10 Reasons to Avoid a Netflix Subscription

Netflix is ​​amazing – it just might not be right for you. So before you sign up for Netflix, take a moment to consider its issues and ask yourself: is Netflix worth it?

1 Limited regional selection

The biggest problem with Netflix is ​​that the number and quality of movies and TV shows you can watch depends on where you live.

For example, if you live in the United States, there will inevitably be times when you want to watch something that’s only available on Netflix Canada or Netflix UK. This rarely happens, but when it does, it’s annoying. We can’t imagine how frustrating this is for people outside the US who want to watch Netflix content exclusively available in the United States.

Of course, there are ways to watch everything on Netflix no matter where you live, the most common way is to use a VPN. Although Netflix has theoretically cracked down on VPN use, many paid services still work. We recommend CyberGhost or ExpressVPN for VPNs that work with Netflix.

2 Netflix has an outdated library

Another big complaint about Netflix — which has been one of its sore spots since the streaming service launched — is that its library is never up to date. These days, only Netflix originals can be considered current and trendy.

Because of the licensing deals with the TV networks, it doesn’t make sense to let Netflix stream the episodes as they are released on the network, because that would kill any incentive for people to watch the networks themselves.

Netflix’s strength lies in binge watching, which means it’s a good idea to catch up on TV shows right before the next season starts airing. That’s why most of the Netflix library is about a year old. Networks are not willing to let Netflix fill their library with the latest content.

But why one year? Because that’s when season-long DVD sales are still profitable, and that’s one of the reasons movies are so late to join Netflix’s library. Publishers only start licensing Netflix when sales for a season, show or movie take off.

3 Internet requirements

Netflix (like any other streaming app) depends on the quality of your internet connection. Whether you’re watching YouTube, Twitch, or Netflix, your ISP determines whether you’re watching 240p, 720p, or 4K videos.

If your internet goes down, there’s no Netflix. If people on your network are watching YouTube or playing games and throttling your bandwidth, Netflix will stutter. And if your internet speed is bad, video quality will suffer. Remember that Netflix automatically decides the quality of the stream based on your connection status. Sure, you can still download Netflix shows and movies, but that takes a lot of extra time and work.

Compare it to Blu-ray or DVD: just put the disc in the right player and you’ll still have the same quality and you can continue watching even if your internet connection drops. The value of this reliability cannot be overstated and is one of the reasons why physical media is better than streaming.

4 Data limit consumption

While we’re on the subject of internet connectivity, let’s not forget that data caps are a very real annoyance to consider when streaming media – especially for videos, which can take upwards of 7GB/hour depending on what quality tracking you require. movies and TV shows.

If your internet connection has a small data limit, you’ll eat it up in no time. These estimates are based on Netflix data usage details.

And these numbers assume you’re doing nothing but Netflix. With Ultra HD becoming the standard in home entertainment, these numbers are simply unacceptable. If you have a limited internet connection, beware: Netflix will use up your data faster than you think.

Although you pay for Netflix, you don’t own anything on it. If you buy the DVD, it’s yours. With Netflix, your payments disappear into thin air.

After one year, you’ll pay anywhere from $84 to $240, depending on which Netflix plan you choose. However, you won’t have anything to show for it other than memories of whatever TV shows and movies you watched during that time.

This is one of the great tragedies of streaming. We’re seeing a decline in entertainment media ownership, leaving you at the mercy of content publishers and streamers.

6 Netflix keeps downloading popular shows

The worst example of this is when streaming services remove shows and movies at any time. There’s nothing more irritating than binge-watching your favorite show, only to find out halfway through that it’s gone. While Netflix is ​​far from the only streaming service that does this, it is one of the most well-known.

For example, I loved his original series from 2024, Kaos, but it was promptly canceled after one series. Similarly, Netflix’s Archive 81 was a surreal, supernatural horror series that received huge acclaim for its original storytelling and has an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But no, Netflix did it too after just one season.

It’s a similar story for Mindhunter, 1899, The Umbrella Academy and many other shows. Unfortunately, once Netflix pulls your show, there’s little you can do except hope another network or streaming service picks it up.

7 Subscription value and rising costs

Netflix encourages binge watching. In fact, it’s such an integral aspect of the service that the word “Netflix” is pretty much synonymous with “drive-through viewing.” And it’s not just because Netflix makes it easy to jump from one episode to the next, although that plays a big role. This is because Netflix is ​​a subscription service. There’s no Netflix free trial, and you pay the same no matter how much you watch, so watching more per month means squeezing more value out of your subscription.

The cost of a Netflix subscription is also constantly rising. In 2023, Netflix pushed through two price hikes, with its standard subscription now costing a hefty $15.49 a month, up from $9.99. Its premium subscription now costs $22.99.

On the other hand, if you don’t watch much at all, Netflix may not be worth the price tag. If you go a month without watching anything, then you’ve basically wasted your money.

8 Loss of channel surfing

This point is minor in the bigger picture, but still worth considering if you haven’t cut the cord yet: You can’t flip through channels and just watch what’s playing. You always have to choose something, which isn’t always so easy, so streaming ruined my TV watching.

Some genre-based channel surfing simulations exist, but even those tend to be riddled with bugs and/or stray too far from the real thing. There’s a magic to knowing a show is playing live that Netflix doesn’t have.

If you’re really stuck on what to watch, now you can see what’s popular on Netflix in your region.

9 Password sharing crackdown

Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing is well known by now. In 2022, Netflix announced that it would begin restricting password sharing between households, forcing each household to have a single subscription. Sharing passwords around the house is fine, but if you’re sharing with four other people who live in different parts of the country or even the world, Netflix is ​​for you.

It’s only been positive for Netflix since then. During 2024, as its crackdown on password sharing escalated, so did its subscribers, with many opting for its ad-supported tier.

10 There are plenty of Netflix alternatives

Research by SimilarWeb shows that Netflix’s market share will drop to around 44 percent in 2023, from nearly 50 percent in 2021. While this is a significant drop, Netflix is ​​still the biggest fish in the streaming service pond.

Still, the market is becoming increasingly crowded. Some of the best Netflix alternatives have emerged in recent years, including Disney+, Peacock, and Paramount+. Major media corporations, including Paramount and NBCUniversal, are fighting to give Netflix a run for its money, while Amazon Prime’s Freevee streaming service provides a useful free alternative. There are other free options like Tubi and Vudu.

If you’ve routinely found yourself in a “last day to watch on Netflix” panic, check out Hulu or Peacock; you may be pleasantly surprised to find that your favorites have found a new home.