Netflix is one of the most famous streaming websites to have ever been introduced. It is most definitely a pioneer of its industry, i.e. the OTT industry.
The word “Netflix” in itself is used as simply as “Let’s watch some Netflix” – it is a word that encompasses every single television show and movie that it offers to its customers. It sounds more like a lifestyle than merely a website or app.
Many people can relate to this – a lot of us have sat feeling bored in class or at work thinking about when we can go home and watch some Netflix.
Whether it’s a nice episode of your favorite sitcom or even your favorite film, Netflix has all the shows and films that you like to watch during your downtime.
Additionally, we live in an age where binge-watching television shows, as well as movies, have become the norm, and watching a television show does not feel like a wholesome experience unless we’ve watched several episodes of it consecutively.
These are some of the reasons that Netflix is just indispensable to the current world. It can also be that all of us cannot afford Netflix but would still like to stream television shows and movies safely rather than using pirated websites to do so, no matter how attractive give me some time sim.
For this reason, we have provided the following list of 15 Netflix alternatives that will help you meet all your streaming needs. The following is the said list of Netflix alternatives and it includes both paid as well as free options.
About Netflix
The streaming site Netflix was one of the first of its kind and it is one of the largest streaming websites/apps available out there.
What started off as an online movie rental store later transformed into one of the most successful giants in the streaming industry. With its precise recommendations and a vast variety of content, it’s a very attractive company that has millions of users all over the world.
Netflix has 3 plans:-
Netflix Basic:- This plan includes one device and provides access to all its content in standard definition. It is $8.99 a month.
Netflix Standard:- You can stream on two devices with this plan and in high definition. It costs $13.99 per month.
Netflix Premium:- Four device streaming, ultra high definition streaming and it costs $17.99 per month.
If you wish to try an alternative to Netflix, we’ve got you covered: here’s the list of top Netflix alternatives.
Best Netflix Alternatives: Our Top Pick 👌👌
1. Disney Plus
Disney Plus is a great alternative to Netflix especially if you love Disney movies and television series. Why the name suggests that this alternative will have only Disney content that’s not true because there is actually a huge library of all kinds of films and television shows on Disney Plus.
With a Disney+ subscription, you can access Star Wars Saga, Marvel films and television shows, Pixar films, all Disney animated films, and TV shows, and Disney princess films.
Additionally, The Mandalorian is available, alongside fantastic National Geographic content, and, much renowned, The Simpsons.
The only downside to Disney+ is that it only offers on-demand content and no live programs, as several other Netflix alternatives generally provide. This does not mean that the available content on Disney+ isn’t fabulous.
Additionally, knowing Disney as a network for family television and family movies, this is a great OTT to sit down and stream some fun-loving content online.
Let it be known that if you are into science fiction, animated movies, whether modern or classic and also superhero films and shows, Disney+ would be the best alternative for you.
A Disney+ subscription is only $7.99 per month, which is even less than the lowest plan offered by Netflix. An annual membership at Disney+ is for $79.99, which is 20% less per month than the actual monthly plan. The latter plan would make more sense for you if you prefer to plan ahead.
Download the App on Google Play Store
Download the App on Apple App Store
2. Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is definitely one of the popular Netflix alternatives, where the two OTT platforms go head to head with one another. Not only does Prime Video have all the popular television series, documentaries, films, etc.
But it also has Amazon Prime Originals, which are fantastic. Some great Amazon Originals include Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Homecoming, The Man In The High Castle, The Expanse, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Good Omens, among several others.
Amazon Prime Video membership is linked to all other Amazon services, including Amazon marketplace (Amazon.com, where you buy everything you need), Amazon Music, Amazon Fire TV, etc.
With an Amazon Prime membership, you can access any of the premium services offered by the company with the same account.
That includes express product shipping, advertisement-free music listening experiences, and, of course, the cornucopia of visual entertainment content.
Amazon Prime Video is available both as a standalone service by the company, and, as mentioned before, is also included in the regular Amazon Prime package.
As a standalone service, an Amazon Prime Video subscription comes to $8.99 per month. On the other hand, if paired with other Prime services, the subscription comes to $12.99 per month.
The former is great because it comes at the same price as Netflix, but as an upgrade from Netflix, it includes high-definition content and accommodates multiple screens.
