Consumer Reports membership gives you access to ratings, reviews, and buying guides for cars, appliances, electronics, and home products, but the cost and what's included depends on which plan you choose.
Consumer Reports publishes independent product testing and ratings across dozens of categories. A subscription unlocks their full database of test results, reliability data, and buying advice that isn't available free on their website. The organization doesn't accept advertising or manufacturer payments, so their ratings come from their own lab testing rather than from companies trying to sell you something.
You can read some content free, but a paid membership removes paywalls and gives you access to detailed ratings, comparison tools, and their full archive of reviews going back years. The price varies depending whether you want digital-only access or print magazine plus digital, and whether you commit to a full year or pay month-to-month.
Key Takeaways
- Consumer Reports offers a digital-only plan and a plan that includes their monthly print magazine, with annual and monthly payment options for each.
- The digital plan costs less per month if you pay annually upfront, but you can also pay month-to-month if you want to cancel anytime.
- A membership removes paywalls from their website and gives you access to ratings for cars, appliances, TVs, mattresses, and hundreds of other products tested in their labs.
- You can cancel anytime if you pay month-to-month, but annual plans usually have a cancellation fee or require you to contact customer service to stop renewal.
Digital-Only Membership Plans
The digital plan gives you full access to Consumer Reports' website and mobile app without the print magazine. This is the cheaper option and works well if you're comfortable reading on a screen or phone. You get the same ratings and reviews as the print subscriber — the only difference is the delivery method.
Consumer Reports offers both annual and monthly payment options for digital membership. The annual plan costs less per month overall, but requires you to pay the full year upfront. The month-to-month plan costs more per month but lets you cancel without penalty if you decide it's not worth it. Check their website for current pricing, as rates change periodically.
With digital access you can search their entire database, save products to compare, read their buying guides, and see reliability ratings based on their survey data. You also get access to their car buying tools, which show safety ratings, reliability history, and predicted ownership costs for specific vehicle models and years.
Print Plus Digital Membership
If you want the monthly print magazine delivered to your home plus full digital access, Consumer Reports offers a combined plan at a higher price. This works well if you like reading the magazine in print or want to keep physical copies for reference. You get everything in the digital plan plus the magazine, which arrives monthly and includes feature articles, ratings, and buying advice.
The print-plus-digital plan also offers annual and monthly payment options. The annual option costs less per month but locks you in for a year, while month-to-month gives you flexibility to cancel. Some people find the print magazine worth the extra cost; others prefer digital only and never use the physical copy.
What You Can Do With a Membership
A Consumer Reports membership lets you see their full ratings for cars, appliances, electronics, home and garden products, and more. You can filter by price, features, and reliability to narrow down options. Their car section includes safety ratings, predicted reliability based on survey data from owners, and estimated ownership costs including fuel and maintenance.
You can also access their buying guides, which walk through what to look for when shopping for specific products — what features matter, what to avoid, and what price range makes sense. These guides often save time because they explain the trade-offs between options rather than just listing specs.
Members can save products to compare side-by-side, which is useful when you're deciding between two or three options. You can also see their reliability ratings for used cars, which come from surveys of Consumer Reports readers about problems they've had with specific model years.
How to Cancel Your Membership
If you pay month-to-month, you can cancel anytime without penalty. Log into your account, go to your subscription settings, and look for a cancel or manage subscription option. Month-to-month plans end at the end of your current billing cycle.
If you have an annual plan, cancellation usually requires you to contact Consumer Reports customer service directly rather than canceling online. Some annual plans include a cancellation fee if you stop before the year is up; others let you cancel but don't refund the unused portion. Check your plan terms or contact them before you commit to an annual plan if you think you might cancel early.
You can also pause or downgrade your membership — for example, switching from print-plus-digital to digital-only — without fully canceling. This is worth asking about if you want to reduce cost but keep some access.
Free Content vs. Paid Membership
Consumer Reports publishes some content free on their website, including certain buying guides, safety ratings, and limited product reviews. However, most of their detailed ratings, reliability data, and full product comparisons are behind a paywall for members only.
The free content gives you a sense of what they cover and how they test, but a membership is necessary if you want to see their full ratings across a category or compare multiple products in detail. If you're shopping for something specific — a car, refrigerator, or mattress — a month of membership might pay for itself in the time you save researching and the better choice you end up making.
Whether a Membership Makes Sense for You
A Consumer Reports membership is most useful if you shop for major purchases regularly — cars, appliances, electronics — or if you're making one big purchase decision soon and want thorough, independent information. The membership pays for itself quickly if you use it to avoid buying a product with known reliability problems or to find a better value in a crowded market.
If you rarely buy major products or you're comfortable doing research through manufacturer websites and retailer reviews, the membership may not be worth the cost. Some people buy a month of membership when they're shopping for something specific, then cancel after they've made their decision.
You can also check whether your library offers free access to Consumer Reports through their website or database subscriptions. Many public libraries include it as a member benefit, so it's worth asking before you pay for a personal subscription.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share my Consumer Reports login with family members?
Consumer Reports' terms of service restrict sharing to people in your household. Sharing with people outside your home may violate their terms. If multiple people in your household need access, contact them about household plans or whether they offer multiple logins under one subscription.
Do I get a refund if I cancel mid-month?
Month-to-month plans typically don't refund partial months — your cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing cycle. Annual plans have different policies depending on the plan; some don't refund unused time, while others may offer a prorated refund if you cancel early. Check your plan terms or ask customer service before you commit.
Is Consumer Reports the same as Consumer Reports Magazine?
Consumer Reports Magazine is the print publication, and the website and app are the digital versions. A membership to the website gives you digital access; a print subscription includes the magazine. The print-plus-digital plan gives you both. All three access the same ratings and testing data.
Can I see Consumer Reports ratings without paying?
Some ratings and buying guides are free on their website, but most detailed product comparisons and reliability data require a membership. You can browse their site to see what's free and what's behind the paywall before you decide whether to subscribe.
How often do Consumer Reports update their ratings?
They update ratings as they complete new testing and as they receive new reliability data from owner surveys. Some product categories update more frequently than others. As a member, you see the most recent data available, but the frequency of updates varies by product type.