not offer enough content of interest right now, then it might actually be more beneficial to remain on the monthly plan. This way, they can simply cancel the subscription when it’s no longer useful and will have only paid for the months they were using the service. If a new show or movie suddenly becomes available at a later time, signing back up again is easy enough. They can then just pay the single monthly price before canceling again when the subscription is no longer needed. Using this on and off approach is likely to save even more money than something like an annual plan as subscribers won’t be paying for any of the months that they are not using the service.

Another factor to consider is whether the individual (or anyone they share a home with) recently purchased a new Apple device, or plans to in the near future. While the service supports a number of different devices, Apple typically gifts owners of new Apple devices with a free Apple TV+ subscription for a limited time. The exact length of time depends on the device purchased, but can be as much as six months for free. For any households with a new device, it is likely to be more beneficial to take advantage of the free Apple TV+ subscription before having to make a decision on whether to stay subscribed to the service, let alone whether on a monthly or annual basis.

Apple TV+ annual summary

Apple TV+ does offer an annual plan and it will save individuals and household money each year. Compared to the standard $4.99 per month subscription, the annual plan costs $49.99 per year. This results in a saving of $9.98 over the course of twelve months. Another way of looking at the savings is that subscribers end up getting two months of Apple TV+ for free each year. However, this is all dependent on factors like whether the individual or their household sees enough value in a full year of Apple TV+.

If the service currently doesn’t offer enough interesting content, then it may be more beneficial and cheaper to remain on a monthly plan and simply cancel and re-subscribe when shows and movies of interest are available. Those currently considering picking up a new Apple device soon may also want to hold off on switching to an annual plan as they may be entitled to free Apple TV+ for a limited number of months.