BritBox vs PBS Passport: Two Very Different Ways to Watch British TV
By The Spool Editors · Published September 17, 2026 · Updated October 8, 2026
One of these is a commercial streaming service from the BBC and ITV. The other is a thank-you gift from your local public television station. They carry a lot of the same kind of programming, the prices are not remotely similar, and at some stations you can get both for one donation. Here is how to work out which you need.
At a Glance
| BritBox | PBS Passport | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $10.99/mo | $5/mo donation |
| Annual price | $109.99/yr | $60/yr donation |
| Tax deductible | ✗ | Partly |
| BBC and ITV back catalogue | ✓ | Some |
| Masterpiece and Nature | ✗ | ✓ |
| Agatha Christie collection | ✓ | ✗ |
| Early access to new seasons | On Premier | ✓ |
| Funds your local station | ✗ | ✓ |
| Free trial | 7 days | ✗ |
| Cancel any time | ✓ | ✓ |
Which One Is Right for You
The Plans That Actually Compete
BritBox sells a monthly plan, an annual plan and an annual Premier tier. Passport is not sold at all, it is unlocked by a donation level. Here is each one.
BritBox
PBS Passport
Price Breakdown & Hike History
BritBox is $10.99 a month or $109.99 a year, after a rise from $8.99 in September 2025, with Premier at $149.99 a year. Passport comes with a sustaining donation of $5 a month or a one-off gift of $60 a year to your local PBS station. Over a year that is $109.99 against $60, and the $60 is partly tax deductible.
BritBox: BritBox held $6.99 for years, moved to $8.99, then to $10.99 in September 2025, and added a Premier tier in 2026.
PBS Passport: The $5 monthly or $60 yearly threshold has held for years. It is a donation, so it is partly tax deductible and it funds your local station.
What You Actually Get
BritBox holds BBC and ITV drama, comedy and mystery, including the largest Agatha Christie collection in streaming, with Premier subscribers getting new seasons weeks early. Passport holds more than a thousand episodes of PBS programming, including Masterpiece, Nature, NOVA, American Experience, American Masters and Antiques Roadshow, plus full seasons of current and past series.
Check Your Local Station Before You Buy Either
Some PBS member stations bundle BritBox with Passport as a single member benefit at a higher giving level, which means one donation can cover both catalogues. This varies station by station and it is not advertised centrally, so the only way to find out is to look at your own station's membership page. If yours offers it, that is comfortably the cheapest route to everything on this page.
The Features That Decide It
| Feature | BritBox | PBS Passport |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $10.99/mo | $5.00/mo |
| Free trial | 7 days | No, it is a donation benefit |
| Cloud DVR | None, on-demand only | None, on-demand only |
| Simultaneous streams | Not published | Not published |
| Accounts / profiles | Single login with profiles | Tied to your local station membership |
| 4K | Select titles | No |
Add-Ons & Hidden Costs
BritBox add-ons: Sold through Prime Video Channels, Apple TV and Roku. BritBox is also sold through Prime Video Channels, Apple TV and Roku, which changes nothing about the price but does consolidate your billing.
PBS Passport add-ons: Some stations bundle BritBox with Passport at a higher giving level. Passport has no add-ons, though some stations layer BritBox or other benefits onto higher donation tiers.
How to Try Each One Free
BritBox runs a 7-day free trial, which is enough to work through a season of something and decide. Passport has no trial because it is a donation benefit rather than a subscription, but you can give monthly and stop whenever you like.
The Cheapest Way to Get What You Want
Give $5 a month to your local station, get Passport, and see how much of what you want is already there. If you then find yourself hunting for ITV mysteries that Passport does not carry, add BritBox annually at $109.99 rather than monthly, which saves about two months. Check your station's member benefits first in case both come together.
What Changed Recently
- 2026: BritBox added a Premier annual tier at $149.99 with early access to new seasons.
- September 2025: BritBox raised its price to $10.99 a month and $109.99 a year, its first significant increase.
BritBox vs PBS Passport FAQ
- Is BritBox included with PBS Passport?
- Not usually. Some individual PBS member stations offer a bundle that includes both at a higher donation level, but it is a station-by-station benefit, not a national one.
- How much does PBS Passport cost?
- It is not sold separately. A sustaining donation of $5 a month or more, or an annual gift of $60 or more, to your local PBS station unlocks it as a member benefit.
- Did BritBox raise its price?
- Yes. BritBox moved to $10.99 a month and $109.99 a year in September 2025, its first significant increase, and has since added a Premier annual tier at $149.99 with early access to new seasons.
- Which has Masterpiece?
- PBS Passport. Masterpiece is a PBS strand, so Downton Abbey, Grantchester, Endeavour and the rest sit there rather than on BritBox.
BritBox vs PBS Passport: The Verdict
PBS Passport is the better deal on price and it is not close: $5 a month to your local station, partly tax deductible, and it unlocks more than a thousand episodes including Masterpiece, Nature, NOVA and American Experience. What it does not have is the depth of the British commercial archive. BritBox at $10.99 holds the BBC and ITV catalogue, the largest collection of Agatha Christie adaptations anywhere, and long-running series that PBS only ever aired in part. If you watch British drama occasionally, start with Passport. If British television is the main thing you watch, BritBox is the service built for you.
Last updated: October 8, 2026