Paramount+ price hike: Here’s when it hits, plus how to avoid it

If you’re a fan of one of Yellowstone’s many spin-offs or a Star Trek afficionado, bad news: a price hike for Paramount+ is incoming this summer. 

Starting soon, new Paramount+ subscribers will have to pony up $12.99 a month for the ad-free Paramount+ with Showtime plan, a $1-a-month increase, according to Variety. 

Meanwhile, the with-ads Paramount+ Essentials plan will go up to $7.99, a relatively steep $2-a-month price hike. 

Those prices will go into effect starting August 20 for new Paramount+ subscribers. Existing Paramount+ with Showtime users won’t see their rates go up until their next billing date after or on September 20, while current Paramount+ Essentials subscribers will get to keep the old $5.99/month rate–for now, at least.

Oh, and if you’re a subscriber to the legacy Paramount+ Limited Commercials, more bad news: Your rates are going up, too. 

Expect Paramount+ Limited Commercials, which (unlike Paramount+ Essentials) offers access to your local CBS affiliate, to hit $7.99 a month, a $1-a-month increase. 

There are a couple of ways to dodge the latest Paramount+ price hike, starting by signing up for an annual plan. 

Currently, Paramount+ with Showtime costs $119.99 a year, while the ad-supported Paramount+ Essential plan goes for $59.99/year. 

Interestingly, neither of those annual plans will get boosted along with their equivalent monthly plans.  

But while there’s no rush, you still might want to go ahead and pop for an annual Paramount+ subscription to sidestep the upcoming monthly price increases. 

Meanwhile, if you’re new to Paramount+, you can avoid the $2-a-month price hike for Paramount+ Essentials by signing up for a monthly plan now, before the price increase for new subscribers hits on August 20.

If you’re a Paramount+ Limited Commercials subscriber, your choice is a bit tougher. 

That’s because the Paramount+ Essentials plan, which (like Paramount+ Limited Commercials) is ad-supported and thus cheaper than the ad-free Paramount+ with Showtime tier, does not come with local CBS affiliate access. 

So if you want to keep streaming your local CBS station without paying Paramount+ with Showtime prices, you’ll need to eat the $1-a-month increase in the Paramount+ Limited Commercials rate.  

It’s worth noting that as a legacy plan, Paramount+ Limited Commercials isn’t open to new subscribers, and if you do decide to change plans, you can’t go back.