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Are you a college student trying to save money—but still want plenty of movies and shows to watch when you’re bored? We can help! Netflix doesn’t offer a student discount anymore (or a free trial period), but that doesn’t mean you can’t save money in other ways. In this guide, we’ll show you how to save money on a Netflix account, plus outline several Netflix alternatives with student discounts—and even a few services that are totally free. Read on to learn more!
Netflix Student Discounts: What to Know
Netflix doesn’t offer a student discount subscription plan, but you can share an account with other students using the same internet connection or join your family’s plan to get Netflix for less money (or for free). You can also get student discounts from Hulu, Amazon Prime, Max, and more.
Steps
Does Netflix have a student discount?
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Netflix doesn’t offer student discounts, but there are other ways to save. If you’re a student wondering if you can get a sweet discount on a Netflix subscription, unfortunately, there aren't any straightforward discounts available. Both Netflix and Disney+ have stopped offering student discounts on subscriptions, and Netflix no longer offers a free trial period, either.
- However, if you’re dead-set on getting a Netflix subscription, there are a couple of ways to do it and still save some money. Check out the tips below!
- There are also other streaming services that do offer student discounts—so if you don’t mind missing out on Netflix original content, you could sign up for a different service instead.
How to Save Money on a Netflix Account
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1Ask a parent or friend if you can have a profile on their account. If someone close to you (a parent or good friend) already has an account and doesn’t mind sharing, the easiest way to use Netflix as a student is to simply make a profile on their account. However, Netflix puts limits on account sharing; you’ll only be able to do it if you use the same internet connection. [1] X Research source
- According to Netflix’s website, Netflix accounts are meant to be shared by people in one household.
- So, you can use your parent’s account if you live with them, or a friend’s if you live in the same dorm.
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2Subscribe to Netflix with other students and split the cost. If you’re living in a dorm with other students who want to stream Netflix too, you could all chip in some money and make profiles on a Netflix account shared between each of you! Keep in mind that each subscription tier has a limit on the number devices you can stream from at the same time, though. [2] X Research source
- For example, if you share a premium account with other students, you can stream Netflix from up to 4 devices at once. If you share a standard account, that limit drops to 2 devices at once.
- That still means if you and 3 other students get a premium subscription, you can pay about $5.75/month for it instead of $22.99 (assuming you split the cost evenly 4 ways).
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3Get a Netflix subscription for a limited time. If there’s something specific you want to watch on Netflix and you don’t mind canceling your subscription after finishing it, you could always just pay full price on a subscription for a short time. While it’s not a discount, you at least wouldn’t have to keep paying a monthly fee this way!
- For example, you could subscribe to Netflix for a month and try to watch all the content exclusive to Netflix that you want, then cancel before your subscription renews the next month.
- Alternatively, some credit cards also let you earn rewards or points on streaming services. If you want to start building your credit score (or you’ve already started), you could look into a card with streaming benefits.
How much do Netflix subscriptions cost?
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Netflix subscriptions cost a minimum of $6.99/month as of 2024. Currently, there are 3 different tiers of Netflix subscription: standard with ads, standard, and premium. Both standard subscriptions let you stream and download content on up to 2 devices at 1080p resolution, while a premium subscription lets you stream on 4 devices, download content on 6, and stream at 4K resolution. [3] X Research source
- Standard with Ads : $6.99/month
- Standard : $15.49/month
- Premium : $22.99/month
Other Streaming Services with Student Discounts
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1Amazon Prime Amazon Prime offers a student subscription that includes free Prime shipping and access to Amazon Prime’s movies, TV shows, Amazon Prime Music (its music streaming service), and a number of other deals for college students. Students can enjoy this deal for up to 4 years, which includes a 6-month free trial, after which the subscription costs $69/year (half the normal price). [4] X Research source
- Pros : You get a lengthy trial period, access to Prime originals, and other deals including a free Grubhub trial.
- Cons : You’ll need a .edu email to get this discount, and it can take a few days for Amazon to verify your email. This discount will also end on your graduation date (or after 4 years, whichever comes first).
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2Hulu Hulu has a couple of different discounts available for students. For Hulu alone , you can get an ad-supported plan for 75% off the original price, or $1.99/month. On the other hand, if you’re a Spotify user, you can sign up for Spotify’s student discount instead and get Hulu bundled for free! Spotify’s current discount includes 1 month free, then charges $5.99/month after that. [5] X Research source
- Pros : Both options last for as long as you’re a college student, and with the bundle, you can get Spotify for half the normal price. You can also access Hulu’s original shows and movies.
- Cons : Both options are for an ad-supported subscription to Hulu only—so you’ll have to get an account with ads. You also can’t get this discount with Hulu’s Live TV.
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3Paramount+ Students get 25% off their subscription with Paramount+’s student plan , meaning it’ll cost you $4.50/month. This subscription is only available with limited ads, and like many other streaming services on this list, uses SheerID to verify your identity and enrollment in a higher education institution before giving you the discount. [6] X Research source
- Pros : You’ll get Paramount+ original content, plus live CBS TV and on-demand content. It’s also cheaper than some other streaming platforms.
- Cons : Paramount+’s catalog of content is more limited than Netflix or Hulu, and you have to watch with ads on the student plan.
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4Peacock Peacock’s student discount includes 12 months of discounted premium membership. While a premium subscription normally costs $5.99/month, students can subscribe to Peacock for $1.99/month instead. You can also choose whether you want to pay for the whole year or by month—the price is the same either way. [7] X Research source
- Pros : It’s a cheap subscription and a solid discount.
- Cons : It only lasts for a year, even if you’re still a student.
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5Max HBO’s Max streaming platform offers a 50% discount for students. When you sign up and get verified as a student enrolled at an educational institution (which Max does through UNiDAYS) you can get an ad-supported Max plan for $4.99/month. You can use this deal as long as you’re a student, as Max just requires you to verify your status again every 12 months. [8] X Research source
- Pros : You get access to all HBO original shows, movies, and other content.
- Cons : You can only get this deal with a plan that includes ads.
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6YouTube Premium YouTube Premium’s student plan removes ads from YouTube videos and lets you access original shows and movies, plus YouTube Music (its music streaming service). The student plan offers a 60% discount off the regular price of the subscription: a 1-month free trial, then $7.99/month—although this deal requires a yearly verification of enrollment as a student. [9] X Research source
- Pros : You’ll get to watch YouTube Originals and all videos ad-free.
- Cons : There’s less original content on YouTube compared to other services.
- There’s also a family plan for YouTube Premium that costs $22.99/month. If your parents or siblings plan to get a subscription, you could use theirs with a family plan instead.
Free Streaming Alternatives to Netflix
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Tubi, Crackle, and Fandango at Home all let you stream content for free. Don’t want to pay for a streaming subscription at all (or want a backup to your streaming subscription that doesn’t cost extra)? We’ve got you. A few streaming options won’t charge you a cent—or even force you to make an account, in some cases. Try Tubi TV , Sony Crackle , Fandango at Home , Pluto TV , or Amazon’s Freevee app to stream for free.
- Keep in mind that many of these platforms do have ads (since they’re free otherwise).
Expert Q&A
Tips
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References
- ↑ https://help.netflix.com/en/node/123277?q=account%20sharing
- ↑ https://help.netflix.com/en/node/24926
- ↑ https://help.netflix.com/en/node/24926
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Student/b?ie=UTF8&node=668781011
- ↑ https://www.hulu.com/student
- ↑ https://www.paramountplus.com/account/signup/edu-offer/
- ↑ https://www.peacocktv.com/student
- ↑ https://www.max.com/student
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/premium/student