The Prime package with other services included is even better, because, at an additional $4 per month, you can avail yourself of tons of other Amazon services as well.
Download the App on Google Play Store
Download the App on Apple App Store
3. Mubi — Curated Cinema
Mubi, also formerly known as ‘The Auteurs’ is a film streaming platform where many established filmmakers distribute their films. These films are exclusively available on MUBI.
They also have a separate publication called ‘Notebook’ which is a platform for film criticism and news publication.
MUBI is available all over the world and can be used on various devices such as Android TV, Chromecast, Playstation, Amazon Firestick, and Apple TV, etc. Along with these, it is also available on mobile phones and tablets.
Movies such as Arabian Nights and Slack Bay were released on Mubi. Mubi has a friendly user interface and has the option to watch films and TV shows in many languages, including Spanish, Turkish, Italian, German, and many more.
It was launched in 2007 and has had many new features since its launch, such as access to multiple devices at the same time.
Download the App on Google Play Store
Download the App on Apple App Store
4. Hulu: Watch TV shows, movies & new original series
Hulu is the perfect choice for you if you are looking for the best alternatives to Netflix. It has iconic shows like Seinfield and Handmaid’s Tale. You can binge-watch amazing shows on Hulu.
Hulu is a streaming service that is as popular as Netflix. You can watch TV shows and movies on Hulu by buying a subscription. There are many subscription options available on Hulu that you can choose from and purchase.
There are several shows which are available on Hulu from popular networks such as ABC, Fox, and NBC. Along with featuring shows and movies from other networks, Hulu has its original series and movies.
One of Hulu’s best original series is the Handmaid’s Tale as it went on to win Emmy awards. There’s a lot of diversity in the shows and movies which are on Hulu.
If you are a fan of the infamous show Rick and Morty, you can watch the TV show Solar Opposites. The creators of both the shows are the same and you can watch Solar Opposites on Hulu. You can easily download the Hulu app on IOS and Android devices. The Hulu app can also be downloaded on smart TV.
There are several reasons why Hulu is a great alternative to Netflix which you can switch to if you want to watch new content. One of the reasons that Hulu is popular is because it has many network shows, which aren’t available on other platforms.
Secondly, the original Hulu content which is available on the streaming service is binge-watch-worthy. The original content that Hulu puts out for its subscribers is great and interesting and every show is different.
Hulu has various plans which are available with ads, with no ads as well as with Live TV. A simple monthly Hulu plan starts at $5.99 per month with ads, $11.99 per month without ads, and the option of Hulu + Live TV at $64.99 per month.
Download the App on Google Play Store
Download the App on Apple App Store
5. HBO Max
HBO is another alternative to Netflix where you can watch TV shows and movies. You can watch iconic shows like Friends, The Game of Thrones, Sesame Street, and movies like the Harry Potter series and the Lord of the Rings on HBO Max.
The streaming service has shows from other networks as well as original shows. One of the best things about HBO Max is that you can stream the content in 4K HDR which enhances the viewing experience of the viewers.
HBO Max is one of the streaming services which has the best selection of children’s shows and movies. Therefore, you as well as your child can easily watch shows and movies on HBO.
Another great feature of HBO Max is that the movies are available on the app at the same time as its theatrical release. Therefore, you don’t have to wait for months for a movie to release on the app.
One of the drawbacks of using HBO Max is that it’s on the expensive side when compared to other streaming services. Other streaming services are available at a lesser price when compared to HBO Max.
Secondly, you can’t download content for offline viewing unless your subscription supports it.
HBO Max plans start at $9.99 per month, with ads, and $14.99 per month without ads.
Download App on Google Play Store
Download App on Apple App Store
6. Acorn TV
While American television and film are great, British filmmakers are sometimes on a whole new level of creativity and innovation when it comes to creating content.
The crispness of a British TV show or film, often with raw humor and incredibly captivating storylines can be quite daunting, but it is always an interesting watch.
Acorn TV is one such Netflix alternative that houses shows and films that are not primarily based in the US or produced in the US. Britain, Ireland, Australia, etc. are some of the countries from which content is available on Acorn TV.
Because the origin of most shows on Acorn TV is not American, several shows may be unheard of by Americans, but they are worth the watch.
