Source-cited · Updated Sep 2026
Peacock vs YouTube Premium Price History
Since 2021, Peacock has risen +160% versus YouTube Premium at +33%. YouTube Premium has been the more price-stable choice. Every Peacock and YouTube Premium tier tracked, 2021–2026, with every price change sourced.
Peacock
2 plans + 1 retired · default: Premium (with ads)
YouTube Premium
Better value4 plans + 1 retired · default: Individual
Verdict
Better value: YouTube Premium
Since 2021, Peacock has risen +160% versus YouTube Premium at +33%. YouTube Premium has been the more price-stable choice.
Scorecard
The numbers behind the verdict
Premium (with ads) vs Individual — the default tier of each service, 2021–2026. A green tick marks the better number in each row. Note: Peacock’s default tier includes ads while YouTube Premium’s is ad-free, so this isn’t a like-for-like matchup — the tier table below lines up every plan.
| Metric | Peacock Premium (with ads) | YouTube Premium Individual |
|---|---|---|
| Current Price (2026) | $12.99 (better) | $15.99 |
| Total Change | +160% | +33% (better) |
| Number of Hikes | 4 | 2 (better) |
| Hike Frequency | Every 1.3 yrs | Every 2.5 yrs (better) |
| Avg Annual Change | $1.60/yr | $0.80/yr (better) |
Every tier
Which tier costs what today
Every Peacock and YouTube Premium plan in one list, cheapest first. First Tracked is each plan’s price when our tracking began — 2021, or its debut year if it arrived later. Retired tiers sit at the bottom with their final price.
| Service | Plan | Price Now | First Tracked | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YYouTube Premium | Student | $8.99 | $6.99 (2021) | +29% |
| YYouTube Premium | Premium Lite | $8.99 | $7.99 (2025) | +13% |
| PPeacock | Premium (with ads)DefaultAds | $12.99 | $4.99 (2021) | +160% |
| YYouTube Premium | Individual (Annual) | $159.99/yr | $159.99/yr (2026) | 0% |
| YYouTube Premium | IndividualDefault | $15.99 | $11.99 (2021) | +33% |
| PPeacock | Premium Plus (mostly ad-free) | $19.99 | $9.99 (2021) | +100% |
| YYouTube Premium | Family | $26.99 | $17.99 (2021) | +50% |
| PPeacock | Free (ad-supported)AdsRetired | $0.00 final (2023) | $0.00 (2021) | NaN% |