Which streaming service is right for you? ET breaks down the major offerings currently available.
These days, at the touch of a button, we have access to virtually unlimited TV shows and movies.
While you want access to the best shows and movies, subscribing to everything can really add up, especially on top of a cable bill. If your goal is to stick to your budget by streamlining your streaming, the No. 1 question on your mind is likely: Which streaming services are worth the money?
With a slew of streaming services at our disposal, like Netflix, Apple TV+ and Paramount+, and major platforms joining forces like HBO Max and Discovery+ becoming Max, as well as the recent absorption of Hulu into Disney+, it's no easy feat to keep up with all of the options out there.
To find the perfect blend of streaming platform subscriptions for you, consider your viewing preferences. Fantasy and science fiction fans may want to binge all the Marvel movies on Disney+ or the latest Star Trek series on Paramount+. If you prefer to keep up with the latest episodes on network television, Hulu may be a better option for you, as they drop many cable networks' shows the day after they air. Bravoholics should have Peacock on their roster in order to keep up with the Real Housewives and all the reality TV drama.
Don't let information overload get you down. Below, we've broken down what you can expect from each streaming service, as well as the best shows available to watch on each platform.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ stands out from the rest because, rather than curating television shows and movies from other sources, most of its offerings are Apple TV+ Originals. Apple TV+ spares no expense when producing its originals, with breathtaking sets, stellar storylines (many inspired by best-selling books and historic figures) and unparalleled casting with some of the best talent in Hollywood, including Tom Hanks, Lily Gladstone, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba, Harrison Ford, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Aniston and Maya Rudolph.
Currently, Palm Royale starring Kristen Wiig and Allison Janney about a woman scheming her way into the social circle of an elite country club is topping Apple TV+'s most-watched shows. Apple TV+ also hosts several book-to-screen adaptations: Silo, The Last Thing He Told Me starring Jennifer Garner and City on Fire. If you're in need of a laugh, there's Shrinking starring Harrison Ford and Jason Sudeikis' comedy Ted Lasso.
Apple TV+ also has excellent documentaries from Selena Gomez, Michael J. Fox, Billie Eilish and others.
The service is a great choice for soccer fans. The MLS Season pass airs every single match of the Major League Soccer season, including playoff games.
How Much Does Apple TV+ Cost?
- Apple TV+: New subscribers can take advantage of a free one-week trial before paying the $10 per month membership fee. If you've recently bought an Apple device, you may be eligible for three months of Apple TV+ for free.
- MLS Season Pass: Apple TV+ subscribers can pay $13 per month or $79 per year for the season to access all the games. If you're not an Apple TV+ subscriber, you can still get the pass for $15 per month or $99 per season.
Other Notable Information: You can buy or rent movies and television episodes — many of which are new releases — through Apple TV+, similar to Amazon's Prime Video. Also like Prime Video, you can link your other streaming services to the platform to have a more streamlined line-up of your services.
Disney+
Changes are happening at Disney+. Subscribers may have noticed their Disney+ smartphone app switched from a dark blue to an updated teal design. This signaled the recent inclusion of Hulu on Disney+. For a while, customers have been able to bundle Disney+ and Hulu, but now those who bundle (or subscribe to both services individually) can find Hulu content on Disney+. The platforms still exist individually, but it does make things easier to have both libraries in one spot.
Disney+ is a perfect streaming service selection for those with kids and kids at heart. Subscribers get access to classic Disney movies, and new ones like Encanto and Wish, plus beloved Pixar films and educational National Geographic shows and documentaries.
Disney+ is the platform of choice for Marvel and Star Wars fans with basically the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (except select Spider-Man films), all of the original Star Wars films and a variety of new shows from both universes. Along with blockbuster films, including Black Panther, The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, Disney+ also has Marvel Original series like WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, SheHulk: Attorney at Law, Loki and more. On the Star Wars side — in addition to the classics — you'll find Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Mandalorian, Andor and much more.
How Much Does Disney+ Cost?
There are a few options for your Disney+ membership.
- Disney+ Basic which has ads is $8 monthly.
- Disney+ Premium which is ad-free and allows downloads is $14 monthly.
- Duo Basics includes Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) for $10 monthly.
- Duo Premium includes Disney+ and Hulu (without ads) for $20 monthly.
- Trio Basics bundles Disney+, Hulu and ESPN (with ads) and costs $15 monthly.
- Trio Premium bundles Disney+, Hulu and ESPN (withouts ads) and costs $25 monthly.
