Other Options to Consider
There are many platforms that didn’t make our list of the best TV streaming services in 2024. While there is something to love in every streamer, we ultimately evaluated streaming services based on their cultural importance, bingeworthy and buzzworthy original content, the expansiveness of their streaming libraries and, of course, price.
That being said, if you still haven’t found the best streaming platform for you, we’re outlining other options to consider below.
Courtesy of Starz
Starz
On Sale 70% off
Starz is an affordable streaming platform with frequent limited-time deals and discounts, but without a huge roster of successful original content, we don’t think it’s an absolute must. Plus, five seasons of its most popular original series, Outlander, are now available to stream on Netflix.
BritBox
BritBox is a bit too niche to be considered a top streaming platform, though it is a great alternative to TV viewers who don’t want to sign up for a VPN but want to access content from “across the pond.”
Courtesy of DirecTV
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream isn’t as appealing as Hulu + Live TV, and isn’t as affordable as Sling. If you want a near-total cable replacement, this could be for you. We find, however, that people subscribe to so many streamers like Netflix and Peacock, and if they want a live-TV streaming service it’s usually for a specific event or channel which can be found for less over at Sling. And if you do want a streaming service for the long-term, you get more bang for your buck with the Hulu live-TV subscription.
Curiosity Stream
If you’re in the market for educational programming, Curiosity Stream is a great option. It doesn’t, however, have a large enough cultural footprint to be considered a must-have.
BET+
BET+ celebrates Black culture with big names like Martin Lawrence, Tami Roman and Tyler Perry. Some notable series include Sistas, The Black Hamptons and Zatima. This is one of those streamers that you might sign up for to watch one series you love and then cancel it once the season ends. Because of its limited library content, we didn’t name it one of the best streaming services — but there is still much to love here.
Shudder
Shudder is certainly the best streaming service every October, but throughout the year interest in its extensive horror library isn’t as strong. If you’re a horror superfan looking for year-round spooky content, this is the best streaming option for you.
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How do you not list PBS, with the best content of all the services?
I give myself a budget of $30 or so a month and pick which ones have content I want to watch. My go-tos are Hulu, Apple+, HBO, Disney, PBS, and of course Netflix. Though during the winter I add FrndlyTV so I can watch Hallmark Christmas movies. Then at the end of the month I go and cancel them all so I can choose new ones the next. It’s been working really well for me! Sometimes it means I have to wait a couple of weeks to watch something new, but it all works out.
Currently I have free Apple TV for one year because I use an apple streaming device. I doubt I will subscribe when it’s over because I rarely watch it. I have Paramount, Peacock, Hulu on Thanksgiving Black Fridays deals, so all are $1.99/month basically. I plan to get AMC+ again when the Dead spin-off’s start up. My sister and I share Prime. I watch some of the freebies on occasion. I’ve got everything I need, for now.
I was going to say something similar except I like the shows on AppleTV+. These prices have become outrageous. I have almost every major streaming service and that’s only possible through Black Friday deals, Verizon deals, or trial periods where they extend for lower prices if you try to cancel. Otherwise, I would go month to month and cancel when finishing the shows I’m interested in.
Family and friends have gotten one service and then we share the passwords.
So I got like a year of free Apple TV with my new iphone and ps5.
Subscribed to Paramount+ because of my childhood shows.
Best friend has Disney+
Sister has HBO Max
Parents have Netflix
Girlfriend has Prime
If I had to pay for all I’d keep Netflix, Hbo Maz and Paramount
If you don’t continue Apple TV don’t forget to watch whatever you want first.
I have managed to not need any of these! :)
I like Freevee, Tubi, and Pluto TV
There’s nothing really consistent for us, given the way prices keep changing. We tend to jump on deals throughout the year.
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I took advantage of Peacock’s year for $20 deal around Christmas last year. Really surprised that was the ad-free tier, so I’ve actually gotten my money’s worth there.
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My husband subscribed to Hulu for $2 per month. My youngest uses that to watch all her manga as animated shows and movies. Well worth the money for that, even though commercials annoy her a bit.
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T-Mobile gave us a free year of AppleTV+ and Paramount+. We’ve watch enough at each that we’ll probably continue to subscribe even after our free year runs out.
