Here are the top five most competitive streaming companies, compared.
Back in November of last year, Disney joined the ranks of contenders all vying to make a buck off your binge-watching bad habits. The company launched its new ad-free streaming service Disney Plus, which will charge customers $6.99 a month for access to over 7,000 TV episodes and 500 films, including its backlog of classic Disney movies.
As competition among cable companies and streaming providers intensifies, here are all the different streaming services, compared. From titles to pricing to perks, here's the lowdown on everything from Netflix to Hulu to YouTube TV. (You're welcome.)
"As you look at an average pay-TV bill of over $100 a month, you can instead go with streaming services that typically will run you from a base of $20 a month for a bare-bones streaming package to typically more common $40 a month,” says money expert Clark Howard.
YouTube TV
Price (2020): $64.99/month
Parent Company: Google/YouTube
Year Founded: February 2017
Net Worth: Not yet profitable
Subscribers: 3 million
Devices: Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku players and TVs, Xbox, and more | Not supported: Amazon Fire Stick
Original Content: No
Live TV: Yes
Local Channels: Yes
Perks:
- Live sports, news, and shows from 70+ networks
- Cloud DVR with no storage limits
- 6 accounts per household included
- Up to 3 simultaneous streams
Free Trial: Yes, 5 days
Ask the Experts:
"YouTube TV has an attractive interface and a novel recording feature, but it's lacking in both channel selection and platform availability."
-- Marshall Honoroff, Tom's Guide (Read Full Review)
"If you are looking to leave behind your cable subscription forever, YouTube TV is a great, albeit now pricey, option ... You will still have to deal with.. ads during live TV and potential streaming resolution limitations ... Otherwise, YouTube TV is a seamless experience."
-- Ben Moore, PC Magazine (Read Full Review)
"It's ... those of us who have never paid for cable, and likely never will -- that YouTube TV really speaks to. It's all the channels we've come to expect from our parent's house, but at a price we can actually afford."
-- Nick Pino, Tech Radar (Read Full Review)
Visit the YouTube TV website here.
Netflix
Price (2020): Basic – $8.99/month | Standard – $13.99/month | Premium – $17.99/month
Parent Company: Netflix, Inc.
Year Founded: August 1997 (DVD); 2007 (Streaming)
Net Worth/Revenue: $15.794 billion (2018)
Subscribers: 155 million
Devices: Pretty much all of them
Original Content: Yes, over 700 titles
Unique Titles: 1,686 shows, 3,861 movies
Live TV: No
Local Channels: No
Perks:
- Superior selection of original content
- No commercials
- Ability to operate up to five member profiles
- Option to download content
- The infamous Skip Intro button
Free Trial: Yes, 30 days
Ask the Experts:
"The service has earned plenty of buzz by creating a lot of acclaimed original content...The downside to Netflix is you never know how long content will be available... [and] it lacks current TV show episodes from... cable and network channels."
-- Anna Burleson, Top 10 Reviews (Read Full Review)
Hulu
Price (2020): Hulu – $5.99/month | Huu (No Ads) – $11.99 | Hulu +Live TV – $54.99/month | Hulu (No Ads) +LiveTV – $60.99
Parent Companies: The Walt Disney Company, Comcast/NBCUniversal
Year Founded: May 2007
Partners: 21st Century Fox, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Time Warner
Subscribers: 36 million
Devices: Streaming Devices (Chromecast, Firestick, Roku), SmartTVs (Vizio, Sony, Apple TV, Samsung TV/Blu-Ray, LG), Gaming Consoles (Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii/Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3 & PS4)
Unique Titles: 1,891 shows, 1,646 movies
Original Content: Yes
Live TV: Available with Hulu Live TV
Local Channels: Yes
Perks:
- Excellent original content
- Frequently updated library
- New episodes of TV shows available after airing
- Intuitive interface
- Channel add-on options
- Relatively low price
Free Trial: Yes, 30 days (7 Days w/Live TV)
Ask the Experts:
"While it may not be popular as Netflix or Amazon Prime, this video streaming service still has a lot to offer. It updates its library of TV shows frequently, and you don’t have to wait too long to watch recent episodes. The episodes of current TV shows are usually available on Hulu a day after they air... [T]he company keeps adding new movies and slowly improving their selection."
