While most streaming services are saving their marquee content for the fall, summer is the perfect time to branch out and try something new. There’s a lot of great content outside the big players like Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+. What’s more, most smaller services offer free trials, ranging from 7 days to a full 30 days. With a little clever maneuvering, you can always have a new library to sample in addition to your usual favorites.
Here are some standout streamers worth sampling this summer.
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Apple TV+
If you’ve never tried Apple TV+, you’re missing out on some really great content. Check out Best Picture winner “CODA,” popular sitcom “Ted Lasso,” and dramas like “Severance,” “The Morning Show” and “For All Mankind.”
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Paramount Plus
Paramount+ flies under the radar of most streaming subscribers, but there’s so much to like about this service. It’s a must-have streamer if you love Star Trek. It’s also home to “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan’s new series “1883” and “Mayor of Kingstown.” Kids will love the Nickelodeon section with “SpongeBob Squarepants,” “PAW Patrol,” and more. You’ll also get standout cinematic classics like “The Godfather” trilogy, Indiana Jones films, “Top Gun,” and many “Mission: Impossible” flicks.
With a generous 30-day free trial, you’ll know whether it’s worth the subscription moving forward.
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Crunchyroll
If you like anime, there’s no better service than Crunchyroll. With 30,000+ episodes, you can watch popular titles like “Dragon Ball Super,” “Attack on Titan,” and “Fire Force.”
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Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
This is a great option for HBO Max subscribers who’ve already run through that library. You’ll get similar adult-themed series like “Yellowjackets,” “Billions,” “Shameless,” “Homeland,” “Ray Donovan,” “Dexter,” “Weeds,” “Nurse Jackie,” “House of Lies,” “Californication,” and “Queer as Folk.”
The documentary section is a special treat with titles like “Kobe Bryant’s Muse,” “Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic,” “Belushi,” “The Comedy Store,” and “We Need to Talk About Cosby.”
Showtime also has a fantastic movie library, and it’s easy to hit the highlights with a full 30-day free trial. If you have Paramount+ or Hulu, you can stack a Showtime subscription through the service, though the free trial is shorter.
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Shudder
Do you love a blood-curdling scream while you stream? Check out horror-focused Shudder for blood and guts galore. If you have Amazon Prime Video, it’s easy to add Shudder as a “channel” that you can access within the larger Prime Video ecosystem.
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nugs.net
Subscribers to nugs.net get access to 25,000+ live concert recordings, including performances from Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, Jack White, Pearl Jam, Dead & Company, and Billy Strings. Livestreamed performances are available in HD or 4K. Listen to new and archive recordings in MP3 quality or opt for even better sound with lossless MQA 24-bit and immersive 360 Reality Audio.
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Acorn TV
Celebrate the best of British TV with this niche streaming service. Acorn TV is most known for its documentaries, mysteries, and especially series like “Midsomer Murders,” “Queens of Mystery,” and “Line of Duty.” Add this service through Prime Video for maximum flexibility.
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Hallmark Movies Now
Get access to Hallmark’s treasure trove of feel-good films whenever you like. Whether you feel like a midsummer Christmas movie binge or a chaste romantic movie marathon, Hallmark has you covered.
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PBS Kids
If you have preschool children, we can’t say enough about PBS Kids. With fantastic shows like “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Super Why,” “Word Girl,” and “Sesame Street,” your children are in good hands. The standalone app is free and offers a rotating collection of episodes. If you want the full libraries, simply sign up through Amazon Prime Video and keep your kids entertained all year long.
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The Criterion Channel
The Criterion Channel is a movie lover’s paradise, featuring thousands of historically groundbreaking feature films since the dawn of cinema. Thematically programmed and tailored by genre, year, director, or themes, the service is a treasure trove of milestone movies and hidden gems. Here’s where you’ll find classics like Ikiru (1952), The Gold Rush (1925), Eraserhead (1978), Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962), and many more.
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HISTORY Vault
If non-fiction is your jam, look no further than HISTORY Vault. You’ll get well-known series and documentaries like “American Restoration,” “Ice Road Truckers,” “Modern Marvels,” and “The Universe.” There are 100+ biographical documentaries spotlighting figures like Albert Einstein, Evel Knievel, and more. In the Military category, there are 200+ titles such as “A Distant Shore: African Americans of D-Day.”
Remember, lots of other streaming services are available totally free, as long as you’re willing to sit through the occasional ad. Here are some of our favorites:
Ad-supported Free Services
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Tubi
Tubi is a free video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 200,000+ movies and TV episodes - more than any other streaming service. Its ad breaks are shorter and less frequent than most free services. Fox executives have called their service “TV on steroids.”
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Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is a free live TV streaming service that provides 350+ live linear streaming channels and more than 80,000 free movies and TV shows. The library contains entertainment from several different decades, including some major hits.
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Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” and “The Office,” as well as original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports including NFL, MLB, WWE, Olympics, Premier League, NASCAR, French Open, College Football and Basketball, and PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.
Peacock has a lot of great free content, but you will need to pay up for full access to the library.
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Plex
Plex is a free streaming service that includes on-demand access to 50,000+ movies and TV shows. The service also offers 1,100+ free-to-stream live TV channels in 193 countries. Users can also connect Plex to their computers to stream and share any media they have on their hard drives.
