Let's be honest, deciding the best overall streaming service. It's a crowded field, and so many of them have huge upsides when it comes to the TV shows and movies you want to watch again and again. Still, there is a clear list of leaders you should examine before deciding which service(s) to subscribe to. Streaming services offer low-cost alternatives to regular cable, typically with a growing selection of things to watch. For years, Netflix and Hulu dominated the streaming space for years, but the market has grown far more crowded, with services like Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, and plenty more entering the ring. This can make your choice of subscriptions challenging. Throw in the fact that there are also live TV streaming services, and you have a lot to choose from. We've narrowed down the list of competitors to 14 streaming services that we think are worth your money.
The days of Netflix merely complimenting your cable package are gone. There are a ton of options out there now, for better and worse. Subscribing to one streaming service is a steal compared to cable, but sticking to just the best live TV streaming service isn't as convenient as it used to be. Most services don't have access to all the TV channels, As you rack up subscriptions to other services, the combined price can start to look a lot like that cable bill you were so eager to ditch. Even just a combination of the most popular services--Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+--will cost you more than $20 per month on the low end.
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To help you make the best decisions, we've put together this handy guide outlining the best streaming services you should get in 2021, depending on what you're looking for. We weighed both cost and content and will continue to re-evaluate over time as services change and new options become available.
If you're looking to stream anime, we also have a dedicated roundup of the best anime streaming services. There are also plenty of streaming options that won't cost you anything; check out our best free streaming services guide.
Price: Basic - $9/month, Standard - $14/month, Premium - $18/month
Notable original content: Black Mirror, BoJack Horseman, The Haunting of Hill House, Stranger Things, The Witcher, Russian Doll, The Irishman, Ozark, Mindhunter, Aggretsuko
Supported Devices: Roku, Roku Streaming Stick, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, Fire Stick, Fire Tablet, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, Android TV, Android phones, Android tablets, Google Chromecast, Nvidia Shield, PlayStation, Xbox, smart TVs, Blu-ray players, and web browsers.
Bottom line: If you can only subscribe to one streaming service, Netflix is the clear winner.
Netflix is the reason competition in the streaming space exists. The online DVD retailer turned video streaming giant has had a far larger impact on the home media industry than any of the other services on this list. Even with its stranglehold over the streaming industry, Netflix hasn't rested on its laurels. It remains the most popular streaming service for a reason--well, many reasons. Netflix has the largest and most varied collection of programming of any of the services available today. Its library includes a diverse array of original movies and TV content with a bounty of cable shows and popular films, including a nice selection of great anime and even some original anime. But Netflix doesn’t just produce multi-episode series that’ll keep you binge-watching through the weekend: it also makes feature films and documentaries that eat only a couple of hours of your time. It's a cliche, but Netflix really does have something for everyone.
Netflix subscriptions start at $9 per month, which lets you watch on one screen at a time in standard definition. For $14 per month, two users can watch at once, and the resolution is bumped up to high definition. If you're sharing your subscription with your family and friends (everyone does it), the $18 premium subscription is the way to go, as it allows four users to watch simultaneously and supports 4K Ultra HD for compatible content. It's also the service most likely to be compatible across all of your streaming devices, which makes this app hard to pass up for pure convenience alone.
Sign up for Netflix
Price: $6/month (with ads), $12/month (no ads), $65/month for Hulu + Live TV
Notable original content: Marvel's Runaways, The Handmaid's Tale, Ramy, Castle Rock, Shrill, The Path, Veronica Mars, The Mindy Project, 11.22.63, The Act
Supported devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Roku streaming stick, Roku streaming TV models, select Samsung and LG smart TVs, Echo Show, PlayStation, Xbox, and web browsers.
Bottom line: Hulu is best for those who want to get into current TV streaming.
Hulu's main draw is its plethora of cable TV shows, making it a different style of streaming service than Netflix. Hulu adds a significant number of episodes the day after they air on TV, making Hulu the natural choice for those who are hesitant to abandon traditional cable. In the same respect, Hulu is probably not the best bet for those who still have cable. While Hulu has some great original programming, including The Handmaid's Tale and Castle Rock, the brunt of the library features shows that you can easily find each week or on-demand TV. Hulu occasionally has some good movies to stream, but television is definitely the focus here.
Hulu's cable TV content is extremely varied and includes shows from ABC, Adult Swim, Fox, FX, NBC, and many other networks. Hulu even has a nice collection of anime, including popular series like Naruto Shippuden, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Cowboy Bebop, and Sailor Moon.
