We all know that Netflix rides the video-on-demand herd. The service is so well-received that it has managed to create its own micro-culture across the globe. Having said that, Netflix does charge a significant amount of fee to its users. While we believe that the subscription is worth every penny, it may not be a budget-friendly option for everyone. Also, the biggest gripe amongst regular movie watchers is that other than Netflix originals, the content lacks freshness and variety.
Whether you’re in search of a cheaper/more value for money streaming service or craving quality niche content or are unable to access Netflix, our list of Netflix alternatives is sure to fill the bill for you:
7 Paid Alternatives To Netflix To Watch Movies & Series
1. Hulu
Originally launched as a means to stream TV series, Hulu has now expanded its library by a mile comprising of movies, anime, TV series, and documentaries. Hulu is the most preferred Netflix Alternatives among VOD users. You may opt for either a Limited Commercial plan priced at $7.99/month or a No Commercial plan priced at $11.99/month. Both these plans allow users to stream unlimited content in high resolution. Recently, Hulu also introduced a Live TV membership which costs $39.99/month and includes over 50 channels Live channels plus on-demand content.
Similar to Netflix, Hulu is also known for producing top-notch shows. A few must-watch series on the platform include The Handmaid’s Tale, Southpark, Seinfeld, The X-Files, and Fargo. The only drawback is that Hulu cannot be accessed if you live outside the U.S, unless you use a VPN service.
2. Amazon Prime Video
Amazon’s streaming service offers a lot more than just TV shows and movies. However, that depends upon which plan you select. Amazon offers mainly three Prime Membership plans:
- Prime Video ($8.99/month) including unlimited movies/TV shows in HD/Ultra HD.
- Prime-Monthly ($10.99/month) including the aforementioned, plus other benefits such as free two-day shipping, music streaming, unlimited reading, photo storage, and same-day delivery wherever applicable.
- Prime-Annual ($99/year) including all the benefits mentioned above, plus a 25% discount on membership. Lately, the service has received a lot of praise for consistently dishing out zero cool originals like Mozart in the Jungle, Goliath, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Red Oaks. What’s more? It is available in about 200 countries. If you’re a frequent shopper on Amazon, look no further!
3. HBO Now
Netflix doesn’t have Game of Thrones which is why many people prefer HBO. HBO Now is best for hardcore fans of HBO –produced content like Game of Thrones. Created and managed by major cable TV network HBO, HBO Now is a stand-alone video-on-demand service which provides access to HBO’s entire library (around 2000 titles) of original series, documentaries, movies, and other media. This is reason HBO is second most preferred Netflix alternatives. You can watch both, old and new shows such as Game of Thrones, The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos, and Westworld.
The service has also obtained distribution right of films from companies like Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros. The only two downsides that we noticed are A) HBO Now is available only in the United States B) It works out even more expensive than Netflix. But if you love HBO, go for it.
4. CBS All Access
Another single-channel centric service which could be thought as Netflix alternative, CBS All Access enables users to stream about 9,000 episodes of CBS-produced shows. Aside from that, you can also watch Live streams of the main CBS network in your region wherever applicable. Few of the most popular shows on this platform are The Big Bang Theory, Criminal Minds, 2 Broke Girls, and How I Met Your Mother.
There are two pricing tiers – An ad-free plan priced at $9.99 and a basic plan priced at only $5.99 per month. While the quality of content is pretty good, the quality of the video is subpar as most of the videos are available in 480p (max up to 720p). But overall, it is a great service if you’re a CBS show follower.
5. Mubi
Are you a movie freak? If your answer is yes, you might love this fairly known service that is Mubi. However, note that Mubi slightly tilts towards the international art/indie film niche. You might have heard of a similar service called Filmstruck, which has a much larger library, but it isn’t widely available. Mubi, on the other hand, is accessible in over 200 territories.
As a Netflix alternative and competitor, it should be priced competitively. A monthly subscription would cost you $ 4.99/month while a yearly subscription would cost $ 34.99. Some of the most watched titles on this platform are Pulp Fiction, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Solitude of Prime Numbers, The Burn, and Love Songs.
6. Vudu
Vudu is owned and operated by Walmart. You know what that means? A massive buying power. It’s partly due to this that Vudu boasts of an impressive repository of approximately 17,000 movies and 5,000 TV shows in HD and SD quality. Vudu works pretty much the same way as iTunes. There’s no monthly subscription as such. You could rent or own movies and TV shows (single episode/entire season) from $1.99-$42.99 depending on the type & size of content and video quality.
What we loved about Vudu is that they have a “Deals” section where users can avail the current offers. This service is most suitable for those who watch movies/TV shows occasionally as there’s no unlimited content against a monthly fee.
7. YouTube
YouTube is not only Netflix alternative but a multi-genre globally known service on this list. But most of us know of it as a platform that hosts videos across topics that people like you and I are free to upload and share. However, what you may not know is that YouTube also offers a great deal of TV series and full-length movies legally. All you have to do is type YouTube Movies in the search bar and subscribe to the channel that goes by the same name.
Then simply browse through the library and begin watching. You can either rent or purchase a particular video in either SD or HD quality. The price would vary from $2.99 to $19.99 depending on the title, resolution, and whether you’re renting or purchasing it.
Free Alternatives To Netflix For Free Movies & Series
1. Crackle
Coming from the house of Sony Pictures, Crackle assures quality. It offers both, movies and TV series at absolutely no cost. The content sourced from biggies like Columbia Pictures, Funimation Films, Screen Gems, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, MGM, Lions Gate Entertainment, TriStar Pictures, and of course, its in-house production, Sony Pictures. The most recommended titles include Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Unusuals, Cry-Baby, American Movie, and Ali.
Currently, Crackle can be enjoyed in 21 nations in various languages including English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The sole disappointment is that there are plenty of ads which play before, during, or after a video stream but hey, they need to earn in some form, right?
2. TubiTV
Do you love to watch free movies online? With over 7,000 titles including movies, anime, documentaries, and TV series, TubiTV has emerged as one of the fastest-growing free Netflix alternatives. Similar to Crackle, TubiTV also offers free streaming, albeit, with ad interruption. The service can be accessed from anywhere so long as you’re connected to the www. Currently trending on the site are the following titles – Little Shop of Horrors, Hell and Back Again, In the Shadow of the Moon, Bullet Boy, and Suspiria.
What sets TubiTV apart is its premium interface, despite being a free service. We loved how smooth and snappy the overall experience was. If you appreciate classics, you might want to give TubiTV a try.
3. Pluto TV
Personally, I think that a live TV service such as Pluto TV is an excellent option to supplement an on-demand service such as Netflix. The best part? It is absolutely free! You get access to over 100 channels from 75 content partners. This includes news, entertainment, music, DIY, and more. It sports a fairly sophisticated interface and is supported on various platforms. If you’ve missed the channel-surfing experience that comes with cable/satellite TV, this could be your holy grail as it works in a similar fashion.
To Conclude
Most of these services work on a wide range of devices including iOS, Android, laptops/desktops (Windows/Mac), media players, gaming consoles, and select smart TVs. You could check out all the free Netflix alternative ones first since there’s nothing to lose but everything to gain there.
As far as the paid ones go, see which service suits your needs the best, Many of them offer a free trial period of minimum one week so you can see if you like the experience before continuing your subscription.
