by
If you’re looking for Black Friday subscription deals, I’d start by listing what you already pay for. A subscription deal only saves money on something you’d keep, and almost all of these offers are for new customers. So your current plans usually won’t get cheaper, and a new one you barely open is money gone.
My advice is simple. I’d go for the half-price annual plans on things you’d use anyway, such as Calm, Headspace, MasterClass or Walmart+. I wouldn’t rearrange anything for music, because those deals are free months that save far less.
No subscription service I checked has announced a Black Friday 2026 offer yet. Black Friday is November 27 and Cyber Monday is November 30, so the prices below are last year’s and are there to show what to look for.
Before the details, here’s what the main offers cost last year.
Black Friday Subscription Deals at a Glance
| Subscription | Last Black Friday | First-year cost | Normal first year | What I’d do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headspace | 1 year at 50% off | $35 | About $70 | Wait for it |
| Calm | 1 year at 50% off | $40 | $79.99 | Wait for it |
| Walmart+ | 1 year at 50% off | $49 | $98 | Wait for it |
| MasterClass Plus | 1 year at 50% off | $90 | $180 | Wait for it |
| Rosetta Stone Lifetime | One payment | $149 | About $399 | Only if you will stick with it |
| PlayStation Plus Premium | 12 months at about 33% off | $107 | $159.99 | Wait if you’re new |
| Amazon Music Unlimited | 3 months free | $107.91 | $143.88 | Take it if you switch anyway |
Which Subscription Deals Are Worth It
There are broadly three kinds of deal, and they aren’t worth the same:
- Half-price annual plans: you save 50% of a full year, which is the best value here if you’d keep the service. Calm saved $39.99 and MasterClass Plus saved $90.
- Lifetime plans: you pay once and there’s no renewal, which suits language learning if you’ll keep going. They’re a poor buy if you stop after a month.
- Free months and trials: Amazon Music’s 3 free months cut the first year by 25%, and Xbox’s $1 Premium trial saved about $6 across a year.
So you should compare the money saved across the year and ignore the size of the percentage. And it is wise to plan for renewal, because a $40 year of Calm goes back to the standard $79.99 when the year ends.
Best Black Friday Subscription Deals
I’ve grouped these by what you’d use them for. All prices in this section are US prices, and last year’s offers have ended.
Wellness
Calm and Headspace have the most predictable sales of anything here, and both have cut their annual plans in half for 2 years running.
Walmart+
Walmart+ is a good deal if you’d use its delivery and watch Peacock or Paramount+ anyway. Last year it was $49 instead of $98 for new members, with your choice of Peacock Premium or Paramount+ Essential included.
Peacock Premium alone is now $129.99 a year, so a repeat would beat buying it directly. The sale was reported through December 2 last year, and you should check that the streaming benefit is still included. My Black Friday streaming deals cover the direct prices.
Learning
MasterClass has offered about half off in both of the last 2 years, and I’d only pay full price if you can’t wait. Last year’s offer was Plus at $90 and Premium at $120 for the first year, renewing at full price, and it ended around November 28 to 30.
I couldn’t confirm a Black Friday offer on Skillshare or Blinkist last year, so I wouldn’t plan around one.
Language Apps
Rosetta Stone has held the same deal for 2 years, with Lifetime Unlimited at $149 for all 25 languages, against about $399. It was reported through about December 7 last year, so you may not need to rush.
- Babbel: an early sale last year listed Lifetime at $239 against $599. Other figures I saw for it conflict, so you should treat that as a rough guide
- Duolingo: I couldn’t find a US Black Friday offer on its paid plan last year, so I wouldn’t wait for one
Gaming
PlayStation Plus is the better deal of the 2, as long as you’re a new member. Xbox’s offers last year were mostly short trials that are on the site right now anyway.
- PlayStation Plus: Premium 12 months was $107 last year against $159.99 today. Current members could use the deal only to move up a tier
- PlayStation Plus today, 12 months: Essential $79.99, Extra $134.99 and Premium $159.99
- Xbox Game Pass: Essential at $1 for the first month and Premium at $1 for 14 days are live today, for new subscribers, the same as last year
- Game Pass Ultimate: Microsoft didn’t discount it directly last year. Retailer codes were reported at about $60 for 3 months against about $30 a month
Music
Music is where you should expect the least. I found free months for new subscribers and no price cuts, so I wouldn’t switch services for a sale.
- Amazon Music Unlimited: 3 months free last year, reported for new subscribers
- Spotify Premium: $12.99 a month with no annual plan. I couldn’t confirm a US Black Friday offer last year, though it often gives new users free months
- Apple Music: $11.99 a month. New subscribers get 1 month free, or 3 months with an eligible new device, and I found no Black Friday price
- YouTube Premium: I found no Black Friday deal last year
Books and Audiobooks
These 2 have run some of the lowest sign-up prices of all, and I’ve covered them on their own pages:
- Audible: 99 cents a month for 3 months, now on a plan where your books lock when you cancel
- Kindle Unlimited: now called Kindle+, with 3 months for 99 cents last Black Friday and 3 months free at Amazon’s October sale
News Subscriptions
I couldn’t confirm last year’s Black Friday prices for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Economist or The Athletic, because I couldn’t read their subscribe pages. The figures I saw on other sites were undated or from pages I don’t trust, so I’ve left them out.
You should check the subscribe page on each while signed out, and read what the price renews at. News offers are often priced by the week, which can hide the annual cost.
Rules to Check Before You Sign Up
You should check these terms before you pay:
- New customers only: this covers Calm, Walmart+, Xbox’s $1 offers and most of the rest. I found no offer that let current subscribers renew at the sale price.
- Renewal: plans go back to the regular price after the first term unless you cancel, so you should set a reminder for a week before.
- Dates: some deals start early and run late. Walmart+ ran through December 2 last year and Rosetta Stone reportedly through December 7, so you don’t need to panic on the day.
- Who’s selling: a deal from a reseller or sponsored post can have different terms. I’d buy from the service itself where you can.
FAQs on Black Friday Subscription Deals
Can I get a Black Friday deal if I already subscribe?
Usually not. PlayStation Plus let members use its deal only to upgrade a tier, and Calm says its offer won’t extend an existing plan. You could let the plan lapse and return, but I found no service promising a price for that.
Which subscription has the biggest Black Friday discount?
Rosetta Stone’s lifetime plan at about 63% off is the largest here, followed by the 50% off annual plans from Calm, Headspace, MasterClass and Walmart+.
Does Spotify have a Black Friday deal?
I couldn’t confirm one for the US last year. Spotify runs free months for people who’ve never had Premium at other times of the year, so it’s worth checking if you’re new.
Is a lifetime subscription worth it?
It’s worth it for something you’ll keep using for years. At $149, Rosetta Stone’s plan only pays off if you’re still using it a few years from now.
Final Remarks
If you’re not sure where to start, I’d cancel what you don’t use first, since that saves more than any sale. Then I’d buy the one or two half-price annual plans you’d have paid for anyway.
I’d check those pages around November 20 and again on Cyber Monday. The other offers I track are on my Black Friday deals page.