UPDATE:

As on 21st May, 2021

Some of the readers have complained that Splitsub is no longer offering access to public and private groups! As a dedicated blogger, I reached out to their team through LinkedIn and this is the answer that I got;

“We are working on a revamped application which is expected to be launched by first week of June. In the interim we have done away with all types of groups and are suggesting our users to redeem all the money in their wallets.

Apart from that, it is highly unlikely that we would come up with a OTT subscription sharing model again in the newer version.”

Upon asking if there are any alternatives to the solution they provided, answer was an obvious ‘We don’t Know!’

So, the moment has come. Like all good things, this one bites the dust too! No wonders that I could NOT find any alternatives to this application. Probably there is some objection from the OTT giants which forced them to switch roads and motivated others to stay away from such a solution.

If you still wish to appreciate the proposition of this lost cause called Splitsub; you can go through the original piece below!

Original Article:

Ever since OTT platforms debuted in India, the industry has blown up. Unlike other businesses, pandemic has only helped these platforms crush their acquisition targets and set new benchmarks. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Voot, SonyLIV, Zee5 and others have become a part of Indian households for all age groups alike. But with that being said, we are a set of price sensitive consumers. A major chunk of our population still makes their purchase decisions basis cost alone. Interestingly, Netflix, an American company realized this pretty soon and came up with a Mobile Only plan in India as we consume a lot of content over the phone. This is a first of its type plan which offers Netflix offers a month’s subscription for as low as Rs. 199.

But this isn’t the issue I am trying to address. A more close to home situation would be something where I have a subscription for a couple of OTT platforms and then there’s this really tempting series or movie releasing on something entirely different. What do I do in such cases? Is there a way to get Netflix for free? Prime for free? Well, I am not talking about the trial period. In this blogpost, we discuss a revolutionary way to get subscriptions for your favorite OTT platform for peanuts.

Why Do You Need it?

Like all my posts, this one is also inspired by a incident that happened recently with me. I have subscribed for Netflix, Amazon Prime and SonyLIV (Thanks to my grandmother for that). The other day, I was talking to someone and they suggested a Pixar movie called “Soul“. Soul was available only on Hotstar Premium and that costs about Rs. 1499 for an year. Now I can’t purchase the subscription just for one movie. Apart from that, Soul isn’t available on any other platforms (I tried renting on YouTube as well). So next obvious choice was to look for alternatives. No, I am not discussing torrentz.eu here. So what did I find? Is it worth it? Netflix for free, well almost.

Voila! The Splitsub!

So, I kept on looking for some legal way around this problem and stumbled upon this solution called Splitsub. Splitsub is available on the web, Android and iOS. Users list all the subscription platforms they have the access to, on this Splitsub. One can simply quote the price and number of subscriptions available (number of people one is willing to share with).

As a buyer, you can pick any offer that suits you best and do a part payment to get the access. So if a Netflix subscription for a month costs Rs. 650, it is possible that the seller can share the subscription with 5 people @ Rs. 100 each. If that’s not Netflix for free, I don’t know what is. For example, I got this Hotstar Premium subscription for Rs. 40 for a month.

How Does it Work?

I used the application both as someone seeking subscription and sharing subscription. Let’s discuss each of these processes in detail:

Sharing your Own Subscriptions:

You simply login with your details on the app and once done, you need to create a group. You can pick the number of maximum users you want to share your subscription with and the price you want for the same. Price is denoted in terms of credit and one credit is equivalent to one rupee.

There are two modes of creating a group.

It can either be a private mode where you share your subscription only with your friends and family. Creation of such a group is absolutely free and there’s no charge if someone purchases your subscription within the group. This group will be visible only to the contacts that you have selected from your phone.

I totally see this being a big hit when some friends put together in a rented apartment and share the subscriptions.

The other mode is a public mode. This would be visible to everyone on Splitsub. A refundable fees of Rs. 10 is charged for creating such a group. In case no issues are reported by the person joining this group and hence purchasing subscription from you, this amount will be refunded.

Purchasing Subscription from Others:

There are tons of options available on the app to purchase a subscription. All you have to do is search for the best suited price and platform combination and pay. There’s a fees of Rs. 7 that Splitsub charges you for that transaction but that is understandable. Once you purchase a subscription, you are added in the seller’s group and check with him directly if there’s any issue.

In case of subscriptions which seek OTP instead of a password, you can ping the sharer anytime to share the OTP with you. In case the owner doesn’t respond within 24 hours, he risks a chance of getting blocked from creating any further groups. Also, in case of no response, Splitsub will refund your money back to your account.

Other Subscriptions:

At this point you might be thinking that why can’t this model be applied to other platforms as well. And you are right. Splitsub doesn’t only cater to OTTs. You can share all sorts of subscriptions on the application. I was able to find the following subscription sharing options other than OTT Platforms:

• Gaana
• Spotify
• Dineout
• MUBI
• Zomato Pro
• Avast
• GTA 5 online
• Office 365
• Lenskart
• LasPass
• Blinklist

People are using Splitsub as a legit revenue stream for earning a share of their subscriptions.

Conclusion:

Are you also thinking about the legitimacy of the platform? I am sure companies who are selling their products on subscription basis would not want any services like Splitsub to thrive in the industry. But by the time they catch something like this, let’s watch OTT at a price equivalent to your sports pack subscription on cable TV. Netflix for free, doesn’t get any closer. I do realize that basic proposition of the application is to manage your subscriptions within the family/friends so that you don’t end up paying for someone else.

Also, did I mention that Splitsub team also reached out to me after creating a group. They highlighted some terms and conditions, checked if there’s any issue. Thumbs up for that.

What are your thoughts on this?

Got questions? Want to take it to the next level? Reach out to me using your preferred platform from the links below

Until next time..