Is Apple One Worth the Money?

Bundled subscription plans offer multiple services at a combined lower price, and they can present an opportunity to save some money. Recently, the Apple One plan caught my eye so I decided to try it out to see what I could use. What do you get, and is this bundle worth it?

What Is Apple One?

Apple One is a monthly subscription bundle of six services that you can get for a lower price than subscribing to them individually. An Apple One subscription provides access to iCloud+ (between 50 GB and 1 TB), Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, and Apple News+.

You can choose between individual, family, and premier plans with Apple One. Each plan comes with its own variation of these services. Let's take a look at what you can get with each plan:

Individual Plan ($19.95/month)

With the base tier bundle, you get 50 GB of iCloud storage, an Apple TV+ subscription that you can share with a Family Sharing group, an individual Apple Music plan, and Arcade access that can be shared with up to five family members.

You save $9 per month with this plan.

Family Plan ($25.95/month)

The next tier offers a combination of 200 GB of iCloud storage, Apple TV+, the family Apple Music subscription, and Apple Arcade.

You can share this bundle with up to five people and save $11 per month.

Premier Plan ($37.95/month)

The final and most comprehensive plan you can choose offers up to 1 TB of iCloud storage, Apple TV+, a family Apple Music subscription, Arcade, Fitness+, and Apple News+. Similar to the Family Plan, you can share this bundle with up to five people, and save $29 per month.

If you are already subscribed to Apple Music, News+, TV+, or Arcade, you do not have to cancel your existing subscriptions before getting the Apple One plan, since they get automatically canceled.

The Best of Apple One

The three core services that are included in your Apple One bundle are iCloud+, Apple Music, and TV+. Depending on which plan you are going for, the iCloud storage varies and is the most economical yet possibly vital part of your bundle.

With iCloud+, you get more than just additional storage space. You also get automatic data syncing across all your signed-in Apple devices, HomeKit Secure Video to store and view encrypted videos from your home security systems, and even the ability to personalize your iCloud email address with a custom domain. iCloud+ can be shared with up to five people.

There is a lot to be said about Apple Music. And even though there are some potential features that Apple's music streaming platform lacks, it is still a top contender for the best listening experience you can have on your Apple products, especially the iPhone.

It has some standout features like lossless audio, spatial audio, a large music catalog, and seamless collaboration through playlists and CarPlay. I have been using Apple Music for a while on my iPhone and Mac now, and if you are a stickler for only the best quality for your music, then a subscription is worth it.

Apple TV+ has a lot to offer, and Apple Originals is a unique, platform-specific catalog that sees new content every month. You can even watch major live sports events such as Major League Soccer and Friday Night Baseball. Like other streaming platforms, Apple TV+ works on almost everything (you don't need an Apple TV unit to watch). With the Apple TV app, you can watch the original shows and movies wherever you like.

The Underrated Offerings

Beyond the core offerings, my favorite thing about Apple One is the services that I had previously not considered subscribing to. While Fitness+, with its custom plans, large library of workouts, and seamless integration across other Apple devices already caught my attention, I had to try out Apple Arcade and News+ to see if the bundle had the perfect six.

We wouldn't blame you for seeing the "Arcade" button on your App Store's home screen and not thinking anything of it. But one week and a handful of games later, I can say that you might have been missing out on a hidden gem. Arcade gives you unlimited access to more than 200 games, with no ads or in-app purchases and controller support.

You can pick from categories like adventure, puzzle, simulation, strategy, sports, and more, and even explore Arcade Originals like Sneaky Sasquatch. Top games include Fruit Ninja Classic+, Outlanders, NBA 2K25, and NFL Retro Bowl '25. And if you own an Apple Vision Pro, you get the best gameplay opportunities through spatial games that are made for the immersive experience.

Finally, News+ lets you access news from over 400 local, national, and international publications. While the Apple News app is free, News+ can be shared with up to six people and gives you access to a wider selection of magazines and newspapers. You also get online and offline access, daily puzzles, good sports coverage from premium publications, and more.

You also get personalized highlights, live sports scores, and CarPlay with your subscription. I find News+ great to use, especially if you are looking for a news aggregator that integrates well with all your devices. It's refreshing to be able to open those "News+" articles I previously scrolled past as a free user.

Apple One Integration

You can get an Apple One subscription through your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch by going to Settings > Subscriptions > Apple One. You can also get the bundle through your Mac by going to System Preferences > Apple ID > Media & Purchases > Subscriptions.

Once you have your subscription set up, you can access your Apple services anywhere they are available.

Use Apple Music and Apple TV+ on a web browser and third-party streaming devices. Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Fitness+ can be used on Apple TV. Integrate Apple Fitness+ with your Apple Watch, Use Apple Music on any Android device you own. Play Arcade games on the Apple Vision Pro.

The Breakdown

Apple says Apple One is "the biggest bang, binge, and blast for your buck." Let's check if this statement holds water.

All three plans that Apple One offers a lower price on the combined bundle price for the services included. But this can look different for everyone, depending on what you want from your subscription.

With the individual plan, which is the most basic tier, you would pay a little less ($19.95/month) than how much it costs you for individual subscriptions to Apple Music, TV+, and 50GB of iCloud storage ($21.97/month), and you would be getting Arcade as a bonus free service.

If you are looking for more iCloud storage, the Premier Plan, which offers a 2 TB option, is ideal. You save $29/month on this plan, with Apple Music, iCloud+, and Apple TV+ adding up to just one dollar under the price of the Premier Plan of $37.95/month, if you opt for individual subscriptions.

An ideal case is if you are looking for a cheaper deal instead of wanting to pay and bundle your Apple services; in this scenario, most of the Apple One options available to you serve a better end of the deal, with the addition of one or more bonus services that you would either be getting for "free," or adding on for a dollar, as seen in the price breakdown.

If you are insistent on only two services, say 2TB of iCloud storage and Apple TV+, it could be easier to just go for the individual services (in this case, a sum of $19.98/month, which is still a few cents higher than the basic tier plan), given that you are not a big fan of the other offerings.

This would also make sense if you are looking for more iCloud+ storage (up to 12 TB) as an individual user since the most basic Apple One plan only offers 50 GB of storage.

The higher you climb up the tiers, the more you save, especially given that you can share your subscription with up to five people. This makes all the plans appealing if you are looking for new services at reduced costs.

The Verdict: Is It Worth It?

After breaking down all the plans and pricing, I realized that Apple One was worth it for me. Ultimately, you are getting more for less as long as you use enough services to justify the cost. With the Family and Premier Plans, you would be saving a lot, given that you are splitting costs with other people.

With the Individual Plan, you can still use Family Sharing for every service except Apple Music. Even if you are only looking for three core services as an individual, you will be getting an additional service free, according to the breakdown.

Instead of spending your money on each service, you will save yourself a lot in the long run if you figure out which Apple One plan works best for you. You can unlock the best of Apple One if you can share your bundle. If you are still unsure about committing, try out the free trial like I did.