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We're in the golden age of cord-cutting, and aside from a few annoying price increases here and there, there's never been a better time to catch up on all of the movies and shows you've missed, check out live sports, and binge everything coming out left and right.
But with so many options it can be hard to sort through what you'll actually want. We broke down this guide to the best streaming services so you can pick and choose what fits your budget and tastes instead of just rebuilding an antiquated and pricey cable package.
Best video streaming services
You don’t need to subscribe to everything like you had with cable. Some of the best features of cord-cutting is being able to pick what you want, when you want it; maybe you're really into whatever HBO is airing right now, but after that season's over, you don't need it. Just cancel it for a month or two, hop over to Netflix or Hulu, then come back when you're ready.
Be smart and save some cash.
On-demand video streaming
These are the best video streaming services you’ll want to pick up if you hate sitting through commercials, waiting for shows to air, or fiddling with a DVR. Simply sign up for the service, sign in with your preferred streaming device, and pick what you want. Simple, no headaches, and the quickest way to start watching.
Netflix – Best Pick
It’s hard to overstate how much of an impact Netflix has had on cord-cutting, especially since it was one of the first services to deliver tons of content via internet at a low monthly cost with no contracts. It’s practically synonymous with watching movies and TV without a cable provider at this point, and it’s becoming an absolute powerhouse in the realm of original content.
Whether you want past seasons of your favorite TV shows, new and old movies, or Netflix’s own original programming, you’re covered. There’s no live TV option, however, so the only way you’re watching new shows as they come out is if Netflix produces them. But with plans starting at just $8.99, it’s hard to pass up Netflix as the cornerstone of many cord-cutting packages.
There’s a 4K plan, too, which is extremely rare for many of these services. Netflix scores some points for that.
Pricing:
- $8.99/mo – basic plan
- $13.99/mo – HD plan
- $17.99/mo – 4K plan
The good:
- Tons of content
- Netflix originals
- 4K HDR
- Offline downloads for supported content
The bad:
- $2 – $3 price hikes seem to happen every year
- No live TV or sports
- Third-parties occasionally removing their content from Netflix
HBO Max – Original Content
Netflix is competitive when it comes to original content, but they’re still arguably a little behind the heavy hitters that HBO consistently delivers. Whether you’re looking for gripping, major pop culture events like Game of Thrones or long running comedies like Veep, HBO has a running slew of programming and a massive backlog of really excellent content.
Throw in some late night news shows and documentaries, plus a rotating selection of recently released blockbuster movies and and you’ve got enough stuff to watch for months on end. Some recent movie deals also have brand new theatrical releases show up on HBO Max the same day they come out in theaters, which makes this an excellent value for movie buffs.
Pricing:
- $14.99/mo
- $9.99/mo w/ads
- Included with some AT&T plans
The good:
- Access to current and previous HBO programming
- Big selection of recent movies
- Dedicated sports and kids content
- Early theatrical releases
The bad:
- Pricey at $14.99 for just one channel
- Clunky UI
- Bad app
Showtime Now – Premium Alternative
If you’ve watched everything you care about on HBO, it might be time to check out Showtime. While HBO probably has the brand recognition for premium original content, Showtime still has a ton of stuff to make it worth checking out.
It has its own set of long-running hit shows, like Homeland, Shameless, and Dexter, plus its constantly adding and renewing new content alongside its library of movies and sports content. You’ll find streams of boxing matches, insider NFL content, and more, making this a well-rounded service for someone trying to get away from HBO. The app is better, too, for what that’s worth.
Pricing:
- $10.99/mo
The good:
- Huge catalog of exclusive premium content
- New movies frequently added
- Sports content
The bad:
- Short trial period
- Lacks HBO’s massive back-catalog
ESPN+ – More Sports
Sports are one thing that really keep people hanging on to their cable subscriptions, but we’re starting to see more and more options for those of us that just don’t want to deal with it anymore. Disney recently launched their new premium ESPN+ service that offers some additional ESPN programming for just $4.99 per month.
The service, while cheap, still delivers some live sports from baseball, soccer, and hockey, plus a slew of other programs, documentaries, and other features. The 30 for 30 series is a big plus here, and there are a few pieces of content that are truly exclusive to ESPN+.
At $4.99 you aren’t getting a full sports cable replacement service, but it’s cheap and might just scratch that itch at a 90% discount from what you’re used to paying. It’s an excellent complement to FuboTV, too.
Pricing:
- $4.99/mo
- $12.99/mo bundled with Disney+/Hulu
The good:
- Sports without a contract
- Original sports programming
- Exclusive content
The bad:
- Can’t replace regular ESPN/ESPN2
- Not much NFL content
Disney+ – Get your Disney fix
If you want anything under Disney’s umbrella, Disney+ has you covered. You might think you don’t care about Disney, but keep in mind everything they own: Star Wars, Marvel, Fox, and National Geographic, just to name a few. You might not care about sci-fi flicks, but superhero movies are your thing. Or maybe neither of those are a big deal, but you love watching The Simpsons. Disney’s got it all.
