On Demand Streaming Service Comparison: Netflix, Disney+, Max, Paramount+ and More…

In the streaming video gold rush, nearly every entertainment company offers a streaming service these days. That means a wide array of entertainment at various price points. No matter what you like to watch, there’s a streaming service ready to deliver. We’ll break down all the major players and offer some niche providers you may wish to consider as well.

Almost every service offers an ad-supported tier at a lower price with an ad-free option for a higher rate.

Netflix

The original streaming service is still among the most popular. With over 247 million subscribers around the world, Netflix has a massive head start in the streaming wars. Unlike almost all its competitors, Netflix is a “pure play” streamer. It doesn’t have to provide content to movie theaters or TV channels.

Subscribers have a great variety of content to choose from. You’ll find original hit movies like “Red Notice,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Bird Box,” “The Gray Man,” “The Adam Project,” and “Extraction.”

Popular TV series include “Wednesday,” “Beef,” “The Night Agent,” “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” “Bridgerton,” “BoJack Horseman,” “Orange Is the New Black,” “Russian Doll,” “Big Mouth,” “Stranger Things,” and “The Crown.”

The international content is also noteworthy. Subscribers get access to great series from countries around the world. Hits include “Squid Game,” “Money Heist,” “Dark,” “All of Us Are Dead,” “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” and “Lupin.” Non-English movie hits include “Troll,” “Blood Red Sky,” “The Platform,” and “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

Netflix has also had success with its reality shows and docuseries. “Tiger King,” “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” “Love is Blind,” “Too Hot to Handle,” and “The Circle” are among the popular entries.

Netflix invests in lots of subtitle options, making it very friendly for most countries.

Netflix also offers mobile games for most subscribers.

Netflix presently has three subscription options:

Read more in our full Netflix Review

Prime Video

Amazon’s Prime Video is a hugely popular streaming service that comes included with any Amazon Prime membership. It’s also available as a standalone subscription for $8.99 / month with ads or $11.99 / month ad-free.

While the service is making waves with original films and TV shows, it’s also notable for its live programming. Prime is the exclusive home of NFL Thursday Night Football, and it also hosts popular live concert broadcasts as well.

Prime Video has many popular original series like “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “The Boys,” “Fleabag,” “Reacher,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Invincible,” and “The Underground Railroad.”

Prime doesn’t spin out as many films as some other platforms, but it has had award-winning success. Notable titles include “One Night in Miami,” “Sound of Metal,” “The Big Sick,” “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” and “The Tomorrow War.”

Since Amazon creates so few originals, its huge library is stocked with titles from other movie studios. It’s a great place to find obscure or low-budget films. (We’re partial to the Rifftrax library, where comedians add commentary to make fun of bad movies.)

The rotating movie library means that Prime Video will almost always have something worth watching. But the curation isn’t very selective. You’ll find many terrible, terrible movies, and lots of aggressively religious or politically slanted faux-documentaries. It can be difficult separating the quality titles from the unwatchable stuff. Titles like “Dracula in Love” and “Noah’s Shark” can live alongside Oscar winners.

Another great feature of Prime Video is that you can add subscriptions to the platform. This allows you to watch the content from other providers like Max and Paramount+ without ever leaving the Prime Video interface. Prime Video has a huge list of available add-ons, so you can really customize your streaming experience with just one bill.

Prime Video also offers a helpful feature called X-ray, which displays cast information whenever you pause a scene.

If you have children, Prime Video may not be your go-to option. Just as the adult library is messy, the kids side is equally disorganized. While this sometimes leads to interesting discoveries, your children may be lured by an attractive thumbnail image, only to watch something devoid of value. Prime Video hasn’t invested much in its children’s programming, relying on a wide range of content providers instead.

Prime Video will also display titles available from Freevee. Those additional movies and shows are free to watch, but those will have commercials throughout.

One major frustration is the user interface. Since the library is so enormous, it’s very difficult to browse. Pay-per-view titles and Freevee titles are sometimes displayed alongside those you get commercial-free with Prime, making it frustrating to navigate.