If you mainly use your cable subscription to watch sports or other live events like awards shows, the Hulu Live TV package is a stellar alternative to your set-top box cable, especially if you have smart TV. For $65 per month (or $71 with no ads), Hulu becomes a mostly complete TV streaming service; you get access to Hulu's streaming content and a ton of channels, including ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and major news networks. Hulu Live TV users get to follow their favorite sports teams from the NFL, NCAA, NBA, MLS, MLB, and NHL, and it allows sports fans to record their games, provided they’re available. And if there's a major cable channel, chances are you'll get it or be able to pay for it.
Sign up for Hulu
Price: $65/month
Notable networks: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Disney Channel, ESPN, AMC, Fox Sports
Supported devices: Android phones, Android tablets, Android TV, Apple TV, Iphone, Ipad, Google Chromecast, iOS, Nvidia Shield, Roku, Chrome web browser, PlayStation, Xbox, Vizio SmartCast TVs, and select Samsung and LG smart TVs
Bottom line: YouTube TV offers the experience of cable at a lower price.
There aren't too many Live TV streaming services quite yet, and YouTube TV is essentially your current cable service at a lower price with the backing of Youtube and Google. Unlike Sling, YouTube TV comes with live-streaming of the four major TV networks: ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. Overall, it offers more than 70 channels, including all of the most popular news and a large number of sports networks. YouTube TV does fall a bit short in device support, especially compared to the other competitors covered. What it does have is the most flexible cloud DVR, which allows users to store their programming for up to nine months after recording, including standard pause/rewind and fast-forward features available.
YouTube TV is a better service than Sling TV simply because it gives you more options. You pay for those added options, though. YouTube TV costs $65 per month. It's also more likely to be included on third-party devices like Fire TV. Add-on networks include Showtime, Fox Soccer Plus, Shudder, Sundance Now, and Starz. Like Sling TV, HBO isn’t available on this service. You can stream simultaneously on six devices, which means you can share your service (and split the cost!) with family and friends.
Sign up for YouTube TV
Price: $35/month for Blue or Orange, $50/month for Blue + Orange
Notable networks: ESPN, TBS, TNT, AMC, FX, Cartoon Network, USA, TLC, History, Disney Channel, Nick Jr.
Supported devices: Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire tablets, Android, Apple TV, Airplay, AirTV, AirTV 2, Google Chromecast, iOS, Mac, Nvidia Shield, Select LG Smart TVs, LeEco devices, Roku Streaming Stick, Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-ray players, web browsers, PlayStation, Xbox, Xfinity X1, Xiaomi Mi Box, ZTE devices, and Oculus devices.
Bottom line: Sling is the best live TV streaming option for sports fans.
Sling TV is for cord-cutters who don't want to drop the cable experience. Sling TV offers live TV streaming for more than 50 networks, including ESPN, TBS, TNT, FX, CNN, and many more. It also houses a library of on-demand TV shows and movies from its supported networks. What you won't find on Sling TV are major networks channel like ABC, Fox, CBS, and NBC.
As a cable alternative, Sling TV is pricier than the more traditional streaming services on this list. There are three plans available: Sling Blue, Sling Orange, and Orange & Blue. Both Sling Blue and Sling Orange cost $35 per month. There's some crossover between the two plans in terms of channel lineup, so you'll have to compare the two to see which one has more of the channels you want. Alternatively, you can get all of Sling's live TV channels in the Orange & Blue plan for $50 per month.
Sign up for Sling
Price: $25/month
Notable networks: AMC, BBC America, Comedy Central, Discovery, Food Network, Game Show Network, History, MTV, Nickelodeon, Travel Channel, Vice
Supported devices: Mac and Windows (on a web browser), iPhone and iPad, Android phones and tablets, Android TV, Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV
Bottom line: Philo offers up cable channels that other streaming services may not have, primarily channels like MTV, Travel Channel, and others--61 in total. It also has add-ons for Starz and Epix. Philo is a straight-forward service that features live TV, recording content as it airs, and VOD for a very reasonable price. In fact, compared to Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, and Sling, Philo is the cheapest of the services.
However, that may be because it's missing channels you may want to watch. Local affiliate networks are not on the service, and you won't find any sports channels here either. If you're planning on staying informed with the news, you're not going to get that here. Philo is strictly entertainment television, ranging from music to comedy to reality TV, and the vast majority of the channels included on the service you know or have heard of. There isn't a lot of bloat here. If you feel like YouTube TV or Sling is a bit too pricey and offers up too many channels you don't want to watch, you may want to move to Philo.
