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Streaming video on Netflix is one of the most data intensive activities you can use your internet connection for, but for most of us it has become one of our go-to online experiences.

Many internet providers are generous enough to bequeath unlimited data upon us, but not all of us have benevolent providers. If you have a limited data allowance, or you're streaming on your phone, before you sit down and binge watch Tiger King, you need to ask yourself if your data cap can handle these data-hungry video streaming apps. 

Based on Netflix's most recent usage figures, the average subscriber watches about two hours of Netflix per day, coming to 60 hours each month. In addition to providing hourly usage, we've also tried to work out how much data you'll use in a month if you're "average". Of course, if you're above average (congratulations), your usage will be different.

In this guide:

• Netflix data usage on desktop
• Netflix mobile data usage
• Playback quality settings
• Data usage for other streaming services

Please note that these figures are based on watching Netflix on your TV, computer, or video game console. Data usage will vary if you're streaming Netflix through a smartphone or tablet app.

Netflix data usage

Netflix can be watched with internet speeds as slow as 0.5Mbps per second, but Netflix recommends 3Mbps for SD quality and 5Mbps for HD. If you want to watch 4K content, Netflix recommends 25Mbps. 

Below are some unlimited data NBN plans with speeds of up to 25Mbps (Standard Evening Speeds). 

Get The Latest Telco News & Deals

Netflix mobile data usage

If you're watching Netflix on your phone or tablet, you'll have different quality settings to pick from, and in most cases, you'll end up using less data (unless you turn on "Maximum Data", which will obliterate your download allowance almost instantly). 

"Maximum Data" is predominantly designed for subscribers in the countries where unlimited data mobile plans are available, and will use as much as 3GB per hour. If your 4G connection is fast enough, this could increase. As such, we'd recommend that Australian Netflix subscribers stick to "Auto" or "Save Data" unless you've got a ludicrous amount of mobile data at your disposal. 

For monthly usage, we've made the assumption that maybe a quarter of your monthly usage is on your phone or tablet, so we're using 15 hours per month as our baseline. 

Netflix does however let you save content to your phone for offline viewing, so if you're worried about burning through too much data streaming shows on your commute, you can always download an episode or two while you're connected to a WiFi network.

Approximate Netflix mobile data usage

Netflix quality settings

On your computer or TV, Netflix is set to automatically stream at the highest quality possible without the need for buffering. This is a dynamic system; if you have fluctuating speeds then you might notice your video stream bouncing around between high, standard and low quality over the course of a movie or episode.

This auto setting makes it much harder to gauge how much data you’ll be going through, but typically on a fixed-line ADSL connection, your stream will probably bounce between HD and SD. If you're on NBN or cable, you should be getting a consistent HD stream. 

Alternatively, Netflix lets you set a maximum fixed streaming quality through your account settings. The process of doing this can vary depending on what device you're watching Netflix on, but when you discover how to access these setting, changing them is easy. 

• Click on your profile icon in the top-right of the Netflix window and choose My Account. 
• Under My Profile click on Playback Settings. 
• Select the quality of stream you want.

• When in the Netflix app, select the Menu icon in either the top left or top right corner (this depends on whether you're using iOS or Android).
• Select App Settings.
• Select Cellular Data Usage. 
• Select the quality of stream you want.

Data usage for Stan, Binge, et al

Netflix, of course, isn't the only streaming service available in Australia. It's joined by the likes of Stan, Binge, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, as well as local catch-up services including ABC iview and SBS On Demand. 

Other streaming services tend to use roughly the same amount of data as Netflix; there are some slight variations, but you should budget for the same amount of monthly broadband data. 

Catch-up TV services, on the other hand, tend to use a significantly smaller amount of data.

Data usage for other services

Unlimited internet plans

If you're reading this and thinking that you need to switch your internet plan to something suitable for heavy-duty video streaming, here are a few options with unlimited data to get you started.

Want more information about Netflix?

Got questions? We've got answers. Whether you want to know what Netflix is, how to watch it, what's on, how much it costs, what the alternatives are, or something else entirely, check out our complete guide to Netflix.