Disney+

Disney+ has established itself as a must-have streamer for families with young children. Subscribers get access to Disney animated classics, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, The Simpsons, and The Muppets. It’s home to dozens of crowd-pleasing hits, including 13 of the 20 highest-grossing films of all time.

Subscribers can choose from an ad-supported tier for $9.99 / month or an ad-free experience for $15.99 / month.

Disney+ is unique because you can also bundle it with Hulu and ESPN+ to save money. The ad-supported bundle gives you all three services for is $16.99 / month, while the ad-free trio is $26.99 / month.

If you’d like to watch live TV, another option is to get Hulu Live TV, which automatically includes Disney+, Hulu on demand, and ESPN+. You’ll pay $82.99 / month for the ad-supported bundle, while you can get all that minus ads on Disney+ and Hulu for a total of $95.99 / month.

Every year, Disney creates many of the most popular movies in theaters, and all of them make their way to Disney+.

So what’s the catch? Disney+ doesn’t have much to offer for adults. You won’t find the kind “prestige TV” that wins awards. Sex, violence, and profanity are rare. Of course, that’s by design.

There are some unusual titles worth highlighting: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hit “Hamilton” and Peter Jackson’s Beatles documentary “Get Back” are rare treats. You’ll also see Elton John’s farewell concert from Dodger Stadium. Disney+ is now the exclusive home of “Dancing with the Stars.”

If more mature titles interest you, you can subscribe to Hulu and link your accounts. You can then find most Hulu titles within Disney+.

Almost all the Disney+ originals spring from existing Disney properties. You’ll see Star Wars shows like “The Mandalorian,” “The Book of Boba Fett,” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and Marvel shows like “WandaVision,” “Loki,” and “Ms. Marvel.” Disney+ is struggling to move beyond those tentpoles, however.

The TV section contains kid-focused favorites like “Bluey,” “Phineas and Ferb,” “DuckTales,” “Doc McStuffins,” and “Spidey and His Amazing Friends.”

Classic live-action movies on the service include “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” “Swiss Family Robinson,” “Old Yeller,” “Oklahoma!” and “Miracle on 34th Street.”

It’s widely speculated that Disney+ could fully absorb Hulu this year, so the service may eventually cater to a wider audience. For now, its catalog appeals most to families.

Hulu

Disney’s sister service has been a streaming force since its debut in 2008. Where Disney+ is lacking, Hulu aims to fill the gap with boundary-pushing originals. The service costs $9.99 / month if you don’t mind ads, but you can eliminate commercials for $18.99 / month.

Hulu also has a ton of bundling options. Add Disney+ and ESPN+ and the cost is just $16.99 / month. You can drop the ads on the bundle for $26.99 / month.

Hulu can also be your live TV provider if you’d like to ditch cable. Hulu Live TV includes 33 of the top 35 cable channels. That subscription includes the Hulu on demand library, alongside Disney+ and ESPN+. The base price for Hulu Live TV is $82.99 / month or you can drop commercials from the on-demand services for a total of $95.99 / month.

Whether you choose to use Hulu to watch live TV or on demand content, there’s plenty to like. The documentary section is a special treat. Standout original series include “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Nine Perfect Strangers,” “Dopesick,” “The Dropout,” and “Pam & Tommy.”

Hulu rarely releases original movies, so most of its originals are TV shows.

You will get a solid rotating library of Hollywood films that come and go from the platform. The TV library has a lot of classic shows like “Twin Peaks,” “Cheers,” “The Golden Girls,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The X-Files,” “Frasier,” and “Home Improvement.”

Hulu is also the home to the great shows from FX like “What We Do in the Shadows,” “Atlanta,” “Fargo,” “The Bear,” “Welcome to Wrexham,” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

Since Disney funnels all its kid-friendly content to Disney+, the children’s library on Hulu isn’t even worth mentioning.

Paramount+

Paramount+ is a rising force in streaming, and there’s a lot to like here. It’s a great value that offers blockbuster movies, tons of kids content, and popular original series. The price is right at $7.99 / month with ads or $12.99 / month to eliminate commercials and add Showtime.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of Paramount+ is that the company can pull from so many TV channels. You’ll see almost all the biggest hits from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Smithsonian Channel. If you don’t feel like choosing the on-demand experience, Paramount+ has a lineup of virtual channels that play endless reruns of shows like “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race” or “Beavis and Butt-head.”

The movie library stretches back 100 years, so there’s plenty to watch, from silent films and old Westerns to modern-day “Mission: Impossible” adventures with Tom Cruise.

With the Paramount+ $12.99 plan, you’ll be able to watch your live, local CBS station, including March Madness and NFL games. Paramount+ is a soccer lover’s dream with Serie A, Argentina Liga Profesional de Fútbol, and UEFA Champions League.

When it comes to original series, Paramount+ has hitched its wagon to “Yellowstone” co-creator Taylor Sheridan. You’ll see the prequel series “1888” and “1923,” alongside other Sheridan projects like “Mayor of Kingstown” and “Tulsa King.” The formula is simple: put a movie star in a gritty drama where the odds are stacked against him. (One major mistake: Paramount+ let “Yellowstone” streaming rights go to Peacock.)

For children, that Nickelodeon library is dynamite. You’ve got thousands of hours of “PAW Patrol,” “Spongebob Squarepants,” “Digby Dragon,” “Rugrats,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Peppa Pig,” and much more.

Adding Showtime

If you’d like more mature content, you can add the library of the channel formerly known as Showtime to Paramount+. The combined bundle is $11.99 / month with ads or $11.99 / month commercial free with live CBS.

Some standout shows include “Yellowjackets,” “Billions,” “American Gigolo,” “Dexter,” “George & Tammy,” “Your Honor,” “Homeland,” “Ray Donovan,” and “Shameless.”

You’ll also find a rotating library of Hollywood films.

The Showtime documentary library is worth a special mention, with titles like “The Comedy Store,” “Murder in the Bayou,” “The Reagans,” “Spector,” and “We Need to Talk About Cosby.”

The service also offers an “after hours” section of adult-themed titles.

Max

Max has a fantastic library of films and groundbreaking TV shows. The ad-supported service is $9.99 / month, but you can get rid of commercials for $16.99 / month. If you want an expanded 4K library and more concurrent streams, choose the “Ultimate” tier for $20.99 / month.

Warner Bros. has been a force in the entertainment industry for 100 years now. Like Paramount+, this means a deep library that goes back to the silent era. You’ll get masterworks from Scorsese, Kurosawa, and Bergman. Enjoy blockbusters like “The Matrix,” “Terminator 2,” and Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman films.

Max is home to 7 out of the 10 best films of all time according to the British Film Institute's 2022 Sight and Sound poll. It’s also home to nearly half the entire list of 100 great films. Max is also home to a huge number of great films from the Criterion Collection and a good number of Roger Ebert's “Great Movies.”

Max is also a force in the TV department. Drawing from HBO’s long history of excellence, you’ll get modern classics like “The Sopranos,” “True Detective,” “Euphoria,” “Succession,” “The Wire,” “Deadwood,” “Game of Thrones,” “Sex and the City,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” You’ll also get hit shows from other networks like “Friends,” “South Park,” and “The Big Bang Theory.”

Since its mid-2023 revamp, Max now offers some content from CNN, Discovery, HGTV, Magnolia Network, TCM, TLC, and Travel Channel.

Max has a strong lineup of live sports. With the B/R Sports Add-On. You’ll see some NBA, MLB, NHL, and March Madness games, and some matches from the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team and U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. This add-on is free as of January 2024, but will eventually cost another $9.99/month.

One note of caution: Max is not a very good streaming service for kids. While there are some family-friendly movies and animation that may appeal to children, it’s not investing heavily in that area. It even pulled episodes of “Sesame Street” from the service for some reason.

Discovery+

Discovery+ offers unscripted TV galore for $4.99 / month, but you can get rid of commercials for $8.99 / month.

Discovery+ offers much-loved shows from A&E, Animal Planet, Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, History, Lifetime, Magnolia Network, OWN, TLC, and Travel Channel.

