Updated October 12, 2023

Paramount Plus Price

Read more about Paramount Plus
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Paramount Plus (formerly CBS All Access) is great for binge-watching Star Trek and Big Brother. But is it worth the cost? Find out before you sign up.

5-point scale (the higher, the better)

Pros and Cons

  • Free trial period
  • Starts at $5.99/mo
  • New Paramount Pictures releases
  • Smaller TV and film selection
  • Pay extra to skip commercials
  • No curated watch list

Bottom Line

Nostalgic and family-friendly content but weak user interface

What Is Paramount Plus?

Paramount Plus offers two pricing plans: $5.99 per month with limited commercials, and $11.99 per month for commercial-free and includes local CBS station plus Showtime. Both plans allow you to cancel at any time. Users can stream on 3 devices at the same time.

The subscription service includes current and classic CBS shows, exclusive programming, and live broadcasts.

Paramount Plus Free Trial

Like many other streaming services, you can try out Paramount Plus for free before subscribing.

Be aware that to sign up, you will need to link a method of payment, which will then automatically be charged at the end of the trial. You'll be charged monthly depending on the subscription plan you choose.

How Much Is Paramount Plus?

Paramount Plus has two different price tiers. They are:[1]

Paramount Plus PlanPrice
Paramount+ Essential$5.99 (Get Free Trial)
Paramount+ with Showtime$11.99 (Get Free Trial)

The Paramount+ Essential plan does NOT include your local live CBS station while the Paramount+ with Showtime plan includes your live, local CBS station plus SHOWTIME.

Both tiers will get you access to all of the CBS On Demand catalog. The main difference between the two plans is that the Essential plan still shows ads during On Demand shows, while the Paramount+ with Showtime does not.

Live TV and events always have commercials, regardless of the plan. If you want to get a plan to watch live TV, though, make sure your area is covered.

Paramount Plus offers a student discount of 25% off. If you're in college, you can get the offer by signing up with an active .edu email address.

How Does Paramount Plus Work?

To use Paramount Plus, you'll either need to download the app to your phone or TV or head to the website from your computer. From there, you'll sign into your account and choose On Demand or Live streaming. Then, you're ready to start watching.

All Paramount Plus plans are paid either on an annual or monthly basis. There's no contract, so you can cancel any time you want. If you want to binge-watch every episode of Big Brother or Star Trek, you can buy a month or two of the service and then cancel when you're done.

CBS has a fairly vast catalog of TV shows available through Paramount Plus. If you're still on the fence, make sure to check out what you could watch below.

What's your favorite thing to watch on TV?

Can you stream sports through Paramount Plus?
You can watch some sports, including NFL games, that air on your local CBS affiliate through Paramount Plus if you live in a live-streaming market area. Not all televised games air on CBS due to copyrights.

Paramount Plus Features

Here's what we like about Paramount Plus:

Current and past CBS shows: You can stream all episodes of currently running CBS shows one day after they air on TV. That includes regular CBS shows like Survivor, NCIS, Evil, and more. You can also stream all episodes of classic CBS shows such as Star Trek, Twin Peaks, Cheers, and more.

Paramount Plus Originals: Some shows are exclusive to Paramount Plus. This includes the remake of The Twilight Zone, The Good Fight, and both Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Discovery. It's a must-have for Trekkies who want to stay up to date.

Live streaming: Live streaming is available in over 200 markets across the United States. CBS has stations in almost every state, and the areas that don't have a station are served by stations in nearby states.

Easy to cancel: If you need to cancel your subscription, you can immediately. Unlike traditional TV service, there's no contract that binds you to use the service for a set amount of time.

Multiple devices and streams: You can use Paramount Plus on many mobile devices or a web browser. Devices include:

  • iPhone, iPad
  • Apple TV
  • Android phones and tablets
  • Android TV
  • Roku
  • Amazon Fire TV and Alexa
  • Google Chromecast and Google Home
  • Comcast Xfinity Flex
  • Xbox One
  • PlayStation 4
  • LG Smart TV
  • Samsung Smart TV
  • Vizio Smart TV
  • Facebook Portal TV

Each Paramount Plus account allows up to three simultaneous streams at once.[2]

Here's what we don't like about Paramount Plus:

There are still commercials: Unless you choose the more expensive $11.99/mo. subscription, you'll still have to watch commercials. It's fewer commercials than if you were watching TV through a regular cable provider, but you'll still have to watch them on a service you are paying for, which can be annoying.

