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The Real Cost Of Subscription Services

Katie Francis

●August 26, 2021●6 minute read

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With a time-poor society and high demand for convenience, almost anything is available online for subscription. From medication to beauty products and anything in between, you’re sure to find a company offering delivery on a regular basis. Not only are these companies competitively priced, but they offer an incredible amount of convenience, freedom, and entertainment.

If you enjoy binge-watching the latest series, or cooking up a variety of recipes each week, it’s easy for subscription costs to add up. This begs the question: how much are these services actually costing you?

Movie & TV Subscriptions

Us Aussies are spoilt for choice when it comes to entertainment. Since Netflix’s expansion into Australia in 2015, we have seen plenty of streaming services pop up – each as flexible and competitively priced as the next. If you were to take out a basic subscription to all three of the platforms below, you’d be looking at $28.98 per month, or $347.76 per year (based on a monthly subscription).

Netflix

Netflix continues to dominate the global streaming service industry. With the company venturing into in-house production through Netflix Originals, it’s estimated that more than 5.4 million Aussies have a current subscription. In terms of packages, there are three:

If you were to take out a Basic subscription package through Netflix, you’d be looking at around $131.88 in annual fees.

Stan

Stan is Australia’s second largest streaming service, with over 2.1 million subscribers. Following suit with Netflix, Stan has branched out into in-house production of Stan Originals, which have become some of the platform’s highest-grossing content. Unlike Netflix, though, Stan offers new subscribers a 30-day free trial. The platform has also recently introduced a live stream sport service called Stan Sport for a $10 monthly rate on top of any subscription package.

A monthly subscription to Stan’s Basic package would come to $120 a year – just shy of Netflix’s annual subscription cost of $131.88.

Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is one of the more recent entrants into the streaming market. While new members are offered a 7-day free trial, anyone who purchases an Apple product is eligible for an entire year’s worth of Apple TV+ free of charge. This has given millions of users the opportunity to test out the streaming platform before committing to a monthly subscription.

A basic streaming package through Apple TV+ would have you looking at $95.88 per year.

Music Subscriptions

It’s no wonder that music subscription platforms are hugely popular. They offer personalisation and convenience through playlist creation, and now offer podcasts and audiobooks too.

If you were to take out a basic subscription to all three of the following platforms, you’d be looking at $35.93 per month, or $431.16 per year.

Spotify

Spotify is the world’s leading music streaming platform, offering over 50 million songs, audiobooks, and podcasts to Aussie listeners. There are a few options in terms of subscription packages, as well as a student subscription for secondary and tertiary students which costs $5.99/month. With a basic Premium subscription, you’d be looking at $143.40 per year.

Apple Music

Apple Music comes in close second as Australia’s favourite music streaming service. With a library of 60 million songs, the platform offers a three-month free trial with cancellation at any time.

All subscription options are paid, and offer offline listening and ad-free streaming. Like with all Apple products, Siri can be used for faster platform navigation. A yearly subscription to Apple Music would have you looking at just under $143.88, while taking out an annual subscription saves $24.99 and only costs $119.

Amazon Music

If you already have an Amazon Prime membership, you have access to Amazon Prime Music’s two million song library at no additional cost. If not, there are two options for streaming, along with a Family Plan for up to six people for $14.99/month. With an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription, you’d be looking at $143.88 per year.

Food Subscriptions

Goodbye UberEats – food subscription services are the newest fad in delivery options. Instead of ordering pre-made frozen meals, food subscription boxes let customers pick and choose recipes and have the fresh ingredients delivered to their door. Many of these services are popping up around the place, but taking out a basic, two-person subscription to just one of the following will cost you anywhere upwards of $50 per week.

HelloFresh

HelloFresh is one of the biggest names in the subscription meal delivery service. The company offers generous discounts for new subscribers, making it more affordable for those wanting to try it out. Considering their base ranges, HelloFresh offers its Veggie Plan from $64.95/week and its Family Plan from $139.95/week.

Price per serving (two people)

Price per serving (four people)

Marley Spoon

Marley Spoon is up there with HelloFresh in terms of price and quality. It works out slightly more expensive for two-person boxes than HelloFresh, but also slightly cheaper in terms of family-sized boxes. Marley Spoon also offers generous discounts to new subscribers. The flexible subscription plans mean customers can skip, pause, or cancel their weekly orders at any time. A two-person box with three meals per week would have you starting around the $69.90 mark.

Dinnerly

Dinnerly is a cost-friendly meal subscription service for Aussies. Their subscription packages are noticeably cheaper than HelloFresh and Marley Spoon, thanks to using fewer ingredients and a lack of printouts (instead using digital recipes). They too have a flexible service for skipping, pausing, or cancelling boxes. Their cost-per-serving comes in at just $4.85, and a two-person box would have you looking at just $52.45 per week.

Two-person box

Family box

A final note

Thanks to the Internet, we’ll never be left without choice again. As these services can quickly add up, it’s important to ask yourself which ones you could live without. While you might love binging the latest season of your favourite show, you might be financially better off to stick to one or two of your favourite subscription services, rather than testing them all out at once. Also, remember to check out whether family deals or student pricing is an option for a particular service to save yourself some cash each month.

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Katie Francis is a Content Writer at Jacaranda Finance. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Business (Marketing)/Media & Communications at the Queensland University of Technology.