Netflix is the most popular streaming platform that offers a variety of different television shows and series.
Their biggest customer base is students, and one of the most popular questions people have is if they have a student discount or not.
Does Netflix Have a Student Discount in 2024?
Netflix does not offer a student discount as of 2024. Most college students either share their parent’s account or split the cost with their friends. Most college students either split the cost with their friends or use their family’s account for free.
There are 2 main reasons why Netflix does not have student discounts. The majority of Netflix’s subscribers are students. If they offer a discount, it will be a big loss to their profit margin.
Another reason why Netflix does not offer student discounts is that they are already the best streaming service among their competitors and they don’t need to cut profit margin to get their brand name out there.
Netflix never offered student discounts and they don’t have any plans to do so in the near future, but here are some of the cheapest ways students can get Netflix.
Cheapest Netflix Plan for Students
Although Netflix doesn’t offer a discount for students, there are other ways to save money on the service. The cheapest Netflix plan for students is Basic $8.99, which the price is same with everyone else.
Netflix is available in many countries across the world, and the price per month will be different depending on where users live. However, Netflix offers three options for users to purchase: Basic, Standard, Premium.
You can upgrade, downgrade or cancel your Netflix subscription if you’re not satisfied with it. There is no contract and you will not be charged any cancellation fees.
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Users |
| Basic | $8.99 | 1 |
| Standard | $13.99 | 2 |
| Premium | $17.99 | 4 |
*the monthly costs of plans will differ depending on users’ country of origin. For the most accurate information, visit Netflix’s Plans and Pricing Page.
Netflix Basic Plan $8.99
Netflix’s Basic plan offers unlimited moves and TV shows as well as the freedom to stream on laptops, televisions, phones, and tablets. Users can download on one device and can stream on only one device at a time.
Netflix Standard Plan $13.99
The Standard Plan includes everything available in the Basic plan with the addition of 2 total devices that can simultaneously be used for streaming and downloading. HD films are available with this plan.
Netflix Premium Plan $17.99
The Premium plan is Netflix’s most elite plan that includes everything in the Basic and Standard plans but allows for streaming and downloading on up to 4 devices. Additionally, users have the option for Ultra HD.
Netflix Alternatives for Students
The most popular Netflix alternatives among students are Amazon Prime Video, Youtube Premium and Hulu. While Netflix is a popular streaming service that offers movies, television shows, and documentaries to countries across the globe, it is not the only service available.
In fact, streaming services from other providers are becoming available frequently. With so many options to choose from, Netflix does not have to be the end-all-be-all. Some other options for streaming video include:
- Hulu: Offers original content, movies, series, documentaries, and FX films.
- Amazon Prime Video: Original content and hundreds of movies, series, and documentaries.
- Youtube Premium: Ad-free viewing of millions of videos and YouTube original series and videos from popular content creators. But, does not include movies and television series.
- Paramount+: Student discounts give access to the limited commercial plan and 30,000 episodes on demand.
- Showtime: The price per month covers Spotify Premium, Hulu, and Showtime. This combination is likely the most content for the best price.
- HBO Max: Offers many popular shows that can only be found on HBO Max, such as Friends and Game of Thrones. Warner Brothers will release 17 movies on HBO Max in 2021.
- Disney+: Includes original Disney movies, television shows, and classic Disney and Disney Channel movies and shows.
- Crackle: Crackle does not need a student discount because it’s free to use There are 150 movies and 75 shows.
- Shudder: Specializing in horror films, Shudder has both classic and other horror movies and shows.
- Apple TV+: Shows and movies available for screening including Apple Original films.
Related: Is There a Student Discount for HBO Max?
Every one of these streaming services offers unique options and has several perks. But how do they compare to Netflix, and do any of these offer a student discount?
Each of these services has been compared to Netflix in their price, discount availability, and content. The table summarizes this information and more detailed summaries can be found below.
| Streaming Service | Student Discount? | Price (Students) | Content Compared to Netflix |
| Netflix | No | $8.99/month (cheapest option) | Thousands of viewing options, including movies, television series, documentaries, and more. |
| Hulu | Yes | $1.99/month | Offers original content, movies, series, documentaries, and FX films. |
| Amazon Prime Video | Yes | $6.49/month | Original content and hundreds of movies, series, and documentaries. |
| Youtube Premium | Yes | $6.99/month | Ad-free viewing of millions of videos and YouTube original series and videos from popular content creators. But, does not include movies and television series. |
| Paramount+ | Yes | $5.24/month | Student discounts give access to the limited commercial plan and 30,000 episodes on demand. |
| Showtime | Yes | $4.99/month | The price per month covers Spotify Premium, Hulu, and Showtime. This combination is likely the most content for the best price. |
| HBO Max | No | $14.99/month | Offers many popular shows that can only be found on HBO Max, such as Friends and Game of Thrones. Warner Brothers will release 17 movies on HBO Max in 2021. |
| Disney+ | No | $7.99/month | Includes original Disney movies, television shows, and classic Disney and Disney Channel movies and shows. |
| Crackle | No | FREE | Crackle does not need a student discount because it’s free to use There are 150 movies and 75 shows. |
| Shudder | No | $5.99/month | Specializing in horror films, Shudder has both classic and other horror movies and shows. |
| Apple TV+ | Yes | $9.99/month (Apple Music and TV) or $4.99/month for TV | Shows and movies available for screening including Apple Original films. |
Hulu
Hulu offers a 65% discount for students. With Hulu, students can watch original shows or popular television series.