Popular shows on the platform include “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Chopped,” Sister Wives,” “Planet Earth,” “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” “Married at First Sight,” “90 Day Fiancé,” and “1000-lb Sisters.”

If those shows don’t sound appealing to you, it’s likely not your best choice. Most discovery+ shows can be found on the company’s channels, so the value may not be there if you have a live TV streaming service.

If you enjoy the content on discovery+, take a good look at Max. That service now includes most of the biggest shows from discovery+ and much, much more.

There’s not much for children here unless your kids enjoy nature documentaries.

Peacock

Peacock is NBCUniversal’s streaming centerpiece, and the service is growing significantly. Peacock offers two tiers: ad-supported ($7.99 / month) or ad-free ($13.99 / month).

If you upgrade to Peacock’s most expensive streaming plan, you’ll get access to the live version of your local NBC affiliate in 210 markets. With any paid subscription, you’ll get live streams of Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Family, and Hallmark Mystery.

Subscribers can watch Sunday Night Football or any NFL playoff games that air on NBC. You’ll also get exclusive access to live WWE events and English Premier League soccer. Peacock also hosts Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball, golf, SuperMotocross, Figure Skating, IndyCar, Notre Dame Hockey, Track & Field, IMSA, and snow sports. Peacock is also a great option during the Olympics, when it offers a central hub to watch more games than you would be able to see on linear channels.

Perhaps the most popular show on Peacock is “Yellowstone.” It’s the only place to catch older seasons on demand. You’ll still need a service to watch Paramount Network if you’d like to see current seasons, however. Other popular shows on Peacock include “Chicago Fire,” “Quantum Leap,” “The Voice,” the “Real Housewives” series, and “Saturday Night Live.” It’s also the only place to see new episodes of “Days of Our Lives.”

When it comes to streaming originals, Peacock is raising its game. Its most popular shows include “Ted,” “Poker Face,” “Bel-Air,” “The Resort,” and “Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin.”

The platform is home to most Universal films, including “Minions,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” “Apollo 13,” and the “Jurassic World” movies.

Peacock also offers virtual channels of popular shows, so you can kick back and watch old SNL reruns.

Apple TV+

One of the younger players in the streaming world, Apple TV+ has made a name for itself with an impressive lineup of original programming. From crowd-pleasers like “Ted Lasso” to knockout dramas like “Severance” to Best Picture Academy Award winner “CODA,” the service often surpasses more established players. There is no ad-supported option, so a subscription costs $9.99 / month.

Apple TV+ is taking a quality-over-quantity approach that may mean a slower release calendar than most competitors, but the originality of storytelling makes this a fair tradeoff. Every show features world-class cinematography and sound.

Subscribers get access to exclusive MLB games and a discounted MLS Season Pass.

The movie library is very thin. While you’ll find beloved favorites like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” most films come from the past 2-3 years. You’ll see Academy Award nominees like “The Tragedy of Macbeth” and “Greyhound.” Very rarely, the service picks up temporary streaming rights for a Hollywood hit. But most of these films are native to Apple TV+.

The TV side of things is more promising, with compelling titles like “Black Bird,” “For All Mankind,” “Slow Horses,” “See,” and “Truth Be Told.” You’ll frequently see major stars signing on for these shows.

STARZ

STARZ has been a premium cable channel since 1994, but these days, you’ll also find it available as a streaming option. For $10.99 / month, you’ll get access to great original shows and a rotating library of Hollywood movies.

Standout shows include “Gaslit” with Julia Roberts, “Outlander,” “BMF,” “Party Down,” “The Serpent Queen,” and the “Power” series. Viewers may encounter nudity or graphic violence in these shows.

The movie library rotates frequently, so your viewing options will vary from month-to-month. Present hits available as of this writing include “Spider-Man: Now Way Home,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” and “Die Hard.”

Other Streaming Services

Other services worth considering are AMC+ and MGM+. While these are the primary players in the SVOD (subscription video on demand) space, there are lots of niche players and even free services as well. Consult our master list of streaming services for more options.