YouTube launches cheaper Premium Lite plan – but are the trade-offs worth it?

Tired of sitting through ads while watching your favorite YouTube videos? The popular video-sharing service is bringing its Premium Lite plan as a pilot program to the US. Priced at $7.99 a month, Premium Lite promises to shelve the ads for most, but not all, videos.

More affordable alternative

YouTube touts its Lite plan as a more affordable alternative to its full Premium subscription, which costs a hefty $13.99 a month. A Premium plan removes the ads for all content, including music and music videos, and offers other perks, such as offline viewing, background playing, and 1080p quality.

Also: How to download YouTube videos for free – 2 ways

In contrast, the Lite plan promises to curtail the ads for gaming, fashion, beauty, news, and other videos. But you’ll still have to sit through them for music and other videos not considered core creator content. Plus, Premium Lite offers none of the other perks of the full Premium experience.

“We’ve been testing Premium Lite to make sure we have the right balance of features and benefits for those viewers who want to watch most videos ad-free — whether it’s gaming, comedy, cooking, or learning,” YouTube said in a blog post published Wednesday. “For users who want ad-free music on YouTube and YouTube Music, plus offline and background play, we recommend the Premium plan.”

Also: YouTube teases top features for 2025 – brought to you by AI

Beyond arriving in the US, Premium Lite will expand its reach in other pilot countries over the coming weeks, including Thailand, Germany, and Australia. The new subscription is also being offered at a time when YouTube Music and Premium have surpassed 125 million subscribers, according to the company.

Is Premium Lite worth the price? 

That depends on how annoying and intrusive you find the ads. I use YouTube a lot, both on my mobile devices and my TV. I watch everything from short clips to longer documentaries to the occasional full-length movie. And I’ve never been bothered much by the ads.

Also: Gemini can now watch YouTube for you – skip the video, get the highlights

With many videos, you can skip the ad soon after it starts, so you don’t have to sit through the whole thing. And I’m also used to older TV watching, where a commercial break gave you time to grab a snack or go to the bathroom. Since I don’t consider the ads to be a burden, I’m perfectly happy with my current free plan.

If you are bothered by the ads, sure, you can always check out Premium Lite or even the full Premium plan. YouTube offers a 30-day free trial to wet your feet. Personally, I already shell out enough money for video and streaming subscriptions. I don’t need to add another one.