As for using the service, the UI on both desktop and on apps is easy to navigate and understand. The layout all makes complete sense, and searching for a TV show or movie is easy. If you like a certain TV show, you can favorite it, so it always pops up right at the top of the home page. Additionally, if you like a specific channel, you can do the same, and it will be the first channel you see in the guide. Philo has a great understanding of what its users want in an app.
Sign up for Philo
Price: $8/month, $80/year
Notable content: The Mandalorian, Loki, WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Forky Asks A Question, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, scores of Disney, Pixar, and Marvel movies
Supported Devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android phones, Android tablets, Android TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, iPhone, iPad, LG smart TVs, Nvidia Shield, web browsers, PlayStation, Xbox, Roku, and Samsung smart TVs
Bottom line: Disney+ is the best streaming service for kids and young adults who want to relive their childhoods.
Disney+ launched to much fanfare in November 2019 thanks to the debut of the first live-action Star Wars show, The Mandalorian, and an eclectic library filled with a treasure trove of Disney and Pixar movies. If you're mainly subscribing to a streaming service for your kids, Disney+ is the way to go.
Marvel fans also have a lot to enjoy on Disney+, including Loki, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and What If...? Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk shows are on the way, too.
Disney+ costs $67per month or $80 per year ($6.67/month). You can also purchase a $13/month bundle that includes Disney+, Hulu (with ads), and ESPN+. Disney also occasionally adds movies to Disney+ Premier Access, an add-on service that costs $30 per film and lets you watch them from the couch the same day they release in theaters.
Sign up for Disney+
Price: $9/month (video streaming only) or $119/year for full Prime membership
Notable content: The Expanse, The Man In The High Castle, Bosch, Jack Ryan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Good Omens, The Boys, Homecoming, The Tick, Fleabag, Psycho-Pass 3
Supported devices: Live channel features only available on Amazon Fire TV; channel content can be accessed through your web browser and compatible smart TVs, Blu-ray players, PlayStation, Xbox, set-top-boxes, Fire tablets, and by any device that supports Prime Video Now
Bottom line: Amazon Prime Video has a great library, but it's best for those who also use other Prime benefits.
Amazon Prime Video is an interesting streaming service because it comes bundled with all Amazon Prime subscriptions. We'd imagine that a sizable contingent of Amazon Prime members subscribed for the free one- or two-day shipping, not the huge library of movies and TV shows. But Prime Video is actually pretty darn good.
Prime Video features a growing collection of original content, including standout TV shows like The Expanse, The Boys, Fleabag, and The Man In The High Castle. It also receives movies distributed by Amazon Studios such as The Big Sick, Manchester by the Sea, and Beautiful Boy.
While Amazon Prime doesn't have quite as robust of a library of network content, it does have some of the best shows released over the last two decades. HBO hits like Six Feet Under, The Wire, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, and Curb Your Enthusiasm (through Season 8) are all available to stream. Prime Video also houses some excellent network TV, including The X-Files, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Americans, and Justified. A kids' section features a fairly large selection of both live-action and animated shows and movies. Prime Video also has a nice selection of anime, including Vinland Saga, Psycho-Pass 3, and Made in Abyss.
Amazon Prime costs $119 per year (roughly $10/month). You can skip Prime shipping perks and subscribe to Prime Video for only $9/month, but what you lose out on is far more valuable than the minuscule savings. Prime Video is great, but if you already subscribe to Netflix, you'll find a lot of overlap with the exception of the HBO backlist. With that said, we recommend Prime Video for those who will make use of their Amazon Prime membership.
Sign up For Prime Video
Price: $15/month
Notable original content: Succession, Barry, Insecure, Watchmen, His Dark Materials, Big Little Lies, Westworld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Game of Thrones, True Detective, Lovecraft Country, The Flight Attendant, The Undoing, I'll Be Gone in the Dark
Supported Devices: Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android, PlayStation, Xbox, Chromecast, web
Bottom line: HBO was already home to some of the best TV, and HBO Max adds an impressive back catalog of movies you can't watch anywhere else.
It's no secret that HBO produces some of the very best TV series ever made. In the 2000s, The Wire and The Sopranos defined TV. In the 2010s, Game of Thrones captivated millions of viewers each week. In 2019, HBO released arguably the best show of the year in Watchmen and pushed one of the best ongoing dramas, Succession, to new heights. HBO also excels at comedies, with the wholly engrossing Barry leading the pack and the pivotal Curb Your Enthusiasm wrapping its 10th season last year.
