Apple Arcade price UK: monthly, yearly and Family Sharing

Every Apple Arcade tier, priced

The yearly plan (£49.99) is £33.89 cheaper than 12 monthly payments (12 × £6.99 = £83.88). Shared across a family of six (you plus five), it works out at about £8.33 per person per year.

Why Apple Arcade is priced differently from console passes

Apple Arcade has one tier rather than a ladder. You pay £6.99 a month or £49.99 a year and get the whole catalogue across supported Apple devices. Apple states that Arcade games have no ads and no in-app purchases, which is the main difference from many free-to-download mobile games that make money through optional payments.

For households trying to cap spending on phones and tablets, that predictable single cost is the selling point, rather than access to big new console releases.

Which devices Apple Arcade covers

Apple's page explains how to find Arcade on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro, through the App Store's Arcade tab and the Apple Games app. Apple also says that if you stop subscribing, your game progress will be available if you resubscribe later. For families with a mix of Apple devices, one subscription covering several device types is part of the value; a household that mainly games on a console or PC gets less from it.

Family Sharing: cost per person

Apple says you can share an Arcade subscription with up to five family members at no extra cost. On the yearly plan (£49.99), that gives:

• 2 people: about £25.00 each per year
• 4 people: about £12.50 each
• 6 people (you plus five): about £8.33 each

Family Sharing is set up through your Apple Account, and the organiser pays. If only one person in the house plays, the per-person maths doesn't help.

Monthly or yearly Apple Arcade

Apple lists two prices: £6.99 a month or £49.99 a year. Twelve monthly payments come to £83.88, so the yearly plan saves £33.89 if you keep Arcade all year. The yearly plan costs about the same as seven months of monthly payments (7 × £6.99 = £48.93), which gives a rough rule: if you expect to keep Arcade for more than seven months, yearly is cheaper; for a shorter spell, monthly is.

If you're using a free offer (such as three months with an eligible new device), note the date it ends and decide then which billing option suits you.

Free months: new devices and Apple One

Apple listed two introductory offers on the check date: three months of Apple Arcade free when you buy an eligible Apple device, and a one-month free trial of Apple One. Apple's terms say these are for new and qualified returning subscribers only, with one offer per Apple Account and one per family group. After the free period, the subscription renews at the normal price unless cancelled.

Apple One or Arcade on its own?

Apple One bundles Apple Arcade with other services such as Apple Music, Apple TV and iCloud storage. Apple's UK page listed Apple One at £18.95, £24.95 or £36.95 a month depending on plan. It only saves money if you'd otherwise pay for several of those services separately. If Arcade is the only service you want, buying it on its own at £6.99 a month or £49.99 a year is cheaper.

Apple One's trial terms say it only includes subscriptions you aren't already using through a free trial or a subscription, and is limited to one offer per Apple Account and per family. If you are already on an Arcade trial, check how that interacts before starting an Apple One trial.

Weighing Arcade against free mobile games

Many mobile games are free to download, so Arcade's value is less about the price of games and more about avoiding ads and in-app purchases. An honest way to judge it: look at what your household spent on in-app purchases over the last year (your Apple Account purchase history shows this). If it's more than £49.99 and you'd be happy switching to Arcade games, the subscription could lower your total spend. If you spend nothing in-app, Arcade is a convenience rather than a saving. For more ideas, see our guide to paying less for games.

Things Apple Arcade won't do

• It doesn't include every game on the App Store, only the Arcade catalogue.
• Games can leave the catalogue over time.
• It's not a way to play big console releases.
• Family Sharing only helps if others in your family group actually play.

Apple Arcade cost per hour, worked through

• Yearly plan, one player, 5 hours a month (60 hours a year): £49.99 ÷ 60 ≈ £0.83 per hour.
• Yearly plan, family of four, 5 hours a month each (240 hours a year): £49.99 ÷ 240 ≈ £0.21 per hour.
• Monthly plan, one player, 2 hours a month: £6.99 ÷ 2 ≈ £3.50 per hour.

These illustrate the method with stated assumptions. The more people share it and the more regularly they play, the lower the cost per hour.