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We’ve been talking about dropping Netflix, but it seems like every month there’s been something we wanted to watch and have grudgingly stayed. The first month there’s nothing of interest, I’ll dump it for a bit.
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Disney+ might be dropped after November. Because I subscribed annually when it was created, I was able to beat the massive price increase this year. But it’s coming for me next year. We used to watch a lot there, but now it seems like it’s mostly my youngest watching Owl House for the millionth time.
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We dumped Prime a long time ago with no regrets. We live in a city. We have access to virtually anything we need without stressing out the poor drivers and warehouse workers to bring me something I could have gotten by walking 12 blocks round trip. Every once in awhile, we’ll need to order something that is out of stock locally and maybe we’ll take a free upgrade to Prime for a month and cancel.
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Beyond that we have YouTubeTV. It was so much cheaper when we cut the cord awhile ago that we added HBO/HBO Max, Starz and Showtime as a bundle and also added Epix/MGM+. With the price increase, we’re reevaluating all of that. We’ll probably tack Showtime onto Paramout+, drop HBO to month here and month there as there are things we want to see, same with MGM+, and probably just drop Starz altogether because I don’t think we really watch much there.
Depending on your plan Netflix is free with T-Mobile as well
I’ve subscribed to Netflix for years, and what surprises me is how little I actually watch it anymore. Their “new releases” are mostly mediocre original movies, series that aren’t quite worth the time they take to watch, and older stuff I’ve already seen. (Once in a while there’s something really good, but those are fewer and farther between.) Meanwhile, the price goes higher and higher.
My eventual option will probably be to cycle through different subscription services for a month or two at a time, because that’s all it takes to see everything you’re interested in.
This is a good list and makes it easy to compare channels instead of having to research it all myself. I know it will change because streaming channels are adding, subtracting, merging, etc. all the time, but this is a helpful tool. Thank you for providing it.
none of them – can’t afford them or cable tv
I have five must-haves: Disney +, Paramount +, Britbox, Acorn, and Prime.
I recently cut ties with Netflix and HBO Max because I wasn’t watching either and why pay for them if that’s the case?
My favorite though is YouTube (not YouTube TV) because I became obsessed with Critical Role and just got caught up on all three campaigns as well as the one-shots and connective RPGs. I am currently on the Doctor Who RPG Geek and Sundry did, as well as SOS Dread.
If you have access to Prime, watch the Vox Machina cartoon adaptation of Critical Role campaign 1. It’s really good.
That was my gateway to Critical Role! It is awesome. I’m really looking forward to the Mighty Nein series!
I have 8 subscription services currently. (I share costs with my brother and half are included with my mobile plan. Like my MLS season pass.) Total cost to me is about $35 a month. HBO Max is on its way out once my current annual plan ends. The ONLY reason I have Paramount+ is for Star Trek. I have NEVER paid for Peacock since day 1!! (Included as part of my comcast internet.) Was ‘gifted’ AMC+ for a year, but now gone. I watch OTA tv on My HDHomerun with Live Channels DVR. My top services are Netflix, Peacock, Hulu & Apple Tv+. I will be getting Sunday Ticket from youtube next season, as I don’t live in the home market, but not youtube tv. (Go Hawks!) And I currently have ESPN+ so I can watch my XFL team. (Go Dragons!)
Basically through cost sharing and ‘free’ included services, I have way more content than I need or can watch for less than $50 a month. (If you only count what I pay directly to the service providers.)
Locast ended in 2021.
I rotate streamers for the most part (I keep Peacock and Hulu year-round, but add and remove others throughout the year).
There are no costs listed with Hulu in the main service section (only when listed elsewhere like the Disney+ bundle under Disney+). As for OTTs, which does include the Hulu with Live price, the limited space and expiration dates of their DVRs have been my main reason to not switch to them, so seeing that type of info added to this article would also be great.
Thanks for fixing the Hulu prices. I maintain my DVR capabilities suggestions though maybe a separate OTT follow-up is in order :)
Disney+, Amazon Prime, Britbox, PBS Masterpiece. Recently dropped Netflix due to the cost but may add back in the future.
The only one I currently have is Prime, but that’s for the free shipping.
