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The Ultimate Guide to Family Plans: How Shared Subscriptions Help You Save Money

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The Ultimate Guide to Family Plans: How Shared Subscriptions Help You Save Money

Profile image of blog author: Giuliano Fabbri

Giuliano Fabbri

September 19, 2025 4 min read

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • What is a Family Plan?

  • The Threat to Family Plans and How to Solve It

  • When a Family Plan is a Good Deal

  • When a Family Plan Isn't Worth It

  • The Final Verdict: Shared Plans are the Smartest Way to Save

We believe that managing money is a team sport, and that's why we've introduced our new Emma Family plan. Sharing a financial tool with your loved ones fosters clarity and collaboration. We're not alone in this philosophy. For years, the world's most popular subscription services have proven that sharing benefits is the best way to save money and add value.

We've put the most popular shared plans under the microscope to show you exactly what they offer, how much you can save, and why they're almost always a smart financial move.

What is a Family Plan?

A family plan is a subscription tier that allows multiple users to access a service for a single, consolidated payment. While the total price is higher than an individual plan, the cost per person is significantly lower, making it a fantastic way to save.

The Threat to Family Plans and How to Solve It

The convenience of family plans comes with its own set of financial challenges, and that's where a financial tool can be a game-changer.

The Problem of Shared Expenses

When a single person pays for a shared plan, it can be difficult to track who owes what. This leads to awkward conversations and can disrupt cash flow.

The Threat of Rising Costs

Subscription services are famous for raising their prices. It can be hard to spot a price hike, and even harder to manage it, when you're the one paying the bill for multiple people.

This is where a financial app can help. By using features like Emma's Groups and Split Payments, you can easily manage shared subscriptions. You can track who has paid and who hasn't, ensuring that everyone contributes their fair share. With a financial tool, you can also easily identify recurring payments, giving you an early warning of any rising costs. This allows you to either absorb the cost or let your group know about it in advance.

When a Family Plan is a Good Deal

These subscriptions offer undeniable value, especially for families and households with multiple users. The cost-per-person is significantly lower than individual plans, making them a savvy financial move.

Service

Category

Users

Key Features

Price (UK)

Verdict

Netflix

Streaming

Up to 4 simultaneous streams

4K streaming, downloads on multiple devices, individual profiles

£18.99/mo

Good Deal

Spotify

Music

Up to 6 separate accounts

Individual accounts, ad-free listening, offline downloads, Family Mix playlist

£19.99/mo

Great Value

Disney+

Streaming

Up to 4 simultaneous streams

4K streaming, unlimited downloads, individual profiles

£12.99/mo

Good Deal

Amazon Prime

Retail & Streaming

2 adults, up to 4 teens & 4 children

Shared fast delivery, Prime Video, Prime Reading, exclusive deals

£95/year

Great Value

Nintendo Switch Online

Gaming

Up to 8 accounts

Online multiplayer, cloud saves, access to classic NES & SNES games

£31.49/year

Great Value

Xbox Game Pass

Gaming

Up to 5 people

Access to hundreds of games on console, PC & cloud, day-one releases

£21.99/mo

Great Value

Google One

Cloud Storage

Up to 6 family members

2TB storage, Google AI access, VPN, exclusive perks

£7.99/mo

Great Value

Apple iCloud+

Cloud Storage

Up to 6 family members

Shared storage (2TB), iCloud Private Relay, Hide My Email

£8.99/mo

Great Value

Strava

Fitness

Up to 4 people

Advanced activity analysis, personalized goal setting, and route planning

£139.99/year

Good Deal

When a Family Plan Isn't Worth It

While family plans are a great way to save, their value is not universal. The decision to sign up for one should be based on your specific needs and household size. The key is to check the fine print and do the math.

Service

Category

When It’s Not a Good Deal

Reasoning

YouTube Premium

Streaming

When family members live at different addresses.

The terms of service require all members to reside at the same address. The service has been known to flag and restrict accounts that violate this rule.

Spotify

Music

If you are primarily interested in audiobooks.

The main account holder gets 15 hours of audiobook listening time per month, but this feature is not extended to the other family members on the plan.

Microsoft 365

Productivity

For a group of just two people.

An individual subscription is cheaper than half of the family plan. Two individual plans cost £59.99/year each, while a family plan for two would be £40 per person. However, you also get double the storage.

Major Mobile Providers

Telecom

If you are only getting a discount on your SIM cards.

You can often find cheaper SIM-only deals from smaller providers that use the same network infrastructure as a major provider, but without the high price tag.

The Final Verdict: Shared Plans are the Smartest Way to Save

When you look at the most popular subscription services, a clear trend emerges: family and shared plans offer incredible value. They are not just about convenience; they're a deliberate way to help customers get more for their money.

Like these services, our Emma Family plan is built on the same principle: that a single subscription can benefit more than one person, allowing everyone to achieve their financial goals together.

By using a shared Emma plan, you and your loved ones can get on the same page about money, track shared expenses, and work towards a more secure financial future. It's the ultimate combination of savings, convenience, and peace of mind.

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