So in our shared apartment, we've always shared Netflix and Disney+ passwords, but now those services just block accounts if you log in from different locations. Is it still worth getting a subscription for each person individually, or are there better alternatives? Saving money by putting up with ads is annoying too...
If you can't share passwords anymore, it's obviously going to get expensive. But before you just start signing up for individual subscriptions - check out which services you're actually using regularly. With Netflix and Disney+, you can often save money with their cheaper ad-supported plans, even if the ads are annoying. Alternatively, there are also services that allow simultaneous use on multiple devices - so you can at least officially share one subscription without someone getting kicked out all the time.
One warning though: illegal streaming sites or password sharing via VPN might be tempting, but the services are pretty aggressive about blocking it these days, and there can be legal consequences too. Not worth it.
Honestly, I'd suggest you pick two or three services you agree on and share those - either someone pays and the others chip in, or everyone picks their absolute favorite service. There are also smaller players like Mubi or specialized streaming offerings (depending on whether you need more movies, series, or live TV) that are sometimes cheaper and less strict about sharing. But the big providers won't let you off the hook if you try it.
I know the problem - it was a topic in my friend group too. Honestly, for individuals it's gotten expensive. Netflix costs between 6 and 22 euros depending on the plan, Disney+ is similar, and if you want to add Prime Video or Apple TV+ on top, you quickly end up at 50+ euros a month. For a lot of people it makes more sense to just rotate the services - watch Netflix for a month, then cancel, next month Disney+. Some people do it systematically.
Better alternatives are hard to find. There are free services like Pluto TV or The Roku Channel with ads, but the selection is pretty limited. Piracy is obviously an option too, but you'd have to look into the legal consequences yourself. Realistically: if you want to watch regularly, an subscription probably makes sense, but maybe just for one or two services at a time, and then rotate through them.
Another solution would be to figure out with your roommates if everyone pays separately - then you can all watch at the same time without account restrictions. Some shared apartments handle it through split payment apps like Splitwise so the costs are distributed fairly.
Instead of paying for individual subscriptions, a family plan might be worth it if there are four or five of you - Netflix and Disney+ usually have cheaper family plans than several solo subscriptions added together, and everyone gets their own account without password-sharing hassle. Alternatively, you could split the services: one person pays for Netflix, one for Disney+, one for Prime Video, and you just share the login details in your shared apartment - the platforms notice less that way because you're coming from the same network. Ads are annoying, sure, but the ad-supported tiers are basically the only way to go cheaper without compromising on how you use the account.
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