-- TechnoBezz (Read Full Review)
Amazon Prime Video
Price (2020): Included with Amazon Prime subscription ($13/month or $119 annually)
Parent Company: Amazon
Year Founded: September 2006
Subscribers: 150 million
Devices: Amazon Fire TV & Fire TV Sticks, Smart TVs & Blu-ray players, Set-top boxes (Roku, Google TV, TiVo, Nvidia Shield), Game consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Wii), Android & iOS devices | Not Supported: Google Chromecast
Unique Titles: 2,077 shows, 12,764 movies
Original Content: Yes
Live TV: Optional add-on
Perks:
- 4K Ultra HD
- Over 100 channel add-ons for additional fee
- Ability to buy or rent additional titles, including new releases
- High-quality original series & movie options
- Wide selection of content
Free Trial: Yes (with Prime), 30 days
Ask the Experts:
"The search function’s results aren’t precise and include titles you have to pay extra for... but Amazon Prime Video is a great value with acclaimed original content and access to a lot of popular TV shows and movies."
-- Top Ten Reviews (Read Full Review)
Visit Amazon Prime Video here.
Disney+
Price: $6.99/month (or $69.99 annually)
Parent Company: BAMTech/MLB Advanced Media
Year Founded: November 12, 2019
Net Worth: $14.7 billion in Q4
Partners: Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, and National Geographic.; Hulu Subscribers: 73 million
Devices: Streaming device apps for digital media players (Roku, and "likely" Apple TV), Smart TVs, Gaming consoles, PCs, Mobile device platforms | Specific device compatibilities: TBA
Unique Titles: Approx. 7,000 television (episodes, not full) series; 500 films. Will feature the entire Disney catalog.
Original Content: Yes
- A Wikipedia summary, quoting statements made to Variety, CNN, and the Verge, emphasizes Disney Plus's focus on original content most aptly:
"Original series based on Marvel properties and Star Wars are being produced, with the former including five new Marvel Cinematic Universe spin-off series involving the characters of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, Loki, Scarlet Witch and Vision, and a What If animated series... including The Mandalorian, a television series set between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, and a spin-off series focused on Cassian Andor and a seventh season of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars..."
- In January 2019 it was reported that Disney will spend up to $500 million in creating original content for Disney Plus.
Live TV: No
Perks:
- Family-oriented (no R-rated movies or series)
- Exclusive rights to many Disney/Pixar films and big-name titles (Marvel movies, exclusive rights to The Simpsons, potentially Star Wars, Frozen, and The Sandlot)
- Will feature entire Disney catalog of titles, as well as all future Disney releases
- Entire Disney/Marvel/Star Wars catalog of titles gradually being pulled from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video
- Will operate in tandem with Hulu (shares majority stake in the company)
- Original content inspired by hit franchises (including Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney classic reboots by original creators)
- All content available to download
- Low monthly cost
Free Trial: TBA
Ask the Experts:
"At this point, we simply don’t have enough information to say if this service will be worthwhile or not.
That said, with the info we do have, it certainly looks like an attractive service. Fans of Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar films and other popular franchises won’t really have much of a choice – it will either be subscribe to Disney+, or lose access to these franchises.
The pricing – $6.99 a month – is also quite attractive. This puts it decidedly in the budget-friendly category, as it will be one of the cheapest streaming services.
Disney’s move into their own streaming service has big implications for Netflix and the entire streaming industry."
-- Austin Meadows, Streaming Observer (Read Full Review)
View the Disney+ website here.
What's one show you couldn't live without? And which streaming provider do you trust? Leave a comment and let us know!