Some CBS shows are available online: Some current CBS shows are available on the CBS website for public access a few days after they air. Using Paramount Plus cuts down this delay to just one day and allows you to watch the shows on your chosen device, instead of only on a computer.

If you just have one or two shows in mind that you want to watch, though, it's worth checking to see if they're available for free before you buy the subscription.

CBS Live Streaming Areas

If you live in an area with a CBS affiliate or CBS-owned TV station, you can stream live TV through Paramount Plus.

These are all the markets:

  • Abilene / Sweetwater, TX (KTAB)
  • Albany / Schenectady, NY (WRGB)
  • Albany, GA (WSWG)
  • Albuquerque / Santa Fe, NM (KRQE)
  • Alexandria, LA (KALB)
  • Amarillo, TX (KFDA)
  • Anchorage, AK (KTVA)
  • Atlanta, GA (WGCL)
  • Augusta, GA / Aiken, SC (WRDW)
  • Austin, TX, (KEYE)
  • Bakersfield, CA (KBAK)
  • Baltimore, MD (WJZ)
  • Bangor, ME (WABI)
  • Baton Rouge, LA (WAFB)
  • Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX (KFDM)
  • Bend, OR (KBNZ)
  • Billings, MT (KTVQ)
  • Biloxi / Gulfport, MS (WLOX)
  • Binghamton, NY (WBNG)
  • Birmingham, AL (WIAT)
  • Bluefield / Beckley / Oak Hill, WV (WVNS)
  • Boise, ID (KBOI)
  • Boston, MA / Manchester, NH (WBZ)
  • Bowling Green, KY (WNKY)
  • Bryan / College Station (KBTX)
  • Buffalo, NY (WIVB)
  • Burlington-Plattsburgh, NY (WCAX)
  • Butte, MT (KXLF)
  • Cedar Rapids / Waterloo / Iowa City / Dubuque, IA (KGAN)
  • Champaign and Springfield / Decatur, IL (WCIA)
  • Charleston / Huntington, WV (WOWK)
  • Charleston, SC (WCSC)
  • Charlotte, NC (WBTV)
  • Charlottesville, VA (WCAV)
  • Chattanooga, TN (WDEF)
  • Cheyenne / Scottsbluff, WY (KGWN)
  • Chicago, IL (WBBM)
  • Chico / Redding, CA (KHSL)
  • Cincinnati, OH (WKRC)
  • Clarksburg / Weston, WV (WDTV)
  • Cleveland / Akron (Canton), OH (WOIO)
  • Colorado Springs / Pueblo, CO (KKTV)
  • Columbia / Jefferson City, MO (KRCG)
  • Columbia, SC (WLTX)
  • Columbus / Tupelo, MS (WCBI)
  • Columbus, GA / Opelika, AL (WRBL)
  • Columbus, OH (WBNS)
  • Corpus-Christi, TX (KZTV)
  • Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (KTVT)
  • Davenport, IA; Rock Island / Moline, IL (WHBF)
  • Dayton, OH (WHIO)
  • Denver, CO (KCNC)
  • Des Moines / Ames, IA (KCCI)
  • Detroit, MI (WWJ)
  • Dothan, AL (WTVY)
  • Duluth-Superior, MN (KBJR)
  • El Paso (Las Cruces), TX (KDBC)
  • Elmira (Corning), NY (WENY)
  • Erie, PA (WSEE)
  • Eugene (Coos Bay/Roseburg), OR (KVAL)
  • Eureka, CA (KVIQ)
  • Evansville, IN (WEVV)
  • Fairbanks, AK (KXDF)
  • Fargo / Valley City, ND (KVLY)
  • Flint / Saginaw / Bay City, MI (WNEM)
  • Fort Myers / Naples, FL (WINK)
  • Fort Smith / Fayetteville / Springdale / Rogers, AR (KFSM)
  • Fort Wayne, IN (WANE)
  • Freeport, IL (WIFR)
  • Fresno / Visilia, CA (KGPE)
  • Gainesville, FL (WGFL)
  • Grand Junction / Montrose, CO (KREX)
  • Grand Rapids / Kalamazoo / Battle Creek, MI (WWMT)
  • Great Falls, MT (KRTV)
  • Green Bay / Appleton, WI (WFRV)
  • Greensboro / High Point / Winston Salem, NC (WFMY)
  • Greenville / Spartansburg, SC / Ashville, NC (WSPA)
  • Greenville / New Bern / Washington, NC (WNCT)
  • Greenwood-Greenville, MS (WXVT)
  • Harlingen / Weslaco / Brownsville / McAllen, TX (KVEO)
  • Harrisburg / Lancaster / Lebanon / York, PA (WHP)
  • Harrisonburg, VA (WSVF-CD)
  • Hartford / New Haven, CT (WFSB)
  • Hattiesburg / Laurel, MS (WHLT)
  • Honolulu, HI (KGMB)
  • Houston, TX (KHOU)
  • Huntsville / Decatur / Florence, AL (WHNT)
  • Idaho Falls / Pocatello, ID / Jackson, WY (KIDK)
  • Indianapolis / Kokomo, IN (WTTV)
  • Jackson, MS (WJTV)
  • Jackson, TN (WBBJ)
