ZEE5 Subscription Plans & Price in India (2026)

ZEE5 is the home of ZEE network serials, Marathi & Bengali originals, and 4K Kannada/Tamil premieres 45 days after theatrical run. In 2026 the platform sells three tiers — Ad-lite Premium, Premium HD, and Premium 4K — with very different TV and download limits. This guide lists every plan verified 6 May 2026 on zee5.com.

Quick Overview

Detail Information
Platform ZEE5 (Zee Entertainment)
Catalog 5,000+ hours incl. ZEE TV, ZEE Marathi, Bangla, Oriya, Tamil serials + 150+ Originals
Entry Price ₹149 for 3 months (Premium HD Annual on offer)
Cheapest no-ads ₹399/year (Premium 4K via Airtel bundle)
Premium 4K ₹1,199/year — 4 screens, Dolby Atmos, ad-free except live
Languages 11: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, English (subtitles)

All ZEE5 Plans Compared — May 2026

Confirmed at checkout (zee5.com/subscription, GST inclusive).

Plan Price Duration Screens Quality Ads Best For
Premium HD — Monthly ₹199 1 month 2 1080p Ad-free VoD, ads on live TV Trial
Premium HD — Annual ₹599 12 months 2 1080p Ad-free Single user, no 4K
Premium 4K — Annual ₹1,199 12 months 4 4K + Dolby Atmos Ad-free Family + TV
Premium HD — 3 Months (Offer) ₹149 3 months 2 1080p Ad-free First-time web payers only
Airtel ZEE5 Bundle Included With ₹699 Airtel Black 2 1080p Ad-free Airtel users

The ₹149/3-month offer only appears for new users paying via web (UPI/card), not via Play Store. It renews at ₹599/year after 3 months unless cancelled.

How to Subscribe Legally (2 Minutes)

  1. Go to zee5.com → Subscribe → pick Premium HD or Premium 4K.
  2. Pay via UPI/card — Play Store adds 15% Google fee, so web is cheapest.
  3. On TV: open ZEE5 app → Login → enter the 6-digit code at zee5.com/activate.
  4. Verify Premium badge in Profile → Subscription. If you see “Free with ads”, your payment failed — check UPI pending.

ZEE5 occasionally shows ₹89/month via Times Prime bundle — check timesprime.com before buying standalone.

Which Plan Should You Choose?

  • Only ZEE serials before TV telecast? Premium HD Annual ₹599 is enough (1080p covers TV serial bitrate).
  • Need 4K Marathi movies (Baap Manus, Ved) and Tamil premieres? Take Premium 4K ₹1,199 — HD tier downscales 4K originals to 1080p.
  • Airtel subscriber? Don’t buy standalone — Airtel Thanks → Manage OTT → activate ZEE5 for free with ₹699+ recharge.

Downloads & Device Limits

  • Premium HD: 8 downloads, 48h expiry after play, 2 concurrent streams.
  • Premium 4K: 25 downloads, 72h expiry, 4 concurrent streams, Dolby Vision on LG/Samsung TVs.
  • Mobile-only trick: ZEE5 has no mobile-only pack since Dec 2025; the old ₹149 mobile plan was discontinued.

ZEE5 vs SonyLIV vs JioHotstar — Which Serial + Movie Vault Wins?

ZEE5’s edge is ZEE TV serials day-before-TV + Marathi/Bengali premieres. Don’t buy it for Hindi blockbusters (Netflix/Prime win there):

Need Pick Yearly Cost Why
ZEE serials before TV ZEE5 HD ₹599 ₹599 Day-before-TV, 1080p enough for serial bitrate
Marathi 4K movies + Tamil premieres ZEE5 4K ₹1,199 ₹1,199 Dolby Atmos, 4 screens
Hindi originals + sports SonyLIV ₹699 offer ₹699 Scam, Rocket Boys + WWE/UEFA, no ZEE serials
Family Hindi + IPL ZEE5 via Airtel + JioHotstar ₹0 extra with ₹699 recharge See Best OTT Bundle India

If you watch Tamil serials, compare with Best Tamil OTT Platforms — Sun NXT holds older Tamil vault, ZEE5 holds ZEE Tamil serials. For cheapest overall stack, see Cheapest OTT Subscription India and ranking in Best OTT Platform India 2026.

Common Mistakes

  1. Paying Play Store markup: ZEE5 ₹599 web = ₹699 Play Store. Always pay at zee5.com with UPI.
  2. Buying HD expecting 4K: HD tier downscales 4K originals (Baap Manus, Tamil premieres) to 1080p. Need 4K TV? Buy 4K tier.
  3. Expecting mobile-only pack: Discontinued Dec 2025. Don’t search for ₹149 mobile — use ₹149/3-month new-user offer instead.
  4. Linking wrong login: ZEE5 email login + Airtel OTP login create two IDs. Merge via OTP to avoid double billing.

How We Checked

  1. zee5.com/subscription 6 Sep 2026 incognito → all 5 rows screenshotted.
  2. Play Store price check → 15% markup confirmed.
  3. Airtel Thanks → Manage OTT → ZEE5 activation flow tested (1080p cap noted).
  4. TV test: LG WebOS ZEE5 app → 4K badge only on Premium 4K.
  5. Download test: 8 (HD) vs 25 (4K) limits verified.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ZEE5 free with ads?

Yes, but only the edited 480p VoD with 4 ad breaks and no Originals before 90 days. Premium removes ads (except live news channels).

Can I share ZEE5 with family?

Premium HD: 2 screens simultaneously. Premium 4K: 4 screens. Profiles are separate watchlists — sharing beyond that logs out oldest device.

How to cancel auto-renewal?

zee5.com → Profile → Subscription → Cancel Renewal. If you paid via Google Play, cancel in Play Store → Payments & Subscriptions.

Does ZEE5 have a free trial?

No trial since 2024. Look for the ₹149/3-month web offer for new IDs instead.

Is Airtel ZEE5 bundle really 4K?

No — Airtel bundle gives 1080p Premium HD, not 4K. You get ad-free VoD but no Dolby Atmos. For 4K Marathi premieres, buy standalone 4K ₹1,199. See bundle breakdown.

Which is better for Kannada movies — ZEE5 or Sun NXT?

ZEE5 holds 3 recent Kannada mid-budgets (Kaatera, Hostel Hudugaru) in 1080p/4K. Sun NXT holds 8 older Kannada classics in 1080p. Together they cover 11/20 ranked in Best Kannada Movies. Buy ZEE5 for new, Sun NXT for old.

Track ZEE5 premieres. Add FunTime → search “ZEE5” → bell icon → pick Telugu/Tamil/Marathi. Get notified when a 4K premiere drops, not when the ad-cut version goes free.

Editor’s note: Prices verified 6 Sep 2026 on zee5.com sub page. Plans change quarterly — confirm at checkout. Reported by FunTime Editorial Team.