Today, we have nearly unlimited access to every movie, TV show, song, or other piece of media that has ever been produced. The catch is that all your favorite movies and shows have been spread out across a variety of streaming services. But how are you supposed to know which ones are worth it? Here’s a breakdown of each big-name service to help you choose which ones might be right for you.
Netflix
Netflix is a great choice for variety, since this service often licenses movies and TV shows from different studios. Netflix also produces original content, like The Crown, Stranger Things, Bridgerton, The Queen’s Gambit, Squid Game, Black Mirror, and much more.
Netflix starts at $7.99/month for its ad-supported plan, which allows for streaming at a max resolution of 1080p. There is also an ad-free plan that costs $17.99/month, though you’ll still be limited to a resolution of 1080p. This is my main complaint about Netflix: if you want to stream in 4K Ultra HD, you’ll need to shell out $24.99/month.
HBO Max
HBO Max is another streaming service that offers a good balance of licensed and original content. HBO Max’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery at the time of this writing, also owns a number of studios like Warner Bros., DC Entertainment, Cartoon Network, and HBO. That means you’ll have access to WB-produced movies and TV shows, nearly every film and TV adaptation of DC superheroes, hit HBO shows, all Studio Ghibli films, and a variety of family and children’s programming from Cartoon Network (though the service seems to be removing some of its animated series each month). You can also access live sporting events, depending on the plan you purchase.
HBO Max is probably my personal favorite on this list. When my wife and I are unsure of what to watch, we often check HBO Max first, since Warner Bros. has produced so many different movies over the years. Whether we’re in the mood for a classic like Casablanca or something more modern like Lady Bird, we’ll always be able to find something to watch.
HBO Max’s ad-supported plan, Basic, is $10.99/month, while its ad-free option, Standard, is $18.49/month. However, like Netflix, you’ll be limited to a resolution of 1080p. For 4K Ultra HD, the Premium plan will cost $22.99/month. Live sports are included in the Standard and Premium plans.
Prime Video
Though not as varied as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video also sources content from other studios. However, Prime Video also has a good amount of original content, some of which I prefer over Netflix. Prime Video offers shows like Fallout, Reacher, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, as well as Amazon original films like Sound of Metal, Manchester by the Sea, Suspiria, The Big Sick, Val, Air, and so much more.
Prime Video is included with a subscription to Amazon Prime, which is priced at $14.99/month (or $139 for a year). If you want just Prime Video on its own without the extra benefits of Amazon Prime, you can get it for $8.99/month. However, both plans do include ads. To go ad-free, it is an additional $2.99/month on top of whichever existing plan you have (bringing the Amazon Prime membership plan up to $17.98/month, and the Prime Video-only plan up to $11.98/month). Prime Video appears to stream in 4K regardless of whether you have the ad-supported or ad-free plan.
Disney+
When Disney announced it was creating its own streaming service, I thought it was the silliest idea. Who would want to subscribe to a streaming service that has only Disney films? However, Disney+ has certainly made a name for itself. A few years ago, Disney acquired the studio 20th Century Fox, which has produced a huge variety of films, and all those movies are now a part of the Disney+ catalog. That means, in addition to Disney classics, you’ll also get movies like Avatar, Home Alone, The Sandlot, The Sound of Music, and much more. You’ll also have access to National Geographic programming, as well as the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe and every Star Wars film and TV series.
Disney+ starts at $11.99/month for its Basic, ad-supported plan, and goes up to $18.99/month for its Premium, ad-free plan. It’s worth noting that both plans allow for 4K Ultra HD streaming at no extra cost, unlike some of the other services we’ve covered in this article.
Hulu
Previously owned by 20th Century Fox, Hulu is now owned by Disney, post-merger. As a result, some of the TV shows and movies that Hulu offers, you’ll also find on Disney+. However, not everything is shared between the two services. Hulu has a variety of TV shows and movies that you won’t find on Disney+, such as The Handmaid’s Tale, Modern Family, The Bear, Palm Springs, and more.
Hulu starts at $11.99/month for its ad-supported plan and goes up to $18.99/month for its ad-free plan. Like Disney+, there is no additional charge to stream in 4K Ultra HD.
Peacock
Peacock is NBCUniversal’s dedicated streaming service, which is home to NBC classics like The Office, Friends, Seinfeld, Law & Order (and its various spinoffs), and so much more. Peacock also hosts movies like Field of Dreams, the John Wick franchise, Alfred Hitchcock’s films, and many others. It has also produced quite a few original TV shows, like Poker Face, Rutherford Falls, MacGruber, and more.
Peacock’s Standard, ad-supported plan is $7.99/month, its Premium plan is $10.99/month, and its Premium Plus plan is $16.99/month. Though the fine print on Peacock’s Choose a Plan page does note that, “Due to streaming rights, a small amount of programming will still contain ads (Peacock channels, sports and events, and a few shows and movies).” So, you may still get a few ads here and there even if you are paying for the ad-free plan.
Paramount+
With every major movie studio wanting a slice of the streaming pie, even Paramount has its dedicated platform where you can stream its library of movies and TV shows. This includes content from Paramount Pictures and its subsidiaries, such as CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central. As a result, you’ll get a nice variety of shows like Yellowstone, Everybody Loves Raymond, Twin Peaks, The Twilight Zone, and a ton more. You’ll also get nearly every series and movie in the Star Trek franchise. If you have kids, Paramount+’s selection of Nickelodeon programming features
Avatar: The Last Airbender, SpongeBob SquarePants, Blue’s Clues, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, and much more. Paramount+ starts at $7.99/month, which includes ads and limits streaming to 1080p. The ad-free tier costs $12.99/month, which ups the resolution to 4K Ultra HD and also includes Showtime. That means, in addition to no longer having to watch ads, you’ll also get access to Showtime-produced content like Dexter, Yellowjackets, Weeds, and others.
Apple TV+
While this is my last entry in the list, Apple TV+ is certainly not a bad streaming service. I’ve only placed it so far down because, with the exception of Charlie Brown, Apple TV+ does not license any of its content from other studios or services. That means almost everything you find on Apple TV+ is wholly original programming. And most of it is pretty good. Apple TV+ is home to some critically acclaimed shows like Severance, Ted Lasso, Slow Horses, and others. It also has a great selection of movies, including CODA (which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2022), Killers of the Flower Moon, Tetris, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Napoleon, and more.
Apple TV+ also owns the exclusive streaming rights to all Charlie Brown animated specials. That means, come the holiday season, if you want to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas, you’ll need to subscribe to Apple TV+. Apple does offer each Charlie Brown special for free on select weekends during their respective seasons, so if you keep an eye out, you may be able to catch them without subscribing.
Unlike every other streaming service that is on this list, Apple TV+ does not bother with having separate tiers for ad-supported or ad-free. Instead, you can subscribe for just $12.99/month. There are no ads, no caps on the resolution, and if you want to share your subscription with others, just add them to your Apple Account Family.
Final Thoughts
Personally, I find it frustrating how many different streaming services there are out there and how so many of them refuse to allow account sharing. But here we are! In the current landscape, I recommend you only subscribe when there is something you want to watch. For example, when the final season of Stranger Things arrives this year, I’ll subscribe to Netflix for a month or two to watch all the episodes and then cancel my subscription. Then, I might subscribe to Apple TV+ when the third season of Severance premieres. That, in my opinion, is the best way to handle having so many streaming services on the market.
Top image credits: Hitdelight / shutterstock
MyronovDesign / shutterstock
