Subscriptions to digital services have risen by more than 100% since 2020
According to a DepositAccounts study, the monthly cost for a bundle of 15 popular services today is $237. In 2020, the same bundle cost $159, which represents an actual price increase of 49%. Adjusted for inflation, the cost rose from $199 to $237 (a 19% increase). The subscriptions that increased the most, adjusted for inflation, are: Disney+ (Ad-free): +116.9% ($18.99/mo); Apple TV+ (Standard): +107.9% ($12.99); Xbox Game Pass (Ultimate): +59.8% ($29.99); New York Times (All Access): +59.7% ($32.50); Hulu (No ads): +26.5% ($18.99); Microsoft 365 Personal (monthly equivalent for annual payment): +14.1% ($8.33); Netflix (Standard, no ads): +10.6% ($17.99). The remaining 8 services either increased below inflation or became cheaper (adjusted for inflation): HBO Max (Standard, ad-free): -1.5% ($18.49); Spotify Premium Individual: -4.2% ($11.99); Amazon Prime (monthly equivalent for annual payment): -6.7% ($11.58); YouTube Premium (Individual): -6.8% ($13.99); Zoom Pro: -9.5% ($16.99); Apple Music (Individual): -12.2% ($10.99); Dropbox Plus (2 TB, monthly equivalent): -20.1% ($9.99); iCloud+ (200 GB): -20.1% ($2.99). On average, a US resident spends $84 per month ($1,008 per year) on 4.5 subscriptions. 68% of respondents find these expenses burdensome, and 37% have already canceled at least one service in the past six months due to high prices. Are you subscribed to anything?