Netflix was one of the first on-demand streaming services, and for a while there, it was the best. Now, there’s stiff competition, even if the others don’t have Stranger Things or Peaky Blinders.
If you’re looking to dip into the streaming waters elsewhere, here are eight alternatives to Netflix we think will satisfy your entertainment needs. To keep it simple, we used Netflix’s most popular plan, Standard ($15.49 a month), for price comparison.
Best alternatives to Netflix
- Price: $9.99–$15.99/mo. ($5.50–$.50 cheaper than Netflix Standard plan)
- Shows and movies: House of the Dragon, Succession, The Flight Attendant, Hacks, Barry, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Batman, The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix
- Specs: 1080p, 4K video; 2.0 stereo, Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Atmos sound
It’s recently had some rough business headlines about budget cuts and lost content, but Max is still the premium streamer to beat, especially after its merger with Discovery+. We prefer the $15.99 ad-free plan to the $9.99 version with commercials, but you do you.
- Price: $8.99–$14.99/mo. ($6.50–$.50 cheaper than Netflix Standard plan)
- Shows and movies: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Wheel of Time, Reacher, A League of Their Own, The Wilds, The Terminal List, The Lost City, Licorice Pizza
- Specs: 1080p, 4K video; 2.0 stereo, Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Atmos sound
Considering that it comes included with a $14.99-a-month Amazon Prime membership, Prime Video is a pretty good deal, as is the standalone $8.99 a month plan. We gotta have that free shipping, though.
- Price: $7.99/mo. ($7.50 cheaper than Netflix Standard plan)
- Shows and movies: The Mandalorian, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Obi-Wan Kenobi, WandaVision, The Simpsons, Loki, The Mysterious Benedict Society, Daredevil, Deadpool, Star Wars, and Marvel movies
- Specs: 1080p, 4K video; 2.0 stereo, Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Atmos sound
All of the Marvel, Star Wars, and Simpsons content you could ever stream, plus even more for the kiddies—no wonder Disney+ is closing the subscriber gap on Netflix. Bundled with Hulu and ESPN+, it’s even better.
- Price: $7.99–$17.99/mo. ($7.50 cheaper than Netflix Standard plan with ad-supported Hulu, $2.50 pricier with ad-free Hulu)
- Shows and movies: Only Murders in the Building, Alone, Reservation Dogs, Prey, Killing Eve, The Old Man, What We Do in the Shadows, Letterkenny, Criminal Minds, next-day ABC, FOX, FX, FXX series
- Specs: 1080p, 4K video; 2.0 stereo, Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound
Hulu set the standard for next-day streaming of broadcast and cable shows; now everyone’s doing it. Hulu’s original content has also grown exponentially since the critical splash of The Handmaid’s Tale—witness Only Murders in the Building, Prey, and Reservation Dogs.
- Price: $5.99–11.99/mo. ($1.00–$8.00 cheaper than Netflix Standard plan)
- Shows and movies: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Discovery, 1883, Evil, Mayor of Kingstown, Ink Master, The Good Fight, Orphan: First Kill, Jackass Forever, next-day CBS series
- Specs: 1080p, 4K video; 2.0 stereo, Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound
There’s more to Paramount+ than just Star Trek and CBS content. There’s also a mountain (or at least a steep hill) of Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, CMT, and BET shows, as well as Paramount movies (Top Gun: Maverick will show up eventually, have faith).
- Price: $5.99–$11.99/mo. or $59.99–$119.99/yr. ($9.50–$3.50 cheaper than Netflix Standard plan)
- Shows and movies: The Resort, Rutherford Falls, Resident Alien, One of Us is Lying, Angelyne, Bel-Air, Weeds, Psych, The Northman, next-day NBC, Syfy, USA series
- Specs: 1080p, 4K video; 2.0 stereo, Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound
NBCUniversal’s Peacock is small but tenacious, serving up a growing slate of quality originals, day-and-date movie premieres, and next-day streaming of NBC and cable series. Live sports are also in the mix, including soccer, football, golf, and more.
- Price: $6.99/mo. ($8.50 cheaper than Netflix Standard plan)
- Shows and movies: Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, For All Mankind, Mythic Quest, The Afterparty, Dickinson, WeCrashed, Physical, Black Bird
- Specs: 1080p, 4K video; 2.0 stereo, Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Atmos sound
From day one, Apple TV+ has only streamed new, original shows and movies—it’s not the easiest route to subscriber supremacy, but it’s paid off in some excellent television. At still only $4.99 a month, Apple TV+ is a steal for TV nerds.
- Price: $4.99–$6.99/mo. ($10.50–$8.50 cheaper than Netflix Standard plan)
- Shows: 90 Day Fiancé, Chopped, Mythbusters, Property Brothers, Dr. Pimple Popper, Home Town, Deadliest Catch, Iron Chef, Love It or List It, 90 Day spinoffs
- Specs: 1080p, 4K video; 2.0 stereo, Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound
With over 55,000 hours of renovation, cooking, and reality shows from various Discovery (now Warner Bros. Discovery) networks, Discovery+ is a niche beast of a streaming service. It’s best for folks who want all of the reality TV with none of the premium TV that Max offers post-merger, along with a very reasonable price tag.