Now with the HBO Max service--which is included with HBO Now and cable HBO subscriptions--HBO is even better than before thanks to the addition of roughly 1,300 movies. The massive new collection of content solves HBO's longstanding the problem: It wasn't always worth it to keep your subscription when your favorite show wasn't currently airing a new season.
HBO Max has a good mix of recently released movies and a staggering number of older movies. You can watch plenty of Godzilla films, every Harry Potter movie, and every Studio Ghibli movie for the first time on a streaming service. A big library of DC comic book movies and a long list of films from the Criterion Collection are available to stream. TV shows like Doctor Who and Friends (both exclusive to HBO Max) help bolster the back catalog even more.
On top of that, Warner Bros. lineup of 2021 movies, including the recently released Suicide Squad, are free to stream on the service when they release in theaters. You can stream each release for 31 days. This fact alone might make HBO Max worth it for many.
It's hard to find too much to complain about with HBO Max when you consider the simply excellent library of content available already. It's pricier than many other services at $15, but you're getting the best selection of movies in addition to all of HBO's popular programming.
Sign up for HBO Max
Price: $5/month, $50/year
Notable original content: Ted Lasso, Trying, Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet, Central Park, The Morning Show, For All Mankind, Dickinson, Servant, Snoopy in Space
Supported Devices: Amazon Fire TV Cube, Amazon TV Fire Stick, Apple TV, Iphone, Ipad, LG smart TVs, web browsers, Roku, Roku Express, and Samsung smart TVs
Bottom line: Apple TV+ has a lot of star power, but it's light on content.
Apple TV+ launched the same month as Disney+. Unlike Disney+, however, Apple TV+ is almost entirely focused on new original content. Though that fact makes Apple TV+ interesting, it also means that it's relatively low on content at the moment. However, Apple has secured big names to both star in its productions and work on them behind the scenes. And the service already has multiple great shows.
For instance, Ted Lasso, a delightful show about a relentlessly optimistic coach, stars Jason Sudeikis. The Morning Show, which follows a group of newscasters, stars Steve Carell, Jennifer Aniston, and Reece Witherspoon. Servant, an unsettling show about hiring a babysitter to take care of a doll, comes from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan. Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet, a great show about a video game studio, is from the team behind It's Always Sunny.
Apple TV+ is worth checking out, especially at the reasonable price of $5 per month or $50 per year. It has enough original content to make subscribing worthwhile--even if you only wind up staying for a few months.
Sign up for Apple TV+
Price: $6/month, $57/year
Notable original content: Creepshow, The Last Drive-in with Jo Bob Briggs, The Core, Primal Screen
Supported Devices: Shudder website via PC or laptop, Iphone, Ipad, Android phones, Android tablets, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation, and Xbox
Bottom line: Shudder is the best streaming service for horror fans.
AMC's Shudder has been around since 2016. Catering specifically to fans of horror, Shudder's library has grown substantially over the years. Shudder's notable content includes Creepshow, a horror anthology series and stellar follow-up to the classic film directed by George Romero and written by Stephen King. Though Shudder is still finding its footing with original programming, there's no denying it offers the widest collection of classic and contemporary horror.
Shudder features the expected classics like Psycho, Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Birds, Phantasm, and Night of the Living Dead while also housing a substantial library of horror films and shows you may have never heard of before. Yes, giants like Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video have some horror, but their selections are nothing compared to Shudder.
Shudder costs $6 per month or $57 for an annual membership ($4.75 per month). To help you find the type of horror movies and shows you're looking for, Shudder has a huge list of curated collections to browse.
Sign up for Shudder
Price: $7/month, $70/year
Notable content: 30 For 30, Peyton's Places, NBA Rooks, Detail, ESPN FC, UFC Embedded
Supported Devices: web browsers, Iphone, Ipad, Apple TV, Android Phone, Roku, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation, Xbox, Oculus Go, and Samsung smart TVs
Bottom line: ESPN+ doesn't replace cable, but it still has its positives.
Before diving into what ESPN+ is, it's important to relay what it is not. ESPN+ doesn't give subscribers access to live sports and events airing on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNews. That means you won't get to watch NBA, NFL, or MLB games. However, ESPN+ does have out-of-market MLS games, tennis tournaments, UFC events, and more niche sports (at least in the US) like cricket and rugby. ESPN+ also has a number of exclusive shows starring athletes and the entire library of ESPN's excellent 30 For 30 documentary series.
ESPN+ is more of a supplemental service for the average sports fan. At $7 per month or $70 per year, the service has a friendly price, especially for tennis and soccer fans.
