Is YouTube Premium a Good Deal?
Ad-free YouTube plus YouTube Music in one subscription
$13.99/mo
Quick Verdict: Is YouTube Premium Worth It?
Good Deal — Deal Score: 8.0/10
| Price | $13.99/mo |
| Free Tier | Yes |
| Best For | You watch YouTube more than any other streaming app — the ad removal alone saves hours of your life monthly |
| Skip If | You mostly watch YouTube on desktop with an ad blocker and don't care about YouTube Music |
✓ Pros
- Ad-free YouTube transforms the viewing experience — once you try it, ads feel unbearable
- Includes YouTube Music Premium ($10.99 value) — effectively two services for one price
- Background play and offline downloads make YouTube usable as a podcast and music app
✗ Cons
- At $13.99/mo it's pricier than Spotify ($12.99) for music alone, so you must value ad-free video too
- YouTube Music's library and interface still lag behind Spotify and Apple Music
- Premium Lite ($7.99) cannibalizes the main plan — some users don't need the full package
Our Analysis
YouTube Premium might be the most underrated streaming subscription in 2026. At $13.99/month, it bundles two things: ad-free YouTube and YouTube Music Premium (normally $10.99/month on its own). That means you are effectively paying $3 extra for completely ad-free YouTube — and for anyone who watches YouTube regularly, those $3 deliver more quality-of-life improvement than almost any other subscription upgrade.
The Reddit sentiment is remarkably consistent: people who try Premium rarely go back. The common refrain across r/youtube and r/cordcutters is that YouTube's ad experience has become so aggressive — two unskippable pre-roll ads, mid-roll interruptions every few minutes on longer videos — that the free version feels unusable once you have experienced Premium. Background play is the second most praised feature, turning YouTube into a viable podcast and music platform for commutes and workouts. Offline downloads round out the package for travelers.
The main criticism is pricing relative to alternatives. At $13.99/month, YouTube Premium costs more than Spotify ($12.99) and significantly more than Disney+ with ads ($11.99). Users who do not care about YouTube Music feel they are overpaying for a bundled service they did not ask for — which is exactly why YouTube launched Premium Lite at $7.99 in early 2026, offering ad-free video with background play and downloads but no Music. This has been well received on Reddit as the right move for users who already have Spotify. YouTube Music itself remains a work in progress — the algorithm is decent but the interface and playlist curation still trail Spotify significantly. For heavy YouTube viewers, Premium is one of the highest-ROI subscriptions available. For casual viewers, Premium Lite or a browser ad blocker may suffice.
Cost Breakdown
Best value for heavy YouTube viewers; Premium Lite at $7.99 is ideal if you already have a music subscription
What Real Users Report
YouTube Premium is the one subscription I'd keep if they could only have one. they watch more YouTube than Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ combined. No ads on that is life-changing.
This user cancelled to save money and lasted two weeks. The ads are genuinely unbearable now — two unskippable ads before every video plus mid-rolls. Resubscribed immediately.
Premium Lite is exactly what they wanted. they already pay for Spotify, so YouTube Music was wasted on me. $7.99 for ad-free YouTube with background play is perfect.
Worth it if
You watch YouTube more than any other streaming app — the ad removal alone saves hours of your life monthly
Skip if
You mostly watch YouTube on desktop with an ad blocker and don't care about YouTube Music