Hulu
Hulu stands out from other streaming services because of its live television component and access to a wide variety of current shows that drop the day after airing on cable. Hulu also has its own awesome original shows like Only Murders in the Building starring Selena Gomez or the chilling Handmaid's Tale. The streamer also offers an inside look into everyone's favorite reality TV family, The Kardashians.
Hulu carries exclusive FX Originals like the award-winning The Bear. There are also entire seasons of Emmy Award-winning series like The Dropout, Atlanta, Schitt's Creek, and Abbott Elementary.
For an additional fee, customers can subscribe to Hulu + Live TV, which allows you to watch over 95 channels live with the streaming platform. Essentially serving as an alternative to cable, Hulu + Live TV gives you access to live sports, including college games and pro-league events.
How Much Does Hulu Cost?
Below, we've listed the price tiers for Hulu, but keep in mind you can also get Hulu in the bundles with Disney+ mentioned above.
- Hulu (with ads) is $8 per month.
- Hulu (without ads) is $18 per month.
- Hulu + Live TV, which also includes Disney+ and ESPN, all with ads, is $77 per month. You can also get it live TV and the streaming services without ads for $90 per month.
Other Notable Information: You can also add on Max, Cinemax, Paramount+ with Showtime and Starz packages with your subscription for an additional fee, along with options for unlimited screens, an entertainment add-on, an Español Add-on and a sports add-on.
Max
The merger of HBO Max and Discovery+ created the streaming service we now know as Max. The streaming service features content from HBO, Discovery, TLC, HGTV, Food Network and more. Members can watch hit shows like True Detective, 90 Day Fiance, Succession, The Last of Us, Game of Thrones (and its prequel House of Dragons) ... the list goes on.
Recently, Max has also introduced a B/R Sports Package, which is complimentary for a limited time. The add-on package gives viewers access to live sporting events, including NHL, MLB, NBA and NCAA games airing on TNT, TBS and TruTV.
How Much Does Max Cost?
With Max, there are three tiers to choose from:
- Max with Ads: $10 per month or $100 yearly for 16% savings. The plan allows you to stream HD content on up to two devices at once.
- Ad-Free Max: $16 per month or $150 yearly for over 20% savings. The plan allows you to stream HD content on up to two devices at once and download up to 30 shows.
- Ultra Ad-Free Max: $20 per month or $200 yearly for over 16% savings. The plan allows you to stream 4K Ultra HD content with Dolby Atmos audio on up to four devices at once and download up to 100 shows.
Netflix
One of the OG services, Netflix continues to be a leader in the streaming service game. With a variety of originals and hit cable shows, Netflix has a mix of everything, except live television and sports.
Count on Netflix to churn out binge-worthy originals. The Regency romance drama, Bridgerton and its prequel Bridgerton: Queen Charlotte are must-watch shows for period-piece lovers. Love is Blind, where contestants get engaged before even seeing one another, has been a success among reality fans. Stranger Things, potentially one of Netflix's biggest shows, is worth the subscription in itself.
Netflix is the home of many of your favorite cable television shows: Every episode of Seinfeld and Gilmore Girls is available on the platform currently. Shonda Rhimes' medical drama Grey's Anatomy can also be found with the provider.
How Much Does Netflix Cost?
Netflix has three price tiers:
- Standard with ads is $7 per month allowing you to watch on 2 devices at once.
- Standard is $15 per month allowing you to watch on 2 devices at once.
- Premium is $23 per month allowing you to watch on 6 devices at once. This plan also upgrades HD shows and movies to Ultra HD.
Other Notable Information: You can add extra member slots to your standard or premium plan to allow for more devices for an extra $8 per month.
Paramount+
The major draw to Paramount+ is access to everything Star Trek, plus spinoffs of the beloved western Yellowstone, live television, reality staples and sports streaming from CBS and CBS Sports as well as the huge catalog of Paramount movies. Now — for even more hit shows — Showtime is offered as an add-on for Paramount+ subscribers.
Star Trek fans will definitely want to sign up for Paramount+ because many of the newest Star Trek series stream exclusively on Paramount+. One such show, Picard, features the return of Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, but fans will also get access to the Star Trek: Discovery spinoff series, Short Treks, Lower Decks, Prodigy and Strange New Worlds, centered on Spock, Captain Pike and Number One. Fans will also get access to all the original series and movies.
Fans of the modern-day western Yellowstone can watch all the spin-offs exclusively on Paramount+. This includes the prequel 1883, the backstory of how the Duttons obtained Yellowstone Ranch, starring Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, 1923 the story of Yellowstone Ranch during the Great Depression (and Prohibition) starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, there is also a present-day spinoff in the works, 6666, and a rumored untitled spinoff starring Matthew McConaughey.
