We're living in the age of the "streaming wars," when it seems like every major network and media company has launched a new streaming service. There's more great TV to watch than ever, but deciding which subscriptions are worth your time and money can be daunting. Your choices likely depend on which original shows and movies you want, how important an older, back catalog of shows is to you, whether you need to consider kids or roommates, and of course your budget. Some of these services offer cheaper options (like Peacock's free tier) and some have a broader selection of older shows.
That's where this list comes in. I've reviewed each of these streaming services individually, and assigned numeric ratings based on content, app design and features and overall value. Certainly, some personal preference regarding content mix influences my decisions, so note that if you love a specific show or style of show, you may have a different favorite.
With that in mind, here's the list, ranked in order starting with the best streaming services first.
There's a reason why Netflix has become shorthand for streaming in general. The veteran service, which launched its DVD-by-mail rentals in 1998, has evolved into the top-tier streaming service that's a must-have in 2021. When big originals like The Queen's Gambit or Stranger Things drop, they grab the attention of millions of viewers along with critical praise and awards, giving us the closest thing to watercooler conversations we have nowadays.
While Netflix has lost a couple of major back catalog titles to other streamers this past year (specifically The Office to Peacock and Friends to HBO Max), it still offers a wide variety of familiar network shows and more original series, films, documentaries and specials than any of its competitors. New shows and movies arrive each week, and 70 new original movies will arrive on the platform this year alone. Starting at $9 a month, its price is in the middle of the pack, but for the variety you get (and no commercials ever), it's worth it.
For $7 a month (rising to $8 a month on March 26), it's a must-have ad-free service if you have kids or are a fan of any of its other titles (and who isn't a fan of Baby Yoda?). Disney Plus is a phenomenon and Netflix's closest competitor for good reason. It launched just 16 months ago and has already amassed more than 100 million subscribers. It's the only place where you can stream the vast majority of the Disney and Pixar libraries, along with every Star Wars movie, Marvel films and new original TV shows, National Geographic content and 31 seasons of The Simpsons. While it's only had two breakout original series so far -- The Mandalorian and WandaVision -- a lot more Star Wars and Marvel content is coming in the next few years
For $6 a month (with ads), Hulu is a perfect complement and counterpoint to Netflix. It has a huge variety of familiar shows from networks like ABC, Fox and NBC that you can watch soon after they air (unlike on Netflix), as well as a growing catalog of its own critically acclaimed original series like The Handmaid's Tale and PEN15. If you have $6 per month to spare and don't mind trading a few ads for a wealth of TV options, Hulu is a no-brainer. You've also got the option to upgrade to a no-ads plan for $12 a month, or add on live TV streaming for $65 a month for a full cable replacement
Amazon Prime Video features lots of ad-free, high-quality original shows and movies, an impressive back catalog of older favorites (and B-movies you haven't heard of) and NFL on Thursday nights. It lacks the catalogs of Netflix and Hulu, and the star power of Disney, and I found its menus more confusing since there's some paid content mixed in with free content. But for millions of Prime subscribers, Prime Video is already included at no extra cost. If you're interested in checking out any of its originals like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or The Expanse (or the upcoming Lord of the Rings prequel), or its large movie selection, it may even be worth paying the stand-alone $9 a month fee (if you don't have Amazon Prime).
HBO Max is a well-designed app full of popular TV shows and movies. It's got HBO's entire catalog, along with favorites such as Friends, Rick and Morty, Sesame Street, the Lord of the Rings movies and almost every Studio Ghibli film. It's also the only streaming service to debut movies on the same day as theaters at no extra cost, including Godzilla vs. Kong, Dune and Matrix 4. It's not Disney Plus, but HBO Max has a solid streaming collection for kids too, with the ability to control ratings on kids' profiles better than most other services.
Where the service loses points is its price tag: At $15 a month, it's at the higher end of the streaming spectrum. However, a less expensive, ad-supported tier is on the way in June, though we don't know the price tag yet, and you won't be able to stream the newest movies. In general, HBO Max is also a bit light on new originals, but we expect that to change over time.
NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock has one major advantage over its peers: It has a free, ad-supported tier with about 13,000 hours of shows, movies, news and live sports. You can upgrade to premium for $5 a month (with ads) or premium plus for $10 a month (with no ads) to unlock more content, including every season of fan favorites like The Office and Parks and Recreation, originals like Brave New World, popular series like Yellowstone as well as live Premier League soccer matches and WWE events. Peacock drops in the rankings due to its lack of Amazon Fire TV support, user profiles, mobile downloads for its non-premium plus tiers and 4K HDR streaming, all of which most of its competitors offer. But it doesn't hurt to try out the free version -- all you need to sign up is an email address.
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