  • Jacksonville, FL (WJAX)
  • Johnstown / Altoona / State College, PA (WTAJ)
  • Jonesboro, AR (KJNB)
  • Joplin, MO / Pittsburg, KS (KOAM)
  • Juneau (Sitka/Ketchikan), AK (KTVA)
  • Kansas City, MO (KCTV)
  • Knoxville, TN (WVLT)
  • La Crosse-Eau Claire, WI (WKBT)
  • Lafayette, IN (WLFI)
  • Lafayette, LA (KLFY)
  • Lake Charles, LA (KSWL-LD)
  • Lansing, MI (WLNS)
  • Laredo, TX (KYLX)
  • Las Vegas, NV (KLAS)
  • Lexington / Hazard, KY (WKYT)
  • Lexington, KY (WYMT)
  • Lima, OH (WOHL-CD)
  • Lincoln / Hastings / Kearney, NE (Grand Island) - KOLN
  • Little Rock / Pine Bluff, AR (KTHV)
  • Los Angeles, CA (KCBS)
  • Louisville, KY (WLKY)
  • Lubbock, TX (KLBK)
  • Macon, GA (WMAZ)
  • Madison, WI (WISC)
  • Mankato, MN (KEYC)
  • Marquette / Escanaba, MI (WJMN)
  • Medford / Klamath Falls, OR (KTVL)
  • Memphis, TN (WREG)
  • Meridian, MS (WMDN)
  • Miami / Ft. Lauderdale, FL (WFOR)
  • Milwaukee, WI (WDJT)
  • Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN (WCCO)
  • Minot / Bismarck, ND (KXMC)
  • Missoula, MT (KPAX)
  • Mobile, AL / Pensacola, FL (WKRG)
  • Monroe, LA / El Dorado, AR (KNOE)
  • Monterey-Salinas, CA (KION)
  • Montgomery / Selma, AL (WAKA)
  • Myrtle Beach / Florence, SC (WBTW)
  • Nashville, TN (WTVF)
  • New Orleans, LA (WWL)
  • New York, NY (WCBS)
  • Norfolk / Portsmouth / Newport News, VA (WTKR)
  • North Platte, NE (KNPL)
  • Odessa / Midland, TX (KOSA)
  • Oklahoma City, OK (KWTV)
  • Omaha, NE (KMTV)
  • Orlando / Daytona Beach / Melbourne, FL (WKMG)
  • Ottumwa, IA / Kirksville, MO (KTVO)
  • Paducah-Cape Girard-Harsbg, GA (KFVS)
  • Palm Springs, CA (KPSP)
  • Panama City, FL (WECP-LD)
  • Parkersburg, WV (WIYE-LD)
  • Peoria / Bloomington, IL (WMBD)
  • Philadelphia, PA (KYW)
  • Phoenix (Prescott), AZ (KPHO)
  • Pittsburgh, PA (KDKA)
  • Portland, ME (WGME)
  • Portland, OR (KOIN)
  • Presque Isle, ME (WAGM)
  • Providence / New Bedford, RI (WPRI)
  • Quincy, IL / Hannibal, MO / Keokuk, IA (KHQA)
  • Raleigh / Durham (Fayetteville), NC (WNCN)
  • Rapid City, SD (KCLO)
  • Reno, NV (KTVN)
  • Richmond / Petersburg, VA (WTVR)
  • Roanoke / Lynchburg (WDBJ)
  • Rochester, MN / Mason City, IA / Austin, MN (KIMT)
  • Rochester, NY (WROC)
  • Sacramento / Stockton / Modesto, CA (KOVR)
  • Saint Louis, MO (KMOV)
  • Salisbury, MD (WBOC)
  • Salt Lake City, UT (KUTV)
  • San Angelo, TX (KLST)
  • San Antonio, TX (KENS)
  • San Diego, CA (KFMB)
  • San Francisco / Oakland / San Jose, CA (KPIX)
  • Santa Barbara, CA (KCOY)
  • Savannah, GA (WTOC)
  • Seattle / Tacoma, WA (KIRO)
  • Sherman, TX / Ada, OK (KXII)
  • Shreveport, LA (KSLA)
  • Sioux City, IA (KMEG)
  • Sioux Falls / Mitchell, SD (KELO)
  • South Bend / Elkhart, IN (WSBT)
  • Spokane, WA (KREM)
  • Springfield / Holyoke, MA (WSHM)
  • Springfield, MO (KOLR)
  • St. Joseph, MO (KCJO-LD)
  • Syracuse, NY (WTVH)
  • Tallahassee, FL / Thomasville, GA (WCTV)
  • Tampa /St. Petersburg / Sarasota, FL (WTSP)
  • Terre Haute, IN (WTHI)
  • Toledo, OH (WTOL)
  • Topeka, KS (WIBW)
  • Traverse City / Cadillac, MI (WWTV)
  • Tri-Cities, TN / Johnson City, VA (WJHL)
  • Tucson (Sierra Vista), AZ (KOLD)
  • Tulsa, OK (KOTV)
  • Twin Falls, ID (KMVT)
  • Tyler / Longview, TX (KYTX)
  • Utica, NY (WKTV)
  • Waco / Temple / Bryan, TX (KWTX)
  • Washington, DC (WUSA)
  • Watertown, NY(WWNY)
  • Wausau / Rhinelander, WI (WSAW)
  • West Palm Beach / Ft. Pierce, FL (WPEC)
  • Wheeling / Steubenville, OH (WTRF)
  • Wichita / Hutchinson Plus, KS (KWCH)
  • Wichita Falls, TX / Lawton, OK (KAUZ)
  • Wilkes Barre / Scranton, PA (WYOU)
  • Wilmington, NC (WWAY)
  • Yakima / Pasco / Ricchland / Kennewick, WA (KIMA)
  • Youngstown, OH (WKBN)
  • Yuma, AZ / El Centro, CA (KYMA)