Love competition reality? Survivor, Amazing Race, Big Brother and MTV reality shows like The Challenge are all available on Paramount+.
How Much Does Paramount+ Cost?
There are two types of plans available to customers and add-ons available. There is a more affordable essentials plan and the Paramount+ with Showtime plan. There is also a free one-week for new subscribers to see how they like the service before committing.
- Essential Plan: Plan starts at $5.99 per month, or you can pay $59.99 per year to save 16%. This is an ad-supported plan and you will not have access to your local CBS station.
- Paramount+ with Showtime Plan: Plan starts at $11.99 per month, or you can pay $119.99 per year to save 16%. There are no ads, except when streaming live stations, like your local CBS station which is included. The biggest benefit to this plan is that you'll get access to live events, including sports and awards shows, as well as all of Showtime's entire library of content.
Other Notable Information: The platform has more than thousands of TV episodes and movies from Paramount networks MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Pictures and CBS. This includes classics such as 90210, The Brady Bunch, SpongeBob Squarepants, Cheers, I Love Lucy, Melrose Place and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
You'll also get access to Paramount films like Top Gun: Maverick, Scream VI, 80 For Brady, Babylon, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, as well as Paramount Originals like The Family Stallone, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars and the Frasier and iCarly reboots.
ET, Showtime, CBS, Paramount+ and Paramount+ with Showtime are all subsidiaries of Paramount.
Peacock
If you love comedy and crime dramas, Peacock should definitely be on your streaming services roster. Watch The Office, Girl5Eva (from Tina Fey), New Girl, Brooklyn 99, Parks and Recreation and more. Peacock brings the drama with all of the Law and Order franchises.
While Yellowstone airs on the Paramount cable network (not Paramount+ the streaming service), you can also stream it on Peacock. You will, however, need Paramount+, to see the spin-off series.
Peacock hosts all the Bravo reality show drama. This includes all the Real Housewives franchises and the ever-scandalous Vanderpump Rules. Peacock Originals, like The Traitors and Real Housewives: Ultimate Girl's Trip, stream exclusively on the platform.
With a Premium Plus subscription, you'll gain access to your local live NBC network.
How Much Does Peacock Cost?
Below, we've listed the prices you can expect to pay for Peacock TV. You can also save 17% by opting to pay the annual fee versus a monthly fee.
- Peacock Premium is supported by ads and costs $6 per month or $60 yearly.
- Peacock Premium Plus is ad-free and costs $12 per month or $120 yearly.
Other Notable Information: Peacock has select live and on-demand content from news and sports events.
Prime Video
Prime Video, the streaming service of Amazon, lets you rent or buy many of the latest films and television shows, but it also has a great library filled with its own original series and movies. Some hit Amazon Prime Video shows include The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Fleabag, Daisy Jones & The Six, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan starring John Krasinski — and on April 11, it will be the streaming home of a new Fallout series based on the hit video games starring Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell.
Outside of the upcoming Fallout adaptation, one of Prime Video's biggest draws has to be for those in the Lord of the Rings fandom, as Prime Video hosts a prequel to both The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Rings in the Prime Video original The Rings of Power. The entire Lord of the Rings film trilogy is available to buy or rent on the platform. Other originals based on beloved science-fiction books, The Wheel of Time, Neil Gaiman's Good Omens and The Expanse, also stream on Prime Video.
Exclusive films on Prime Video include a film based on the story of Nike signing Michael Jordan, Air, starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Chris Tucker, a Road House remake with Jake Gyllenhaal, as well as a new comedy, Ricky Stanicky, where John Cena and Zac Efron deliver the laughs.
How Much Does Prime Video Cost?
There are two options for those who want to subscribe to Prime Video.
- Prime Video You can subscribe to Prime Video without a Prime membership for only $9 per month giving you access to Prime Video's full library of content.
- Amazon Prime You can also get the standard Amazon Prime subscription which includes access to Prime Video for $139 per year along with all the other benefits of being a Prime member, like free two-day shipping and access to Amazon Music.
Sign Up for Prime Video
Sign Up for Amazon Prime
Other Notable Information: Along with unlimited streaming of the movies and television shows offered on Prime video, subscribers can rent and buy additional shows and movies, including with newly released films that haven't yet hit streaming. Another benefit to Prime Video is that you can add-on packages from other subscription services, including Max, Starz, Paramount+, AMC+ and many more to watch all your content in one place.
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