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Subscription Price Guide

YouTube Premium Price History

Verified from official pricing. Last updated: Jul 2026.

Official site

As of Jul 2026, YouTube Premium Individual costs $15.99/month in the US — up 33% from $11.99 in 2021, across 2 price hikes.

Current Price
$15.99 +14%

Individual

Total Increase
+33%

Since 2021 ($11.99)

Number of Hikes
2

Major adjustments since 2021

Highest / Lowest
$15.99 Max (2026)
$11.99 Min (2021)

How Has YouTube Premium Individual Pricing Changed?

$11.99 2021
$11.99 2022
$13.99 2023
$13.99 2024
$13.99 2025
$15.99 2026
202120222023202420252026

When Did YouTube Premium Raise Prices?

Every YouTube Premium price change on record, 2021–2026, newest first — Old and New are the price just before and after each change, with sources linked.

YouTube Premium US price changes, 2021–2026
Date Plan Old Price New Price Change Source
Apr 10, 2026Individual$13.99$15.99+14%Variety
Apr 10, 2026Family$22.99$26.99+17%Variety
Apr 10, 2026Student$7.99$8.99+13%Variety
Apr 10, 2026Premium Lite$7.99$8.99+13%Variety
Jul 20, 2023Individual$11.99$13.99+17%TechCrunch
Jul 20, 2023Student$6.99$7.99+14%MacRumors
Oct 21, 2022Family$17.99$22.99+28%Variety

Which YouTube Premium Plan Should You Get?

Current US pricing as of Jul 2026 — the chart above shows how each plan got here.

Individual

$15.99/mo

Best for: ad-free YouTube everywhere plus background play, downloads and YouTube Music

Family

$26.99/mo

Best for: up to five household members with their own accounts

Student

$8.99/mo

Best for: verified students — the full experience at a steep discount

Premium Lite

$8.99/mo

Best for: viewers who just want fewer ads — no Music, background play or downloads

Individual (Annual)

$159.99/yr

Best for: committed users — prepay a year and save about 17% versus monthly

YouTube Premium Pricing FAQ

How much is YouTube Premium per month in 2026?
YouTube Premium costs $15.99/month for the Individual plan, $26.99/month for the Family plan, and $8.99/month for students in the US after the April 10, 2026 price increase; the stripped-down Premium Lite tier is also $8.99/month. Existing subscribers moved to the new rates starting with their June 2026 billing cycle.
Why did my YouTube Premium bill go up in 2026?
YouTube raised US prices on April 10, 2026, its first Premium increase since July 2023. Individual went from $13.99 to $15.99/month, Family from $22.99 to $26.99, Student from $7.99 to $8.99, and Premium Lite from $7.99 to $8.99. New sign-ups paid immediately; existing members from their June 2026 billing date.
Does YouTube Premium include YouTube Music?
Yes. The full YouTube Premium plans (Individual, Family, and Student) all include YouTube Music Premium, with ad-free, background, and offline listening, so you do not need a separate $11.99/month music subscription. The exception is the $8.99/month Premium Lite tier, which removes most video ads but does not include YouTube Music Premium.
What is YouTube Premium Lite and what's the catch?
Premium Lite is YouTube's cheaper tier at $8.99/month, up from its $7.99 launch price after the April 2026 increase. It removes ads on most videos, but not on music content, and it leaves out background play, offline downloads, and YouTube Music Premium. It launched in the US in March 2025.
How much is the YouTube Premium family plan and how many people can share it?
The YouTube Premium Family plan costs $26.99/month after the April 2026 increase and covers up to six accounts: the plan manager plus five family members aged 13 or older in the same household. Split six ways, that is about $4.50 per person for ad-free YouTube plus YouTube Music Premium.
Is there a YouTube Premium annual plan?
Yes. The prepaid Individual annual plan costs $159.99/year in the US as of the April 2026 price update, which works out to about $13.33/month and saves roughly $32 versus paying $15.99 monthly for a year. The annual option is offered for the Individual tier only; Family and Student plans bill monthly.
How much is YouTube Premium for students?
Verified students pay $8.99/month for full YouTube Premium, including ad-free YouTube, background play, offline downloads, and YouTube Music Premium, after the rate rose from $7.99 in April 2026. Student status is checked through SheerID, must be re-verified each year, and the discount lasts a maximum of four years.

How We Verify YouTube Premium Pricing

Official sources only

Every price change in the log links to YouTube Premium’s own pricing page, help-center documentation, or announcement — never estimates or third-party reports.

Recorded as events

Prices are stored as dated change events, and every statistic on this page is computed from that log at build time — displayed numbers can never drift from the sources.

Verified Jul 2026

This page was last checked against YouTube Premium’s official pricing and is re-verified whenever a change is announced.

US list prices

All prices are US list prices in USD, before taxes and fees. Promotional rates and app-store markups can differ from the prices shown here.