Disney has officially joined the ad-supported content club with its ad-supported subscription plan, Disney+ Basic. If you are among the subscribers wondering whether Disney+ Basic is the right package for you, then read on to see how it compares to the competition.

Disney+ Basic Is Here

Disney+ Basic, Disney's ad-supported subscription plan, costs $7.99/month. There are several factors you might consider when deciding if this service is right for you. For starters, you cannot pay for it annually, which denies users the option to save some money. However, you can try Disney+ Basic for just $6.99/month for three months.

It's worth mentioning that Disney+ Basic will not include ads that feature alcohol or politics, adult-themed subjects, or ads from other entertainment competitors. Also, children-oriented content will not feature any ads.

Unlike their Premium tier without ads, Disney+ Basic does not support downloadable content to watch offline. However, Disney+ Basic includes streaming in 4K UHD on compatible devices, and you have access to the full Disney+ library.

You can stream on up to four devices simultaneously and create six profiles on one account. Every device can stream something different, even in a different physical location and network.

How Does Disney+ Basic Compare to the Competition?

There are already many streaming services with an ad-supported tier, so Disney+ Basic has stiff competition. These are some other streaming services Disney+ competes against.

1. Discovery+

Discovery+ costs $4.99/month, and there is no annual fee. Users experience the same content and perks as the ad-free tier, with some of its programming available in 4K. The only difference is that the ad-supported plan shows an average of 7.2 ads per show and 12 ads per hour. Users can also watch content on up to four devices simultaneously and create up to five different profiles on one account. Like Disney+ Basic, you can also download movies and shows.

Discovery+ offers users access to over 70,000 titles, documentaries, and movies across the Warner Bros. networks.

2. HBO Max

The HBO Max ad-supported tier costs $9.99/month. You can also pay an annual fee of $99.99/year and save more than 15 percent. Users can access the full HBO Max content catalog but not Warner Bros. films debuting in theaters and on HBO Max. However, you will be able to watch these films months later.

The ad-supported tier does not include the ability to download content for offline viewing. Also, the streaming video quality will be capped at 1080p or Full HD, so forget about watching content in 4K.

HBO Max shows four minutes of ads per hour. It supports up to three devices simultaneously and five different profiles. It also offers parental controls, so you can fully control the content your kids can watch.

3. Peacock

Peacock actually used to have two ad-supported tiers. The first tier was free but, unfortunately, Peacock removed its free tier in 2023.

The ad-supported Peacock tier is called Peacock Premium and is $5/month or $50/year. This will enable you to watch the full peacock catalog with over 80,000 hours of content.

You can stream on three separate devices, but you can't download content for offline viewing. And 4K access is also not enabled.

Peacock shows at most five minutes of ads per hour.

4. Paramount+

Paramount+ costs $4.99/month or $49.99/year. This gives you access to the same library as the $9.99 ad-free tier, the NFL on CBS, and 24/7 live news with CBS News.

The ad-supported tier has the heaviest ad load of all the ad-supported streamers and can show up to nearly 24 ads per hour. Each account can create up to six different profiles, and users can stream content on up to three different devices simultaneously. It also supports 4K.

Users can access more than 30,000 hours of library content from the Paramount family of networks. You can watch new movies from Paramount Pictures 30-45 days after their debut in cinemas.

5. Hulu

While Hulu's prices have gone up as of October 2022, the streaming service still offers a pretty affordable ad-supported subscription plan. The ad-supported tier costs $7.99/month or $79.99/year, and, just like the ad-free tier, it gives you access to Hulu's entire catalog.

Hulu's ad-supported plan shows nine to 12 ads in one hour. It also allows you to stream simultaneously on two different devices, although you can buy an add-on to increase this limit.

Unfortunately, Hulu's ad-supported plan doesn't offer 4K support. Instead, streaming is limited to 1080p or Full HD.

6. Netflix

Netflix also introduced its own ad-supported subscription plan called Basic with Ads. The first you need to know about Netflix's Basic with Ads is that the subscription plan costs $6.99/month.

Unfortunately, this plan seems a bit high on limitations. You can only watch on one supported device at a time, and not all of Netflix's content library is available with this subscription. The bright side is that you still have access to all of Netflix's gaming library. There are some amazing Netflix games you can play on your smartphone, but for some, that might not be enough.

The ad time isn't too bad - it should average four to five minutes per hour. Unfortunately, you can watch content in 720p/HD, and this plan won't let you download content.

So Which Is the Best Ad-Supported Streaming Service?

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Disney+ Basic includes all the same content as its ad-free plan, making it a worthy option since many other streaming services don't offer all the content in their library.

And while Disney+ is notable for its blockbuster movies and a wide variety of family entertainment, there's no doubt that even its ad-supported plan is on the expensive side. With all the stiff competition from many streaming giants such as Peacock and HBO, Disney+ may need to step up its game a bit to stand out from the crowd.