JioHostar recently announced that it is planning to present a restructured version of the subscription model, which will be effective from January 28, 2026. New plan includes a monthly subscription for mobile users starting from INR 79.
The company is basically introducing a new monthly subscription plan and then hiking the prices of the already existing quarterly and annual subscriptions, which is sparking a debate regarding the affordability in the OTT market.
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Now, increasing prices in an already crowded OTT market doesn’t look like a smart move. And not only that, but this price increase also imposes limitations on your favorite shows, as all plans offer restricted streaming options. This means users must navigate multiple subscriptions and select plans based on their specific streaming preferences.
Here are the prices of the subscription that will be effective from January 28, 2026.
JioHotstar
| Tier | Plan Duration | Old Price | New Price ( Starting 28th January) |
| Mobile | Monthly | NA | INR 79 |
| Mobile | Quarterly | INR 149 | INR 149 |
| Mobile | Annual | INR 499 | INR 499 |
| Super | Monthly | NA | INR 149 |
| Super | Quarterly | INR 299 | INR 349 |
| Super | Annual | INR 899 | INR 1,099 |
| Premium | Monthly | INR 299 | INR 299 |
| Premium | Quarterly | INR 499 | INR 699 |
| Premium | Annual | INR 1499 | INR 2,199 |
Users with JioHotstar new mobile subscription plans will only be able to stream content on their smartphones, whereas users with Super and Premium subscriptions will be able to stream their shows on both TVs and smartphones.
It’s worth noting that Premium users will be able to stream JioHotstar ad-free, while Super users will get ads. Plus, Super users will get full access to the whole library.
Other OTT Platform Pricing: Netflix
Unlike JioHotstar, Netflix maintains a straightforward subscription model that avoids complexity for users and grants complete access to its entire media library. This means no separate payments are required for any movie or series.
Netflix Subscription Plans
| Tier | Plan Duration | Price |
| Mobile | Monthly | INR 149 |
| Basic | Monthly | INR 199 |
| Standard | Monthly | INR 499 |
| Premium | Monthly | INR 649 |
SonyLiv
Similar to Netflix, SonyLIV also offers a simple all-round access to the platform through the four plans. They differ only in subscription duration, plus an annual plan for mobile users.
| Tier | Plan Duration | Price |
| Mobile Annual | Annual | INR 699 |
| Premium Monthly | Monthly | INR 399 |
| Premium 6-Month | 6 Months | INR 666 |
| Premium Annual | Annual | INR 1,499 |
Amazon Prime Videos
Amazon Prime Video provides users straightforward access through four bundled plans that vary only by subscription duration, including a mobile-only annual Lite option.
| Tier | Plan Duration | Price |
| Lite | Annual | INR 799 |
| Monthly | Monthly | INR 299 |
| Quarterly | Quarterly | INR 599 |
| Annually | Annual | INR 1,499 |
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Difference Between Major Streaming Platforms in India
Even after subscribing to JioHotstar, ads can still interrupt your viewing. And well, what you can watch or how you watch it depends heavily on the plan you choose.
In our opinion, the cleanest and clearest subscription model is provided by Netflix. There are no ads between movies or shows, unless it is a live event. So, users don’t need to worry about ads in between their streaming experience. In short, it is a stress-free subscription OTT model.
On the other hand, SonyLiv lets you access the whole media library. However, the experience will be marred by ads in between your favorite series and movies. And when you are already paying for the service, this kind of experience feels hard to justify. A paid subscription should simplify streaming, not burden it with ads, restrictions, or force you to constantly choose between plans just to get a basic experience, or make it supremely difficult to choose the best OTT plans in India.
At the same time, Amazon Prime Video’s subscription model is clear, yet a similar problem exists: no one wants to see ads while they are watching a movie or a series. It is kind of an annoying feeling for someone who is paying for the subscription but still faces the same problem. While there is a new ad-free add-on option, it is still hard to justify. The ad-free experience applies only to the Prime Video catalogue, while other sections, such as Amazon MiniTV, continue to show ads. On top of that, you have to pay an additional INR 129 over and above the annual Prime membership fee of INR 1,499.
The Great Indian OTT Debacle
In a market full of OTT platforms, JioHotstar increasing the subscription prices looks like a bad decision, as other OTT platforms have kept the subscription model simple to date.
If we talk about the best subscription amongst all of these, Netflix will be a clear winner as it doesn’t demand any extra subscription, just one subscription, and you are good to go and get total access to the Netflix media library.
JioHotstar Prices: FAQs
What is the new JioHotstar subscription price?
The price differs as per the subscription you want to choose. The monthly price for Mobile starts at INR 149.
How does JioHotstar’s subscription price compare with other OTT platforms?
Other platforms also provide options for subscription, but allow full access to the library; with HotStar, there are limitations.
Which OTT platform offers the cheapest subscription in India?
If we talk about the monthly plan, then JioHotstar is offering the cheapest plan for INR 79 per month.