Sign up for ESPN+
Price: Premium - $6/month, Premium Plus - $8/month, Premium Plus Extra - $100/year
Notable anime: Plunderer, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, Infinite Dendrogram, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, Smile Down The Runway, 22/7, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun
Supported Devices: Apple TV, Iphone, Ipad, Android phones, Android tablets, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Kindle, Roku, Xbox, Playstation, Google Chromecast, Samsung smart TVs, and LG smart TVs
Bottom line: Funimation is the best service for dubbed anime.
Funimation lets you stream a small selection of its library for free, but you'll need a premium membership to unlock the entire 500-plus anime catalogue. Funimation has its own selection of exclusive anime such as Plunderer and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen. It has heaps of classic anime, including the widest selection of Dragon Ball content to stream.
It's also worth noting that Funimation has Simuldubs, so you can watch some anime at the same time it airs in Japan with dubs. You cannot always watch with dubs immediately, but all Simuldubs anime is available to watch within two weeks of its air date in Japan. If you favor dubbed anime, Funimation still beats Crunchyroll despite the latter's recent effort to offer more dubs.
Funimation has three different premium plans. For $6 per month, you get access to the entire Funimation library and can stream on two devices simultaneously. Premium Plus costs $8 per month and offers five simultaneous streams and the ability to download episodes to watch offline. The $100 Premium Plus Extra membership comes with a slew of perks including five simultaneous streams, offline viewing, annual anniversary gift, two pay-per-view rentals, and more.
Sign up for Funimation
Price: $8/month, $23/three months, $80/year
Notable anime: A Place Further than the Universe, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, In/Spectre, Laid-Back Camp, Konosuba
Supported Devices: Google Chromecast, Iphone, Ipad, Android phones, Android tablets, PlayStation, Xbox, and web browsers
Bottom line: Crunchyroll has the largest selection of anime.
Pre-dating the streaming wars, Crunchyroll debuted in 2006 and has since become a one-stop shop for anime lovers. While Crunchyroll does have the option to stream shows for free, you'll have to endure ads, watch in lower resolution, and wait a week for new episodes to be added to the service. Crunchyroll Premium grants you access to HD simulcasts from Japan an hour after they air and eliminates ads.
Crunchyroll's library is massive, featuring more than 900 shows and movies to choose from. Simply put, if you want the largest variety, Crunchyroll is the way to go. Since Crunchyroll's split from Funimation, more dubs have appeared on the service. There are still a lot of shows that only have subs, but Crunchyroll is making a concerted effort to add more English dubs, especially when it comes to the most popular shows like Konosuba.
Crunchyroll Premium costs $8 per month. If you're on a budget, it's great to have the option to watch for free, but if you watch even semi-regularly, premium provides a far better experience.
It's worth noting that Sony (Funimation's parent company) has officially acquired Crunchyroll. The acquisition announcement noted that Sony will unify the two subscription services in the future, so eventually it sounds like you won't have to choose between Funimation and Crunchyroll.
Sign up for Crunchyroll
Price: Limited plan - free, Premium - $5/per month, Premium Plus - $10/per month
Notable content: The Office, WWE pay-per-views and shows, 30 Rock, Battlestar Galactica, Friday Night Lights, Downton Abbey, Parks and Recreation
Supported devices: Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, PS5/PS4, Xbox Series X/Xbox One, LG Smart TV, Chromecast, iOS, Android, and web browser
NBC's Peacock streaming service launched last year with a huge library of TV shows and movies. Most notably, Peacock is now the only place to stream the beloved workplace comedy The Office. For huge fans of The Office, a Peacock subscription may be worth it simply to hang out with Michael, Pam, Jim, Dwight, and the rest of the Dunder Mifflin staff.
But Peacock is also the best streaming service for WWE fans. The WWE Network, which was previously on this list, has been shuttered and moved to Peacock, giving subscribers access to a bounty of content, including every pay-per-view event. This change is particularly notable since WWE Network previously cost $10 by itself--the price of the most expensive Peacock subscription tier.
At this time, we wouldn't say Peacock stacks up against Netflix or Hulu in terms of overall content, but it's still worth subscribing to for certain users, especially WWE fans.
Peacock has a free tier with a limited selection of content to stream without spending a dime. The Premium tier costs $5 per month and unlocks the whole library with ads, while the Premium Plus $10 per month subscription is ad-free. One thing to keep in mind about Peacock is that it currently doesn't support Amazon Fire TV, which is definitely a bummer.
Sign up for Peacock
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