YouTube Premium price hike begins this month – are you staying? [Poll]

YouTube Premium’s long-anticipated price increase is now arriving for existing subscribers this month, forcing many to decide whether the ad-free experience is still worth the cost.

Google first announced the US price hike back in April, making it immediately effective for new users. For current subscribers, however, a grace period allowed them to lock in the old rates until their June 2026 billing date. That grace period ends now, with the higher charges appearing on bills starting this week. Specifically, the June 7 billing cycle is when most existing members will see the updated pricing.

Here’s a breakdown of the new monthly rates across YouTube’s paid tiers:

• Individual: $15.99 (up from $13.99)This is the first YouTube Premium price hike since 2023, and it arrives as household budgets face pressure from rising costs across the board. For many subscribers, the question is unavoidable: is this the breaking point?Some may choose to downgrade to YouTube Premium Lite, a cheaper ad-free tier that skips music features. Others might abandon Premium altogether and return to the free, ad-supported experience. The decision often comes down to how much you value background playback, offline downloads, and zero interruptions.If you’re considering cancellation, you can do so through your account settings: navigate to your profile picture, select Settings, then Purchases and Memberships.We want to hear from you. Will you stick with YouTube Premium despite the higher price, switch to Lite, or cancel entirely? Cast your vote in the poll below and share your reasoning in the comments.