As we reported back in January, the Netflix Basic plan is being shut down: the streamer had already closed it to new subscribers, and now it's emailing existing subscribers to tell them that their subscriptions will be shut down on 4 June.
Netflix is pitching the move as an improvement, because the Basic plan is more expensive than its Standard With Ads tier. But of course, Standard With Ads includes ads. And Basic doesn't.
So what are your options if you're currently a Netflix Basic subscriber, or if you're not a subscriber at all and are thinking about joining up? Here are the options for UK customers based on current prices, although do be aware that Netflix has hinted that there are likely to be price increases in the coming months.
Netflix Basic subscribers: what if you do nothing?
If you don't make any changes to your subscription plan, your Basic subscription will come to an end on the 4th of June and you'll then be automatically moved onto the Standard With Ads plan. That's £4.99 per month and offers 1080p Full HD. You can stream or download to two devices, but there's no HDR or spatial audio. Netflix promises that the ads will be "just a few minutes per hour".
If you have family members who don't share the same roof with you, you can't add them to a Standard With Ads subscription; they'll need to get their own subscription instead.
What if you don't want Netflix with adverts?
The first ad-free subscription tier is now Netflix Standard, which is currently £10.99. Like the Standard With Ads plan it gives you 1080p and supports two devices; the only difference is that you're paying an extra £6 per month for an ad-free experience.
The other option is the £17.99 Premium plan. That too is ad-free, but the extra cost ups your video quality to 4K with HDR and adds spatial audio where available. You can stream to four devices and download to six.
Both of the ad-free plans enable you to add extra member slots for people who don't share the same roof. They're £4.99 per person per month on top of the subscription fee.