I will subscribe to Apple TV after Ted Lasso and Schimigadoon drop all their episodes (probably sometime this summer) and keep long enough to watch those, then drop it until something else comes along. I’ll do something similar with Paramount+ – sometime this summer I’ll subscribe long enough to watch all the Trek content and anything else I’m interested in, then drop the subscription.
The only other streamer I might subscribe to in the future is Disney+ because they are going to exclusively stream Doctor Who. But again, it will be only long enough to watch what I’m interested in.
My household at this current time has:
Hulu for $1.99 with ads (Black Friday deal)
Disney plus $2.99 no ads (through Hulu)
Netflix standard plan (free with T-Mobile)
Paramount plus (free ending tomorrow)
Peacock ($20 for a year)
HBO max (4.99 with ads for three months)
MHz ( 3.99 for 6 months for my grandma)
Apple TV (free for 6 months)
PBS (for grandma)
Must haves for me are Hulu and netflix. HBO max is needed every few months depending on what they have. The rest are just for specific shows.
I forgot prime which is honestly one we hardly ever use. Upload and invincible are the only shows I remember watching on it lol
I have Prime and Netflix thanks to my niece. Both I watch rarely and Nextflix will go once they add the sharing fee. I have Hulu, Disney, Peacock and Starz for 1.99 and HBO Max for 9.99. Lastly I’ve had YTTV for 3 years that I have for local channels. I’ll cancel it at the price increase and pickup Paramount+ and Peacock premium for the 2 locals I care about.
You missed the prices for Hulu.
Let me see. I have Prime, AppleTv, Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+, Disney+, MGM+, Acorn, Brittbox, PBS Masterpiece, HBOMAX, Showtime, STARZ, AMC+, Peacock, and a bunch of others for free. I use them all. Plus we have DTV so I get HBOMAX, Showtime, and STARZ for free. We don’t pay for Paramount, or Disney or AppleTV, thanks fam.
I would kill to find a streaming service that shows “MURPHY BROWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”. Can’t buy any seasons except for Season 1, that friggin’ sucks!!!!!!
It’s all about networking: I get Peacock through Xfinity and HBO Max through ATT. I offered access to Peacock for a friends Netflix, and access to my HBO Max for another friends friends Hulu. I pay out of pocket for Paramount Plus and I just use my sisters Disney.
So true. I get Peacock through Xfinity, but the only thing is that on June 26th, Peacock won’t be available through Xfinity for free anymore. This makes me wonder if they planning on increasing Peacock’s $4.99 price. I actually watch Peacock, so I may actually pay for it. I was paying before I got Xfinity anyways.
We have Prime so that’s a given. Netflix is too. We are set up with my sister on YouTube TV and we split the cost. I’ve had Paramount+ for years I pay for we all share that. Nephew has AppleTV so that’s covered. I just need to budget $20 for odd months for when I want HBO Max, Disney, Peacock (I like some series on there but I wait until all episodes drop). I wish there was an option for just Hulu and Disney as we don’t need ESPN.
You can get Hulu and Disney+ only. I have Hulu at regular price with Disney plus add on for $2.99.
There’s also Dropout TV, which is the streaming service of College Humor that combines very original game shows and improv comedy for most of their programming; and for the geeks, the nerds, and those just looking for on-the-fly storytelling they also have Dimension 20: an actual-play D&D show featuring comedy writers (including Lou Wilson of Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Siobhan Thompson of Rick & Morty)
I also pay $20/year for Curiosity Stream. All documentaries on every topic you can imagine.
I have Hulu, Dicovery+ and HBO Max at all times; they’re must-haves for my family. I have Prime as part of my Amazon membership but I don’t use it often. I got a PBS subscription for my graduate studies. I cancel and renew Disney+ and Netflix when something interesting is on it. Peacock will probably end up as an occasional renewal so I can watch the Psych movies.
Just scrolling that list was dizzying. I do have Amazon prime, mainly for the free shipping. Other than that, it’s just Roku, Pluto tv and anything free. Lol. Senior budget. Nothing is truly “must see TV” anymore. If I like a show on broadcast tv and it moves to a streamer, I just don’t go with it. Lol. Too many shows to keep up. Main broadcast ch is CW, tho that is likely to change in the not too distant future. Sigh..