Normally one company owning so much is a bad thing (and this probably is too, honestly) but it doesn’t reflect in the pricing, at least not yet. You can get most of Disney’s catalog for just $6.99 per month, and this can be bundled up with Hulu and ESPN+ for just $12.99 per month, which isn’t bad if you’re looking for a huge swatch of content to stay entertained.
Pricing:
- $7.99/mo
- $13.99/mo bundled with ESPN+/Hulu
The good:
- Huge Disney catalog
- New shows and content frequently added
- New Disney movies available early
The bad:
- Still missing some basic UI features
- Some Disney content is absent from other licensing deals
Hulu – Catch up current TV
Okay, maybe you want currently airing TV shows, but you just hate live TV and cable companies. Something like YouTube TV is fine, but it still has all the drawbacks of having to DVR a show, deal with commercials, and watch things on their schedule, not yours. Hulu’s the solution for that.
You’ll get next-day availability of currently airing shows on networks like ABC and Fox, plus a slew of Hulu originals, other movies, and all kinds of other things to binge watch. Since it’s just pulling a lot of content from active shows it’s not perfect for binge-watching unless you want to wait until the end of the season, but it’s great if you hate waiting and missing what people at work are talking about. Hulu’s very affordable, too.
Pricing:
- $5.99/mo – ad-supported plan
- $11.99/mo – no ads
- $13.99/mo bundled with Disney+/ESPN+
- $64.99/mo – Live TV + ad-supported plan
- $70.99/mo – Live TV + ad-free plan
The good:
- Easy access to current TV shows
- Affordable
- Can be bundled with Disney+
The bad:
- Cheap plan still has ads
- Lack of Hulu originals
- Clunky UI
Peacock – Gotta have The Office
Everybody has to have their own video streaming app these days, and sometimes that includes a company like NBC yanking their content from other services and bringing it all in-house. Love it or hate it, though, NBC has some stuff that's worth paying a little extra for.
If you're cool with just the back catalog, you can actually stream a big chunk of Peacock's content for free. You'll have to deal with some ads, but hey, can't beat free. Just sign up and set it in the background. For $4.99 you'll get the entirety of what's on the service, including some live sports and news programming, next-day airing of NBC's shows, and some original stuff, putting it more in line with an HBO Max style of service.
$9.99, if you're willing to spend a bit more, gives you all of that without the ads. Not terribly priced, especially if you can take advantage of some of the sports and original content.
Pricing:
- $4.99/mo w/ads
- $9.99/mo ad-free
The good:
- Large catalog
- Current movies and TV shows
- Access to sports and news for cheap
The bad:
- Confusing pricing structure
- Paid plan still has ads
Live TV video streaming
Maybe you’re still comfortable with the traditional method of channels, DVR recording, and live TV. There’s nothing wrong with that, except for the outrageous prices you’ll pay through Comcast or DirecTV to get access to that programming.
Live TV services have been popping up left and right, and these are the best video streaming services to pick from to give you exactly what you’re looking for in a cable replacement.
YouTube TV – Best Live TV
Google’s plan for the future is to move all of their entertainment under the YouTube brand, and YouTube TV is their service for users looking for a more traditional live TV experience. There’s plenty of competition in this space, which was originally kicked off with Sling TV’s skinny bundles, but YouTube TV is currently one of the better options on the market.
YouTube TV covers most of the channels that people want, including locals (if you’re in a supported area), channels with popular current shows like AMC, TNT, and FX, and a generous selection of sports channels. ESPN, FS1, NBA Network, and others are here, covering the one thing that makes most cord-cutters hesitant.
There are also some add-on premium channels, unlimited cloud DVR, and support for most platforms. The interface is also one of the best on the market, so you won’t have a steep learning curve while you get used to it.
Pricing:
- $64.99/mo
The good:
- Broad channel selection
- Unlimited cloud DVR storage
- Add-ons like NBA League Pass and Showtime
The bad:
- Expensive
Philo TV – Skinny Bundle
Maybe you’re not willing to give up live TV, but you really want to save some money and you don’t care about sports. That admittedly doesn’t seem like a huge market anymore, but it’s one that Philo is addressing anyway.
Philo TV offers a truly skinny bundle of live TV channels, but it specifically does not have any major sports channels. Those sports channels are generally what drives licensing costs up, which in turn becomes more expensive for users, and that’s how we end up with $100 per month cable bills.
The base package of Philo has tons of great stuff, including Viacom channels, so you’ll still get your fix of AMC, Comedy Central, MTV, and the Food Network, but there are zero sports or Disney channels here. Disney and ESPN typically go hand-in-hand, so unfortunately that’s just one thing you’re going to give up here, but it’s only $25 per month. That’s incredibly aggressive, especially considering everything else they offer.
Philo also offers unlimited cloud DVR storage limited to 30 days, and you can have up to three concurrent streams simultaneously. Seriously, if you can live without sports, this is the way to go.
