Peacock vs Paramount+: which is worth it in 2026?
Prices verified as of October 14, 2026.
The entry tiers tie at $8.99/mo, but they are not the same product: Peacock Select skips live sports, movies, and Peacock originals, while Paramount+ Essential includes the full on-demand library with ads. At the top, Paramount+ Premium ($13.99/mo) is the cheapest ad-free option here and adds live local CBS and SHOWTIME. Peacock Premium ($12.99/mo, with ads) is the sports pick — full library plus live sports. Choose by what you watch: live sport points to Peacock, ad-free drama points to Paramount+.
Plans and prices compared
| Peacock | Paramount+ |
|---|---|
| $8.99/mo Select Ads: Yes 1080p 3 streams Downloads: No | $8.99/mo Essential Ads: Yes 1080p 3 streams Downloads: No |
| $12.99/mo Premium Ads: Yes 1080p 3 streams Downloads: No | $13.99/mo Premium Ads: No 4K UHD 3 streams Downloads: Yes |
| $19.99/mo Premium Plus Ads: No 4K UHD 3 streams Downloads: Yes | — |
Full plan details: Peacock pricing · Paramount+ pricing. Price history for both is on the price history page.
Which should you pick?
Peacock:
- Select at $8.99/mo is a highlights package (NBC and Bravo favorites). It skips sports, movies, and originals, so most people outgrow it.
- Premium at $12.99/mo is the real service: full library, live sports, and always-on channels, with ads.
- Premium Plus at $19.99/mo is only worth it if you need offline downloads or your local NBC channel live around the clock.
Paramount+:
- Essential at $8.99/mo covers the on-demand library with ads. It is the budget way to catch up on shows.
- Premium at $13.99/mo removes most on-demand ads and adds live local CBS plus the full SHOWTIME library, which matters for sports fans.
- Annual billing is the easy win here: roughly 17% off either tier. Note the free trial is gone; you pay from day one.
Or rotate both
Keeping both year-round is the expensive default. Both services are month-to-month, so the cheaper pattern is one at a time: subscribe for the shows you want, cancel, and switch. Dormant's rotation planner times those switches to premieres and finales, and the cost calculator shows what the rotation saves per year.
Common questions
Peacock vs Paramount+: which is better for sports?
Peacock Premium at $12.99/mo includes live sports and the full library, though it still carries ads. Paramount+ Premium at $13.99/mo includes your live local CBS station (which carries CBS sports) and is ad-free for on-demand. Prices verified October 14, 2026.
Which is cheaper, Peacock or Paramount+?
The entry tiers tie at $8.99/mo, but Paramount+ Essential includes the full on-demand library while Peacock Select excludes live sports, movies, and originals. Both offer annual billing at roughly 17% off. Prices verified October 14, 2026.
How do I cancel Peacock or Paramount+?
See Dormant's step-by-step guides: How to cancel Peacock and How to cancel Paramount+. You keep access until the end of your billing period either way.
Changed your mind about one of them? How to cancel Peacock · How to cancel Paramount+.