fatygood fayeth laquentin
Adrienne Borgman
Amazon FreeVee is a cheap streaming service for Prime members. A wide selection of content, including classic shows and Amazon Originals, is free with ads. The ads run before your content and at multiple intervals during the show. As a Netflix alternative, free is much better than Netflix with ads for $6.99. For shows or movies that are only available by renting or purchasing, an occasional purchase might still be cheaper than paying a monthly subscription to Netflix. Watch Freevee on Amazon devices or your computer or tablet.
Vudu, a digital video distribution service owned by Walmart, offers another enticing option for budget-conscious viewers. While it has traditionally been a platform for renting or purchasing movies and TV shows, Vudu also provides a selection of free movies and TV streams. You can explore a wide array of content without the need for a subscription, although you may encounter ads during your viewing. Vudu's free offerings include both classic and contemporary titles, making it a valuable addition to your list of cost-effective streaming alternatives. This is especially ideal for those who want to watch specific movies or shows without the commitment of a paid subscription.
Simply visit the Vudu website on your computer, download the Vudu app on your Android or iOS device, or find it on your smart TV, streaming devices, gaming consoles, set-top boxes, and even some Blu-ray players.
If you have an Apple device, Roku, an Amazon Fire TV device, a Samsung smart TV, Nvidia Shield, or an Android TV OS, you can watch Apple TV+. This ad-free cheap streaming service costs $6.99 and provides access to all Apple TV+ shows and movies. To watch iTunes movies or content produced by other providers requires an additional fee. The Apple TV+ library is smaller than other Netflix alternatives on our list, with one more drawback. New episodes are released weekly rather than all at once, thwarting those who love binge-watching new shows.
YouTube is a treasure trove of content, and it's completely free. As a versatile streaming platform, it offers a wide range of content, from cat videos to educational lectures, makeup tutorials to live music performances. YouTube also has a section for primetime Movies and TV shows you can watch for free with the occasional ad break. With billions of videos uploaded by creators from around the world, YouTube has something for everyone.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
While Netflix is often hailed as the king of streaming services, it's also known for frequently raising its prices -- and this year, it even started cracking down on password sharing. If the streaming conglomerate has finally priced you out as a subscriber, there are plenty of other options out there for watching TV shows and movies.
Combined with the fact that the company is now charging its account holders $7.99 for each additional user, customers are looking for alternatives. In addition, you might want to leave Netflix if you've become frustrated with its ever-changing titles and what is added/removed from the platform monthly.
There is more to the streaming world than Netflix: In fact, there are more than 200 streaming services available today. Our top alternative is Hulu, but we've rounded up the best streaming service alternatives that include live TV, unique originals, binge-worthy shows, and more for you to keep on streaming.
For more than half of the price of a monthly Netflix subscription, you can watch a wide array of TV shows and movies on Hulu for just $7.99 per month. The platform has original content like The Handmaid's Tale, How I Met Your Father, Dollface, and more, along with classic and popular movies.
However, two out of four of Hulu's subscription tiers still have ads. Also, its base subscription only supports one streamer at a time, so you can't share your account with friends or family as you can with Netflix.
Amazon Prime Video has original series like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. What's great about this specific platform is that you can buy/rent movies/TV series a la carte, so if you're looking for something specific, it may be worth it.
While Amazon Prime is a decent Netflix alternative, it lacks the large number of original series and movies that Netflix offers. Also, even with your subscription, you still must buy/rent certain titles, making the overall cost go up.
To watch some of the most buzzworthy shows, you'll need Max (formally known as HBO Max). The streaming service costs $9.99 per month with ads and $15.99 per month for an ad-free experience and streaming in 4K UHD. The good news is that if you already have an HBO subscription, Max comes free.
Max is home to popular series like The Last of Us, Euphoria, Succession, The White Lotus, and more. You can also watch recently released movies from the past six months if you couldn't catch them in theaters.
Its higher tier no-ad subscription will cost you almost as much as Netflix. Also, keep in mind that with the Warner Brothers/Discovery merger, some content like Westworld, Raised by Wolves, and The Nevers, has been removed, and you're likely to see some more fluctuation with the content.
While you may think Apple TV+ is only compatible with Apple devices, the platform actually works on gaming consoles, streaming devices like Roku and Amazon Fire TV, Smart TVs, and, of course, on Apple TV and other Apple devices.
However, episodes on Apple TV+ roll out weekly instead of all together, making it hard to binge-watch a really good show. Also, there is currently no Apple TV+ app available for Android devices or PC users.
NBC's streaming service offers two tiers: a premium subscription at $5.99 that has limited ads but also live sports and events, and a plus tier that is $11.99 and has zero ads and allows you to download and watch select titles offline.
On Peacock, you can watch original series like Bel-Air, Dr. Death, Girls5Eva, and Wolf Like Me, as well as cult classics like The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, the Harry Potter collection, and more. There's also live TV and sports you can tune into including WWE and soccer. Peacock also offers exclusive 24-hour coverage of every Olympics, including the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Of course, the downside here is that Peacock still has ads, and it recently got rid of its free tier. Some of the content is paywalled. Also, there is no 4K streaming option, so the quality could be better.
If you really want to leave Netflix to pay less, you can't go wrong with Peacock, since it is the cheapest option. However, if you're more interested in watching popular, original content, Max and Apple TV+ have shows and movies that everyone is always talking about.
Number of titles: You want a streaming service that will allow you to watch plenty of movies and TV titles. We paid attention to services that provide original content, as well as play host to well-known titles.
Ads: Commercials and ads are annoying, but unfortunately, they are apart of streaming services, especially at the lower-priced subscription tiers. However, we provided services with ad-free options, and Apple TV+ always has zero ads.
Subscription cost: Many streaming services offer multiple tiers of subscription options, so pricing definitely varies. We paid attention to the cheapest subscription cost for each streaming service in order to effectively compare.
You can still get a cheaper version of Netflix at $6.99, but it has ads. In addition, there is a basic plan that also just increased in price ($11.99, up from $9.99). Note that the basic plan is no longer available to new subscribers, so this price hike will only affect current customers who already are subscribed to that plan.
If you decide to cancel Netflix, there are plenty of options to replace the platform. And, since its catalog is constantly changing, something on Netflix one day could end up on one of the above streaming platforms the next. The only thing you'd really miss out on is Netflix's original series and movies; the service does offer a good selection of award-winning content.
With its contracts and fees, cable TV is nowhere near cheap. The alternative is a suite of streaming services, but paying for multiple subscriptions -- or even a live TV streaming service like DirecTV Stream -- could also rival your cable bill. According to a 2023 report from Leichtman Research Group, 83% of US households have at least one streaming service, with over 50% of us subscribing to four or more.
These days, you can sever the cord completely and solely use streaming services like Hulu, Disney Plus or YouTube TV. You can also keep satellite or cable TV as your main dish while subscribing to a couple of streaming platforms on the side. There's also the option to watch 100% of what you want on cable TV only.
All those choices can quickly become overwhelming, but don't worry. Here, we do the math to break down how you can save money in most parts of the US with the best combination of cable, streaming and internet. (You can also find out how much you can save shopping at Costco compared with a regular supermarket, and if it's cheaper to buy Xbox Game Pass or individual games.)
90f70e40cf