Which Subscription Plan Is Best?

In the battle of Paramount Plus Essential vs. Premium for 2023, users have to decide if the premium features are worth investing an extra bit of cash each month. For those asking “Which subscription plan is best?”, this guide is for you.

Should I get Paramount Plus Essential or Premium?

Those who can benefit from Paramount Plus’ Premium features, including more sports content, limited ads, local news, the ability to download shows, and make use of 4K, Dolby Vision, and HDR10 should consider getting Premium.

For those who won’t use the aforementioned features and/or prefer the cheaper price of $4.99, Essential may be the better option.

Here’s a full breakdown of the two plans*:

*Note that Premium also comes with higher-resolution video and HDR support, which Essential doesn’t have.

The good news is that both Essential and Premium come with a 7-day trial, allowing new users to try out the service before paying any money. During the trial period, I’d encourage you to explore 4K video to see if you think it’s worth the extra cost, in addition to your local news channel, and perhaps even some downloads. If you find yourself liking those features, then Premium may be worth the additional cost.

Is it worth upgrading to Paramount Plus Premium?

It will be worth upgrading to Paramount Plus Premium if you want to take advantage of the higher-resolution video and/or HDR support, fewer ads, more sports coverage, local news channels, and the ability to download. If this justifies the extra $5 a month over Essential, then Premium could well be worth it.

For those who are happy with watching shows in lower resolution and with ad breaks, then Essential is the more obvious choice, costing only $4.99 per month.

For more Paramount content, here’s how to watch Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. And here’s where to stream Joe Pickett season 2.