Apple TV+ Review 2024: Cost, Plans, and More

Is Apple TV+ good?

Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, Shrinking, The Afterparty, Severance—you’ve probably seen or at least heard of them. Apple TV+ is like a boutique studio with truckloads of money, producing high-quality series and movies to compete with Max and Netflix. The content and the platform are definitely good but still small.

Apple TV+ is an on-demand streaming TV service with a that’s-so-Apple twist: its content is all new and all original. Unlike Amazon Prime Video or Hulu, there aren’t many familiar shows or movies from other sources, but 100+ glossy in-house creations that Apple has spent millions on in hopes new, non-Apple-faithful subscribers will bite.

In other words, proprietary content is available only through Apple. Aside from Apple TV+’s low price, it doesn’t get any more on-brand than that. Even its live Friday Night Baseball games take on a distinctly Apple appearance.

• Excellent slate of originals
• Low monthly cost

• Limited device compatibility
• Little familiar content

Jump to:

• Free trials and deals
• Plans and prices
• Shows and movies
• Specs and features

Apple TV+ free trials and deals

Looking to purchase some shiny new silver-and-white hardware? Of course you are. Buy a new iPhone, MacBook, iPad, or Apple TV, and Apple will throw in three months of Apple TV+ for free.

There’s also a seven-day free trial available to try out Apple TV+.

Apple TV+ plans and prices

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Apple TV+ only offers one plan; at $9.99 a month, it won’t put much of a strain on your streaming budget. If you want to get mathematical, that’s about 20 cents per Apple TV+ show or movie. Not a bad deal, though not every Apple TV+ original is golden (more on that later).

You can also bundle Apple TV+ with other Apple subscriptions like Apple Music and Apple Arcade by signing up for Apple One. Its plans range from $19.95 to $37.95 a month, but it’s only worth it if you’re absolutely committed to the Apple brand.

Apple TV+ vs. the competition

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

When it comes to ad-free plans, only MGM+ offers a cheaper price than Apple TV+. Several services, like Peacock and Paramount+, have even cheaper plans, but they’re ad-supported (ugh). Apple TV+ is blissfully ad-free (unless you count the occasional promo for Apple TV+ shows). For an Apple product, Apple TV+ is surprisingly cheap.

Apple TV+ shows and movies

Paramount+ carries decades of CBS and Paramount content, Peacock has thousands of NBCUniversal catalog shows and movies, and Max and Disney+ have similarly deep legacy media pockets. Apple TV+ did it the hard way when it launched in 2019: with all-new content.

You won’t find any Marvel movies or classic crime dramas in the Apple TV+ lineup, just original TV shows and movies created specifically for the service from the past couple of years. Early entries like Dickinson, For All Mankind, and Mythic Quest generated some buzz, but it was breakout series like Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, and Servant that made a real streaming splash for Apple TV+.

In all, Apple TV+ has produced just over 100 original series and movies, including dramas, comedies, sci-fi thrillers, music documentaries, and children’s programming. Apple TV+ leans heavily into entertainment, but it’s starting to get into streaming live sports with the launch of its Friday Night Baseball and MLS programming.

Apple TV+ original shows and movies (partial list)

Apple TV+ specs and features

As you’d expect from an Apple product, Apple TV+ over-delivers on the technical side. Its video and audio performance competes with or surpasses that of most other streaming services and has drawn rave reviews for its 4K stream quality, especially on Apple TVs.

On-demand

Apple TV+’s on-demand menu is broken into straightforward categories like Latest Originals, Drama, and Comedies, as well as themed sections like Finding Their Voice, Stories from Around the Globe, and Eerie Tales. Since there aren’t thousands of titles to search through (as with Netflix or Prime Video), Apple TV+’s minimalist menu works well enough.

Multiple streams

Apple TV+ allows for six simultaneous streams, double what most other on-demand streamers give you. There’s also no limit on offline downloads with Apple TV+ as long as you’re using your Apple ID.

Compatible devices

Data effective as of post date.

FYI, there’s no stand-alone Apple TV+ app: it’s part of the catch-all Apple TV app, minus the plus sign. It’s convenient to have all of your purchased-through-Apple movies, shows, and on-demand service all in one place, even if you have to clumsily say “Apple” and “app” together.

But, if Apple TV+ is going to overcome the misconception that it only works with Apple devices, it’ll probably have to make itself available on, well, more non-Apple devices. Maybe even some more gaming boxes and (gasp) Android gadgets.

Video and audio quality

We can’t emphasize this enough: Apple TV+’s content looks fantastic, with or without a 4K-capable television. Even Snoopy in Space is pristine, and it’s a flat cartoon.

Sound-wise, Apple TV+ content blasts in ultra-cinematic Dolby Atmos, if your system can handle it, as well as Dolby 5.1 surround sound and standard 2.0 stereo. We’re not Apple purists here, but Apple TV+ is definitely best experienced with an Apple TV 4K and a top-flight sound system. Go big or go to a friend’s Apple-fied home.

Is Apple TV+ worth it?

When it launched in 2019, Apple TV+ didn’t provide much bang even for its small bucks. But now, its 100+ shows and movies—many of which are premium-channel quality—seem like a steal at $9.99 a month. If you get it for free with an Apple product purchase, even better.

Apple TV+ isn’t a full-fledged contender in the on-demand streaming space yet (100 shows versus Netflix’s and Max’s thousands is really no contest). Still, it’s tough to beat for the curated level of content and low price. Also, Apple TV+ is the only place you can get Ted Lasso and Mythic Quest, two compelling checks in our “Subscribe” column.

Apple TV+ FAQ

Methodology

Our TV experts spent hundreds of hours testing and assessing Apple TV+, rating the service on value, reliability, features, and customer satisfaction. Then we matched the service up against other premium streaming TV services head to head to give a clearer picture of its strengths and weaknesses. For more information on our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.