Note: Essential plan ($5.99/month) does NOT include access to your local live CBS channel.

How It Compares

It seems like companies keep coming out with new ways to stream. How does Paramount Plus stack up? Check out the rates and features of these top TV streaming services:

Streaming ServicePriceChannelsSimultaneous Streams
Paramount Plus$5.99/mo43
Sling TV$40/mo30+1-3
Hulu + Live TV$76.99/mo85+2
YouTube TV$72.99/mo100+3
DirecTV Stream$74.99/mo75+3

With Paramount Plus, you only get four channels: your local CBS channel, CBSN, CBS Sports HQ, and ET Live 24/7. This lets you watch live events like football games and the Grammy Awards. And, of course, you get access to the original content and CBS Evening News.

Though it doesn't have the largest streaming library, it's good if you're interested in shows like:

  • Star Trek series
  • The Big Bang Theory
  • Strange Angel
  • Blue Bloods
  • Why Women Kill
  • Classics like I Love Lucy and The Brady Bunch

Hear from an Expert

Don't just take our word for it. CreditDonkey asked Dr. Jennifer Burton from the University of Tampa for her expert opinion on streaming services.

Here's what she had to say:

Bottom Line

CBS almost always has a free trial period for you to try out Paramount Plus before you commit. If you subscribe and find that you're not getting your full money's worth out of Paramount Plus, it's easy to cancel.

If you want to watch current or past CBS-exclusive shows, the service is a solid streaming service at a fair price. Just be aware that you may or may not be able to watch live TV and that you'll have to pay more to skip out on the commercials.

References

Write to Anna Johnson at feedback@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.

Note: This website is made possible through financial relationships with some of the products and services mentioned on this site. We may receive compensation if you shop through links in our content. You do not have to use our links, but you help support CreditDonkey if you do.

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8% Reality
16% Drama
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