While the content on Acorn TV is primarily non-North American, the platform is, however, only available in the United States and Canada.
Compared to Netflix, Acorn TV does not have such a wide reach, but the quality of the available content is not proportionate to its reach.
Some popular TV shows offered by this platform are Doc Martin, Agatha Raisin, The Hour, Line of Duty, Midsomer Murders, Ackley Bridge, Deadwater Fell, Ms. Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, and Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, and, of course, several Agatha Christie book adaptations such as Marple and Poirot.
There are two downsides to Acorn TV if we needed to put aside the fabulous array of content for a moment. The first is that content is not downloadable as is on Netflix, and secondly, the selection of films is relatively small. Acorn TV costs $5.99 per month.
Download the App on Google Play Store
Download the App on Apple App Store
7. Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus is an American service that is owned and operated by ViacomCBS Streaming.
It has a wide range of content including some original films and TV shows, as well as nearly aired CBS broadcast properties and some content from the ViacomCBS library.
Paramount Plus was originally released as CBS All Access in 2014 which was rebranded to Paramount Plus in March 2021 to give it a sleeker title.
Many episodes such as those of the ‘Star Trek’ Series and ‘The Good Wife’ were released on Paramount Plus and while it has a lot of fictional content, it also carries sports programming with CBS Sports.
They stream UEFA Champions League and Europa League, which is important for all soccer fans. The Paramount Plus streaming channel is like watching television on demand. Though it is a bit expensive, it has great content, especially for sports fans.
Download the App on Google Play Store
Download the App on Apple App Store
8. YouTube
While YouTube is definitely the best free Netflix alternatives, it’s not the conventional OTT streaming platform. As we know, YouTube is the place where all of us can stream all kinds of videos uploaded by its millions of users.
Besides this, there is also the option to avail of a YouTube Premium subscription to avail ad-free streaming.
YouTube Premium provides you access to a few popular TV shows, like Mr. Bean, but not much else. You can access content created by popular creators on YouTube to make the best of it with a premium package. YouTube Premium costs $11.99 per month.
9. Apple TV Plus
Apple TV Plus is one of the best streaming alternatives to netflix because it is one of the lowest-priced and it also has incredibly high-quality content.
Not only does Apple TV have family shows like Snoopy in Space and Helpsters, but it also has great television series for grown-ups, including talk shows like The Morning Show, and other series such as See, For All Mankind, Home Before Dark, Mythic Quest, Dickinson, Foundation Defending Jacob, etc.
Putting aside the content for a second, it has the name Apple attached to it, which ensures its quality as well.
Additional to its other great features, it is available in 85% of the countries around the world, which does not particularly hold true for several other streaming websites.
The reason it’s a fantastic alternative to Netflix is that Netflix has the largest library of content available to stream than any other OTT platform. Besides the content library, Apple TV Plus matches up in every way. Apple TV Plus costs $4.99 per month.
10. Pluto TV
Pluto TV is one of the best Netflix alternatives for people who would prefer not to pay money to access their television shows and movies. The only downside to being a free service is that Pluto TV has a bunch of ads that can be annoying to most of us.
It has both an app as well as a website, both of which have ads playing every few minutes – this is one of the downsides of free OTT platforms, but if it saves you the money, it shouldn’t matter.
You may think of Pluto TV as similar to a cable TV experience, where every few minutes, there are commercial breaks. The difference between cable and Pluto TV is that the latter is all online, and not via cable service.
Aside from it being free, Pluto TV also has another, pretty slick, advantage – you don’t necessarily need an account to access its content. All you need to do is log on to the website, pick a show and start watching – it’s as simple as that.
There is, however, an option to register yourself on the platform and create an account, which in turn provides you with the added benefit of having your shows and films synced to the episode you’re watching rather than go searching for it without an account.
It can be pretty annoying to end up watching the wrong episode and getting a spoiler, or rewatching an episode and only realizing it halfway through it, so registering with an account prevents that, and also provides you access from different devices.
Download the App on Google Play Store
Download the App on Apple App Store
11. Discovery Plus
Discovery Plus is a streaming service that is owned and run by Discovery, inc. It comprises various episodes from Discovery’s main channel brands and also includes many original series.
Even though it has its own original shows and a variety of movies, shows, and documentaries, it has significantly much lesser variety than what Netflix has to offer.
