YouTube Premium is $15.99 now. Here's how to pay less.
I lined up every way to get Premium cheaper, from the obvious to the slightly sketchy, and sorted them by what you actually pay each month.
The short version
- Subscribed through the iPhone app? You're paying $20.99. Switch to the web price and save $5 a month today.
- Cheapest legit route: split a family plan with people you live with, about $4.50 each.
- Student? $8.99, no strings.
- Reseller route: $6.30 on GamsGo with code NDGAM, on your own account, but read the catches first.
Disclosure: one link in this post is a referral link. If you buy through it, I get a small commission and you pay the same. Most of the options below don't earn me anything, and I've ranked them as if none did.
YouTube raised Premium in the US this spring, the first increase since 2023. The individual plan went from $13.99 to $15.99, and the family plan jumped from $22.99 to $26.99. If you were already subscribed, the new price kicked in on your bill from June.
Two dollars doesn't sound like much until you notice it's the third or fourth subscription this year to do the same thing. So instead of just grumbling, I sat down and worked out every way to keep the no-ads life for less.
What each option really costs per month
| Option | Per month | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribed in the iPhone app | $20.99 | You're paying Apple's cut |
| Individual, monthly | $15.99 | None, just pricey |
| Individual, yearly | $13.33 | $159.99 up front |
| Student | $8.99 | Needs student verification |
| Premium Lite | $8.99 | No YouTube Music, fewer perks |
| GamsGo reseller | $6.49 ($6.30 with code) | Third party; read the rules |
| Family plan, split 6 ways | $4.50 | Everyone must share a household |
1. First, check where you subscribed
This is the easiest money on the list, and a surprising number of people miss it. If you signed up inside the YouTube app on an iPhone or iPad, Apple adds its cut and you pay $20.99 a month instead of $15.99.
The fix takes two minutes. Cancel the subscription in your iPhone settings under your Apple ID, wait until the paid month runs out, then subscribe again at youtube.com/premium in a browser. Same Premium, $60 a year back in your pocket.
2. Pay for the year: $13.33 a month
The annual individual plan is $159.99, which works out to about $13.33 a month. That's a saving of roughly $32 over paying monthly.
It's the right move if you're sure you'll keep Premium all year. If you tend to cancel over the summer or when money's tight, monthly gives you more freedom.
3. Students: $8.99 and done
If you're at a college or university, the student plan is the best deal you can get on your own. You get full Premium, including YouTube Music, for $8.99. YouTube checks your enrollment through a verification service, and you need to re-verify every year.
No sharing rules, no reseller, no risk. If you qualify, stop reading and go do this.
4. Premium Lite: for people who just hate ads
Lite costs $8.99 and gets rid of ads on most videos. What you give up is YouTube Music, plus some of the extras that come with full Premium. YouTube has been changing what's in Lite, so check the current feature list on its Premium page before you switch.
If you use YouTube for videos and Spotify for music, Lite might be all you need.
5. Split a family plan: about $4.50 each
The family plan is $26.99 for up to six accounts. Fill it, and each person pays around $4.50. That's the cheapest legit price on this page by a wide margin.
The catches are real, though:
- Everyone has to live in the same household as the family manager. YouTube can check, and members who don't match can lose access.
- You can only switch family groups once every 12 months. Join your roommate's plan, fall out over the dishes, and you're stuck for a year.
- Someone has to be the family manager and chase everyone for money each month. Ask anyone who's done it: that's the real cost.
If you live with roommates or a partner who also watches a lot of YouTube, this is the one to set up.
6. Resellers: $6.49, on your own account
Resellers like GamsGo sell Premium for a fraction of the official price. I went through GamsGo's checkout on November 2: one month was $6.49, and my code NDGAM brought it to $6.30.
The good news is that you don't log in to a stranger's account. You keep your own Google account, history and playlists. That's very different from shared ChatGPT or Netflix logins, where everyone uses the same account.
A few things I noticed while reading the product page, though:
- The page contradicts itself. One section says GamsGo activates an individual plan directly on your account. The FAQ and help guide further down still describe the older method, where you're invited into one of their family groups. Ask support which one you're getting before you pay.
- If it's a family invite, the 12-month switching rule applies. Your account joins their family group, so you can't join a real family plan for a year.
- Refunds can lock you out. GamsGo's refund policy says that refunding a family-group product removes you from the group, and you can't join another family plan for 12 months.
- The "official price" on its page is off. It compares itself to $17.99 a month, and its FAQ mentions an annual price of $139.99. Neither is the current US price. The real comparison is $6.49 against $15.99, which is still a great deal, so I don't know why they inflate it.
My take: of everything GamsGo sells, YouTube Premium is the one I'd be most comfortable with, because your account stays yours. Still, start with a single month and see how it goes. I wrote up everything else I found in my full GamsGo review.
If you want to try it: YouTube Premium on GamsGo, and enter NDGAM at checkout. First-time customers get 5% off; my repeat order got about 3%.
7. Before you cancel, try pausing
If you only want Premium for part of the year, look for the pause option in your membership settings before you cancel. When it's offered, you can stop billing for a while and pick up again later without losing your setup. It's not on every plan, but it's worth a look.
So what would I do?
- Student: the student plan. Easy.
- Living with other YouTube people: split a family plan.
- On your own, watching every day: pay yearly, or try one month through a reseller if you're OK with the trade-offs.
- Just want the ads gone: Premium Lite.
- And whatever you do, don't pay the iPhone price.
FAQ
How much is YouTube Premium in 2026?
In the US, YouTube Premium is $15.99 a month for one person, $26.99 for a family plan of up to six, and $8.99 for students and for Premium Lite. Paying yearly costs $159.99. These prices took effect for new subscribers in April 2026.
What is the cheapest legit way to get YouTube Premium?
Splitting a family plan with people you live with. At $26.99 for six accounts, that works out to about $4.50 each. If you are a verified student, the $8.99 student plan is the cheapest option you can buy on your own.
Why is YouTube Premium more expensive on iPhone?
If you subscribe inside the YouTube app on an iPhone, the price is $20.99 a month because Apple takes a cut. Subscribing on youtube.com in a browser gets you the normal $15.99 price.
Is it safe to buy YouTube Premium from a reseller like GamsGo?
It is cheaper ($6.49 a month, or $6.30 with code NDGAM) and you keep your own Google account, but you are relying on a third party, and it is not how YouTube intends Premium to be sold. Start with one month and read the refund rules first.
Can I switch YouTube family groups whenever I want?
No. YouTube lets you switch to a different family group only once every 12 months, so think before you join a group you are not sure about.
Going the reseller route? Code NDGAM takes 5% off your first GamsGo order.
Get the code →