Pricing:
- $25/mo
The good:
- Low cost
- Many popular channels
- Available to watch on almost any device
The bad:
- No locals
- Not immune to price hikes
Pluto TV – Free TV
What if you want to watch some TV, but you legitimately just don’t want to pay for it? There’s nothing wrong with being frugal with your entertainment, and you’ve got a good option in Pluto TV. The service itself is totally free, offering a ton of “channels” that are all delivered over the internet and supported with ads and commercials. They aren’t your standard cable channels (although that may change after Viacom’s acquisition) but instead really personalized stations covering horror movies, gaming, satiric comedy, tech, or whatever else you might think of. There are a ton of music channels and the occasional newer movie on the service, so don’t think it’s junk just because it’s free.
The quality definitely isn’t as high and consistent as what you’d get from a regular pay TV provider, but the value proposition is significantly better, and if you’re looking for things that are a little more personalized (where else can you watch a constant stream of IGN gaming videos?) it’s hard to beat. They’ve started adding more on-demand, ad-supported movies too, so regardless of what you’re planning on doing it’s probably worth installing Pluto TV on any streaming box you have just in case.
Pricing:
- Free
The good:
- Tons of content
- Totally free
- Works on most devices
The bad:
- Quality is hit-or-miss
- Ads can get annoying
Specialty video streaming
Maybe you already have your live TV service down, and you’ve got a couple of premium subscriptions for the hard-hitting dramas, so you’re just looking for something fun to add some variety to your custom-build cord-cutting package. This part of the list will go over some the best video streaming services that might perfectly scratch that itch.
CrunchyRoll – Anime
Anime can be a little trickier to nail down, even though it’s growing in popularity in the US recently. CrunchyRoll aims to bridge the gap between content from Japan to the US, and it does so at a very reasonable price.
$9.99 per month gets you access to a huge selection of anime features and TV shows, ad-free viewing, and simulcast with shows in Japan so you can watch an hour after they first air.
There’s still a free tier that has less content and ads, minus the simulcast, so even if you want some anime without opening your wallet, it’s still a great option.
Pricing:
- $9.99/mo
- $99/year
The good:
- One of the only ways to watch newer anime in the west
- Affordable
- Free tier with premium trial
The bad:
- Interface could be better
- No recommendation engine
Sign up for Crunchyroll here.
Shudder – Cheap horror
If you’re a horror movie fan, you might have noticed that it’s a pretty underrepresented genre on this list. Most of your big streaming services are diving more into the market, but it's still not nearly as popular as action flicks, dramas, and comedies.
If you want more, though, check out Shudder.
The service is built around exclusively offering horror, thriller, and suspense content, including new and old films and TV shows. They even have a few of their own original movies and shows to compete with the bigger hitters.
It’s probably not for everyone, but if you fit the niche, it’s a great service at just $4.99 per month with no ads or extra fees.
Pricing:
- $4.99/mo
- $47.88/12 mo
The good:
- Exclusively focused on horror/thriller content
- Decent originals to pad out their catalog
- Cheap
The bad:
- Short trial period
DC Universe – Comic Book fans
Comic book fans are pretty lucky right now, with Marvel driving the genre hard into the spotlight. But Marvel isn’t the only superhero universe on the block, and DC has some pretty stellar content for enthusiasts, too.
DC Universe offers a ton of original content, including TV shows and movies, but it goes a bit further than that, too. You get access to exclusive shop discounts and comic books, too, which is the only thing quite like it on this list. If you just can’t get enough of DC’s comic book universe, you’ll find a lot to love here.
Pricing:
- $7.99/mo
- $74.99/12 mo
The good:
- Deep catalog of DC material
- Extras like comic books and merchandise discounts
The bad:
- Lacks Marvel’s consistent high quality
- More expensive than Disney+
YouTube – Everything on the Internet
I don’t think YouTube is the first thing that pops into everyone’s mind when they think “watching TV,” but there’s legitimately no better source for an extreme variety of content on the web. It’s a big jump from the YouTube of years ago where it was all low-quality home videos, too, and there are tons of channels that make professional, high-quality content that’s uploaded daily.
YouTube certainly isn’t the best place to watch regular format TV shows, if you’re willing to delve into a different world of entertainment you’re going to find an insane amount of stuff to watch. Want to dive into the video game scene full of reviews, mods, Let’s Plays, and more? There’s plenty of that. Interested in tech reviews and teardowns? Tons of that, too. Documentaries? Mindless, funny entertainment? How-to videos? It’s all there, completely free.
That’s not to say YouTube isn’t without problems, but at this point I spend more time on YouTube than anything else on this list combined.
Pricing:
- Free
The good:
- Tons of videos
- Free with ad-free premium tier
- Creator-driven content
- Major social component
The bad:
- Clunky, forced integration with YouTube Music
- Potentially toxic community on some channels
- Adpocalypse controversies