Unlike Netflix, Hulu releases episodes to shows just days after they are originally aired. Hulu has hundreds of options and a wide variety of genres for students to enjoy, with shows such as The Handmaids Tale, The Bachelor, and dozens of shows that were released on FX.
The student discount can be applied for however long the student can prove that they are still in school. (generally with a university-issued email address).
However, Hulu will have advertisements with its most basic plans. To remove ads, students will have to upgrade their accounts.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime offers a 6 month free trial for students followed by a 50% discount. Not only do students have access to Prime Video, but they also can benefit from free shipping on Amazon and deals that are only offered to prime members.
With Prime, students can watch original films and access hundreds of popular movies and television series.
For example, students can watch Coming to America 2, Star Trek Beyond, Jack Ryan, or Dazed and Confused. Amazon Prime has limitless options for students and for a great price.
Youtube Premium
YouTube Premium is a great alternative to Netflix because it offers both movies and television series as well as ad-free music subscriptions.
Students will get one month free from YouTube Premium and then pay only $6.99 per month for the service.
YouTube Premium can be watched from gaming consoles, televisions, and mobile devices that support Google.
Additionally to streaming, students can download movies and shows to watch offline. While this service does not include YouTube TV and its channels, it does include access to all the video content on YouTube.
Paramount+
Paramount+ offers 25% off the Limited Commerical monthly subscription plan. Additionally, students can start using Paramount+ for free with their one-week free trial.
Students will have access to over 30,000 episodes that are on-demand as well as numerous Paramount+ originals.
Paramount+ also offers many movies, lives sports such as the NFL that are on CBS and UEFA, live news from CBS, and other news stations.
To access the student discount on Paramount+, students will need either a current school ID, school transcript, or another university-issued document.
Once the student submits one of these documents, there is a waiting period before the student will have access to Paramount’s content.
Showtime
To get the Showtime student discount, students should sign up through Spotify because the $4.99 per month will cover Spotify Premium (unlimited ad-free music), Hulu (with commercials), and Showtime.
With this offer, students can watch popular shows on Showtime, such as Shameless, Desus & Mero, and Black Monday with no ads. Further, students can access popular movies, numerous documentaries, and sports.
This is likely one of the best deals for students because the monthly cost covers three popular streaming services and is almost half the monthly cost for Netflix.
If students are not sure they want Showtime, they can start with the 30-day free trial.
HBO Max
While HBO Max used to offer a student discount for $9.99 a month, they are no longer running this promotion.
Unless students already had a student account, they will have to create a new account that is $14.99 a month.
For students who signed up for the discounted account, they will continue to be charged the discounted fee until they cancel the account.
Even though HBO Max is one of the more expensive streaming services, it has a lot to offer. Not only will subscribers access numerous popular shows such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and Game of Thrones, but Warner Brothers will release 17 new movies on HBO Max in 2021, including Wonder Woman 1984.
Additionally, subscribers to HBO Max will have access to many television channels, such as TNT, TBS, TruTV, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, and CNN.
Disney+
Disney+ does not offer a student discount, but it is already less expensive than Netflix at $7.99 per month. With a subscription to Disney+, students can access original Disney movies, Disney Channel television shows, and new releases (although some new releases cost extra to view).
Students can also opt to subscribe to the combo deal of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN for $13.99 a month, which is a pretty good deal to access Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic plus sports on ESPN, and all the content on Hulu.
Similarly to Netflix, students can also opt to share the subscription with roommates or family to lower the monthly cost.
Related: Disney Plus Subscription Cost Around the World
Crackle
Students don’t need to opt for a student discount on Crackle because it’s completely free to sign up and use. While there is limited content on this platform (only 150 full-length movies and 75 television shows), it is still a great option for students who are on a budget.
The reason that Crackle is free is because there will be advertisements before and during viewing. However, these short interludes may be worth it for the free streaming.
Also, there are not many current hit movies available, but there are many genres for students to choose from.
Shudder
Shudder does not offer a student discount but costs only $5.99 per month. If students opt to pay for the annual subscription, they will pay $56.99 upfront which turns out to be about $4.75 per month.
Additionally, Shudder offers a 7-day free trial to test out the content before purchasing a subscription.
For students who are fans of horror, Shudder is the perfect streaming service. Not only does it have old classics such as Halloween, but it also features new releases and trending horror films that may not be available anywhere else. Plus, the subscription includes podcasts and live streaming events.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is free for students who have a student subscription to Apple Music. With an Apple Music subscription, students can get the first 3 months free and then pay $9.99 for both music and video streaming. Otherwise, a subscription to Apple TV is only $4.99 per month.
Apple TV+ has many movies and shows available for screening. Additionally, the monthly rate is low for the quality of shows. Not only does Apple TV have shows meant for families, but it continuously adds new content.
More Student Discount Articles:
