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Apple TV vs. Apple TV+ — What’s the Difference?

Ben Bowman
Ben Bowman was the Content Director of The Streamable. He cut the cord in 2009. He roots for all Detroit sports and is a fan of Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Edgar Wright, Paul Thomas Anderson, Billy Wilder, Buster Keaton, and the Coen Brothers. Ben streams on an Apple TV.
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Ben Bowman
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Apple doesn’t make it easy to understand its TV-related offerings. You can buy an Apple TV, but you can also buy a subscription to Apple TV+. We’ll explain the differences and the pros and cons of each. Just follow along.

The Quick Answer

An Apple TV is a physical device you can use to watch hundreds of different streaming services. It’s a small black box that plugs into your TV with an HDMI cable. After you buy the device, there is no further purchase required.

Apple TV+ is a streaming service, kind of like Max or Netflix. When you sign up, you’ll get access to lots of great TV shows and movies. The service costs $9.99 / month. It currently has no ads. You can choose to start or end your subscription at any time.

What Can You Watch on an Apple TV?

Your options are nearly endless with an Apple TV device. Nearly every popular streaming service works with Apple TV. That includes live TV streaming services. Here are some of the most popular options:

If you have an iPhone, the procedure for adding these apps should be very familiar. Simply use your remote to navigate to the App Store, type the name you’re looking for and download it to your Apple TV. Sign in and you’ll be ready to watch!

If you buy a new Apple TV device, you’ll get 3 free months of Apple TV+ to sample the service.

What Can You Watch on Apple TV+?

Apple TV+ screenshot

When you subscribe to Apple TV+, you get access to wonderful original shows like “Ted Lasso,” “Slow Horses,” “Cowboy Cartel,” “Time Bandits,” “Shrinking,” “Silo,” “Severance,” “Lady in the Lake,” “Bad Monkey,” “Presumed Innocent,” “For All Mankind,” “Masters of the Air,” and “The Morning Show.”

Movies on Apple TV+ include “The Instigators,” “The Family Plan,” “CODA,” “Argylle,” “Ghosted,” “Luck,” “Greyhound,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Palmer,” “Sharper,” “Finch,” and “Tetris.”

Apple TV+ has a surprisingly great children’s library with “Yo Gabba GabbaLand!” “Camp Snoopy,” “Fraggle Rock: Rock On!” “Ghost Writer,” “Surfside Girls,” “Eva the Owlet,” “Harriet the Spy,” “Curses!” and “Doug Unplugs.”

The lineup on Apple TV+ resembles what HBO used to offer in its heyday: prestige dramas with big budgets, great cinematography, and popular stars. Since Apple wants to show off its hardware, most of these shows look and sound amazing. Your home theater will be very happy with these titles.

You can also get your baseball fix with Friday night MLB games on Apple TV+.

Friday Night Baseball graphic

Do You Need an Apple TV to Watch Apple TV+?

Nope! Apple TV+ works with most devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, iPhone/iPad, Mac, Windows, LG Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, Sony Smart TV, and VIZIO Smart TV.

Do You Need a Subscription to Use an Apple TV?

No. Remember, an Apple TV is just a device. You could use it to watch free service like Kanopy, PBS Kids, Pluto TV, and Tubi and none of those require a subscription.

Some streaming services do require a subscription. Either way, you can watch nearly every service on your Apple TV device.

Apple TV vs. Apple TV+: The Breakdown

Apple TV

Pros

  • Great remote
  • Smooth interface
  • No ads
  • Can customize home screen
  • High quality
  • Includes 3 free months of Apple TV+
  • AirPlay works wonderfully from iPhone or iPad
  • Excellent choice if you own other Apple products

Cons

  • Device is more expensive than most peers
  • Not compatible with some services like [Roku Channel]
  • Glitches can occur if developers don’t keep their apps updated

Apple TV+

Pros

  • Incredibly high-quality shows
  • Big stars
  • Inexpensive
  • No ads (for now)
  • Includes MLB games on Fridays
  • Wonderful kids content

Cons

  • Fewer titles than nearly every competitor
  • New titles slow to arrive
  • Long wait between seasons

Summary

I prefer my Apple TV device over other streaming options for its reliability and simplicity. Yes, it’s expensive, but it should hold up through years of heavy daily use. A recently upgraded remote control makes everything better. It’s versatile and reliable and capable of handling nearly anything you throw at it.

Apple TV+ is giving Hollywood stars the kind of creative control that’s hard to find these days. While most streamers are cutting corners to stay afloat, Apple has reached into its deep pockets to make every show feel like an event. Its library is still too small to call it a must-have streaming service, but shows like “Severance” and “Ted Lasso” stand out as some of the best entertainment to come out of the streaming era. It’s well worth a free trial to see if it’s right for you.

Ben Bowman
Ben Bowman was the Content Director of The Streamable. He cut the cord in 2009. He roots for all Detroit sports and is a fan of Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Edgar Wright, Paul Thomas Anderson, Billy Wilder, Buster Keaton, and the Coen Brothers. Ben streams on an Apple TV.
Read full bio ›
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DIRECTV STREAM Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $50 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for DIRECTV STREAM.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new DIRECTV STREAM subscribers.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • Purchase must be completed on the DIRECTV STREAM website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.

Sling TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $25 Uber Eats Gift Card when you sign up for Sling TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new Sling TV subscribers to Sling Orange, Blue, or Sling Orange + Blue.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • You must click from The Streamable and complete your purchase on the Sling TV website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.

Hulu Live TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $35 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for Hulu Live TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new Hulu Live TV subscribers.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • You must click from The Streamable and complete your purchase on the Hulu Live TV website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.