In recent years, streaming services have seemed to pop up out of every corner, and any company that can make one seems to have attempted to do so. What used to be a niche is now an important thing to consider when deciding how to watch movies or TV.
Here’s a look at the most popular streaming services and which is the best for your dollar.
Netflix
Netflix’s most basic plan is $8.99 a month, an average price for streaming services. It also offers $13.99 and $17.99 options for HD settings and more people per subscription.
It still consists of some of the most watched shows, including “Stranger Things,” “Tiger King” and most recently, “Squid Game”. They not only have a decent amount of movies and TV that shift monthly, but also have original movies and TV shows as well.
If a film is not available on Netflix, it will offer related titles as a suggestion. Its roster also includes a great selection of documentaries about all sorts of different topics, from nature to people.
Disney Plus
Costing $7.99 a month in its most basic subscription, Disney Plus is on the cheaper side of streaming services. It also offers an $80 per year option, as well as numerous bundle options including other services like ESPN and Hulu ranging from $13.99-$19.99 a month depending on ad preference.
The service’s strength is having multi-movie franchises. If someone is a fan of Star Wars or Marvel films, this may be their subscription of choice.
Disney Plus also has a wide selection of Disney and Pixar movies and a consistent schedule of new releases.
HBO Max
HBO Max’s current base cost is $9.99 a month, which is a bit more expensive than the market and still has ads. It’s ad-free subscription is $14.99 a month.
HBO Max has fewer franchises than Disney Plus but a decent roster of movies and TV shows. It also has a temporary same-day release system as theaters with its upcoming movies.
Some popular properties that call HBO Max home are “Batman”, the Harry Potter series and “Game of Thrones”.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is $8.99 a month, and while it definitely has the most bare bones selection of movies, it has a decent roster of shows.
The main benefit of Amazon Prime Video seems to be the bundle deal with the Amazon Prime shopping service. Despite having a good selection of shows, there are not many standouts in the roster.
Peacock
Peacock offers a free option, making it the least expensive, with its lowest paid option being only $4.99 monthly with ads. The highest, ad-free option is $9.99.
Using the free option has plenty of ads and a very limited selection of movies. There’s not too much variety on the service, but it does house some popular TV shows like “The Office.”
My recommendation? I was hoping to find a clear answer, but there really is not a single distinct one.
If a diverse show list is what someone was after, my top recommendation would be Netflix or HBO Max. If someone wanted a number of movies and TV shows within a grander universe, Disney Plus would be the best choice. Amazon Prime Video and Peacock also have quality TV shows to offer.
