When did Hulu raise its prices?

Alongside Disney's October 21, 2025 announcement wave, which repriced Hulu plans and the bundles at once; existing subscribers saw the new amounts from that date forward. Since then the ad-supported plan has held steady through our August 29, 2026 verification. One more dated change is scheduled: the legacy three-service bundle rises in mid-September 2026.

Is another Hulu increase coming in late 2026?

Nothing announced for standalone Hulu, but history says expect one: Disney has raised prices every autumn for three straight years, so an October 2026 announcement should be treated as likely rather than possible. Bundle changes are already confirmed for September, which historically precedes the standalone notice by weeks.

Is the bundle cheaper than subscribing separately?

By a wide margin. After the October 2025 wave, the ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle costs about eleven dollars less per month than buying both services standalone. For most US subscribers that math settles the question before any cancellation decision — check the current figures in our Disney+ increase guide before dropping either service.

Does the Hulu student discount still exist after the price increases?

Yes. Verified US students keep a steep monthly rate on the ad-supported plan, and there is also a discounted student bundle with Disney+. Both require annual re-verification through SheerID, and missing a verification rolls you onto the full regular price automatically. Details are on our dedicated Hulu student page.

Can I keep the old Hulu price by cancelling and rejoining?

No. List prices apply to returning accounts exactly as they do to new ones, so churn-and-return restores nothing. The saving comes only from genuinely not paying during the months you are gone — pause around seasons you will skip rather than churning expecting a win-back offer.

When will I actually see the higher Hulu price on my bill?

On your first billing date after the increase takes effect. Hulu keeps your current rate until then and emails the new price roughly a billing cycle ahead. Annual plans hold the old rate until the term renews.

Hulu price increase 2026: what went up and what's next

Hulu’s most recent increase arrived inside Disney’s October 21, 2025 pricing wave, and it left the ad-supported Hulu plan at $11.99/month — where our storefront check of August 29, 2026 still shows it. No standalone 2026 hike has landed yet. But one dated rise already sits on the calendar: the legacy three-service bundle (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select) climbs to $27.99/month on or after September 17, 2026. Here is what moved, what is scheduled, and what to do about it.

Where Hulu’s US prices stand (verified August 29, 2026)

Plan	Current price	Last change
Hulu (With Ads)	$11.99/mo	Oct 2025 wave
Disney+, Hulu Bundle (with ads)	$12.99/mo	Oct 2025 (from $10.99)
Legacy 3-service bundle	→ $27.99/mo from Sep 17, 2026	Scheduled
Hulu student rate	$1.99/mo	Held

Sources: Disney’s September 23, 2025 announcement (Variety, CNBC, New York Times), Cord Cutters News reporting from August 2026 on the legacy-bundle change, and our own Aug 29, 2026 storefront checks.

The bundle rows deserve a second look. When the Disney+, Hulu package rose to $12.99, it cost just $1 more than Basic alone while adding an entire second service — which quietly made standalone Hulu the worst deal on the menu. That asymmetry is the real outcome of the 2025 wave for most subscribers.

What’s next

Disney has now raised prices every autumn for three consecutive years. No October 2026 announcement exists yet, but the September bundle move is the traditional opening act of that cycle. The practical budgeting advice: assume a notice lands this autumn until proven otherwise, and read your renewal email against the table above rather than forum rumors. Our Disney+ price increase 2026 page tracks the same cycle service-by-service.

What you can do about it

Do the bundle math before downgrading anything. At current prices, moving from standalone Hulu to the Disney+, Hulu bundle costs about a dollar more and doubles your catalog. Moving down from the bundle saves little and loses a service. Standalone only makes sense if you genuinely never open Disney+.

Claim the student rate if you qualify. Verified students pay $1.99/month for ad-supported Hulu — roughly a sixth of list — and a student bundle exists at $6.49. Both need yearly SheerID re-verification; miss it and you roll onto full price automatically. Full eligibility details: Hulu student discount.

Pause, don’t churn. Cancelling ends auto-renewal but restores nothing when you return — list prices apply to everyone. If you only watch during certain seasons, drop to nothing between them; that is real savings. Cancel-and-rejoin as a pricing tactic is not.

Check who bills you. App-store-billed subscriptions cancel inside Apple or Google settings, not the Hulu app; Hulu-billed ones live in Account settings on the web. Your bank statement descriptor tells you which rail holds yours.

How Hulu compares to the 2026 hiking season

Hulu sat out the early-2026 US wave that hit Spotify (February), Crunchyroll (March 4), Netflix (March 26), and YouTube Premium (April) — its move was the autumn 2025 round instead. Whether it stays quiet through autumn 2026 is the open question, and the pattern argues no. The ranked ledger of everything that did move, including far steeper increases outside the US, lives in biggest subscription price increases of 2026.

If your renewal email disagrees with the table above, trust the email — and check whether the bundle beats whatever plan you are on before paying the new figure.

Hulu price increase 2026: what went up and what's next

Where Hulu’s US prices stand (verified August 29, 2026)

What’s next

What you can do about it

How Hulu compares to the 2026 hiking season

Questions