The announcement that Netflix is going to start charging for people to leech off the same account got us thinking: which streaming service is the best for password sharing?
Right now, it’s easy to split any streaming service account between multiple users. However, not all are created equal.
Some will limit the number of simultaneous devices to different tiers. Others put a cap on multiple profile options.
With that in mind we’ve broken down each of the Australian streaming services based on how suitable they are for sharing.
Streaming services breakdown: Which is the best for sharing?
How many screens can you watch at once?
When sharing an account password the main thing to factor in is how many people can watch at the same time. Streaming services usually dictate a limit of screens amongst tiered plans, which we’ve broken down for you below.
- Basic with ads – 1 device at a time
- Basic – 1 device at a time
- Standard – 2 devices at a time
- Premium – 4 devices at a time
- Basic – 1 device at a time
- Standard – 3 devices at a time
- Premium – 4 devices at a time
- Basic – 1 stream at a time
- Standard – 2 streams at a time
- Premium – 4 streams at a time
- Kayo One – 1 device at a time
- Basic – 2 devices at a time
- Premium – 3 devices at a time
Prime Video only has one subscription option and it allows you to watch content on up to 3 devices at once.
Disney+ also only has one subscription tier and it offers streaming on up to 4 devices at once.
When subscribing to Paramount+ you’ll be able to stream to a maximum of 3 devices simultaneously.
An Apple TV+ subscription gives you access to 6 simultaneous streams on different devices.
Hayu is a bit more limited and only offers streaming on one device at a time.
Shudder
Shudder hasn’t disclosed any information about simultaneous streaming options so you can take that to mean only one device at a time unless proven otherwise.
BritBox
BritBox allows users in Australia to register an account on four different devices.
What about multiple profiles?
Sometimes there’s nothing more annoying than logging on to watch something, only to find that someone else on your account is watching the same thing and they’re three episodes ahead.
That’s why multiple profiles are useful, everyone gets their own little corner of the account where they can add things to their own watchlist and personalise the content they’re watching.
At this stage, nearly every streaming service offers the ability to create multiple profiles. Note that these are technically intended for users in the same household, but until more streaming services choose to crack down on password sharing, there’s no firm definition of what a “household” is.
- Netflix – up to 5 different profiles
- Stan – up to 5 different profiles
- Paramount+ – up to 6 different profiles
- Disney+ – up to 7 different profiles
- Binge – up to 5 different profiles
- Prime Video – up to 6 different profiles
- Apple TV+ – can be shared with other Apple ID user accounts (instructions here)
Based on all that the streaming services are (currently) fairly equal in their benefits for password sharing. The standard seems to be four streams at once with five or six different profiles available per account.
The last thing to consider is pricing. It’s an expensive exercise to subscribe to all the different streaming services available these days (we’ve broken down an exact cost for you here).
But while you’re allowed to share your streaming account with friends and family, it can be easier to justify that cost.
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