The streaming site/app has many spin-offs of already existing programs and also provides a lot of knowledge through its variety of channels.
It was launched recently in India in March 2020. In one year, they have streamed many episodes from Discovery companies such as TLC, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and many more.
It also offered channels to watch the 2020 Summer Olympics. It is available on the web and also has an app that can be used on mobile phones, tablets, and TVs. It is available on gaming consoles as well such as the Xbox.
Discovery Plus prices start at $4.99 per month with ads and $6.99 per month without ads. Before buying a subscription, you can avail a free trial.
Download the App on Google Play Store
Download the App on Apple App Store
12. Crackle
Crackle is another great alternative to Netflix, because similar to Pluto TV, it is completely free. The user interface of Crackle is also quite similar to Netflix, in the sense that the colors and placements of the platform are quite similar.
While it is a decent alternative to Netflix and even Pluto TV as such, the array of content is not as wide as that of Netflix.
In fact, we can count the number of films and shows available on Crackle – about 150 feature films and 75 shows, which seems like quite a low number compared to Netflix.
Once again, being a free service, Crackle happens to be ridden with ads, before, during, and also after the film or TV series episode.
For a film that exceeds the duration of an hour and a half, there are nine additional ads after a 30-second pre-film commercial.
For a TV show that’s generally 20-30 minutes per episode, the 30-second pre-episode commercial is followed by three additional ad breaks. This is rather similar to watching cable television, as it is with Pluto TV. However, if you don’t mind the ads, Crackle should work out perfectly for you.
It’s notable to mention that Crackle has some of the most popular film content, including cult classics, popular drama, and situation comedy television, not to mention some of the most popular Hollywood movies of all time.
Download the App on Google Play Store
Download the App on Apple App Store
13. Britbox
Similar to Acorn TV, if you are looking for other platforms to watch fantastic British television, Britbox would be the platform for you.
One could say that Britbox is a slight bit of an upgrade from Acorn TV because it does, in fact, offer a relatively wider variety of films to its users.
Additionally, Britbox is available in the UK as well as the US, meaning that the British can also watch the shows that they’ve grown up watching. As mentioned before, British television has its own way of touching us that American television has, too, but in a far different manner.
The content available on Britbox includes backbreaking British comedy, drama, detective, and mystery shows, and a lot of science fiction and drama shows.
Some of the series available on Britbox are Downton Abbey, a famous favorite of the masses, Shakespeare & Hathaway, The Sweeney, Miss Austen Regrets, MI-5, The Pembrokeshire Murders, Hi-de-Hi, Mrs. Brown’s Boys, etc. These British classics, among various others, are all available on Britbox.
Britbox charges $6.99 per month, or a lump sum of $69.99 for annual subscriptions, where the monthly breakdown reduces to about $5.8.
14. Shudder
When you hear the word ‘shudder’ it should be fairly obvious that it refers to something eerie, something scary, that could possibly send a shiver down your spine.
The platform Shudder aims to give you this feeling when you read the name. It is a platform similar to Netflix, but instead of a wide range of films and television series of all kinds of different genres, Shudder houses only the genre of horror.
Thinking of curling up in a blanket on your couch for a scary movie marathon? Shudder is the service provider you need to check out if that’s the kind of evening you think is perfect.
Shudder has tons of horror films as well as television series to send the perfect amount of chills up your spine. Aside from the classic horror movies, it also has a wide variety of Shudder Originals.
Think about it this way – this is a platform that was created for the sole purpose of bringing horror movie lovers with horror movies, so if there’s one thing that they do right, it’s creating those very movies and TV shows. The platform has original films in several languages, including English, French, Korean, Spanish, and others.
Some of Shudder’s Original series include Deadwax, Creepshow, The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs, etc.
Shudder’s original films include Belzebuth, Deadtectives, Dogs Don’t Wear Pants, 0.0MHz, Metamorphosis, Warning: Do Not Play, Slaxx, Skull: The Mask, Fried Barry, Bleed With Me, etc.
Aside from TV shows and fictional films, Shudder has also created a few documentaries, namely Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, The Boulet Brothers’ Dargula: Resurrection, and Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist.
Are you a horror fan, and are you already excited? Shudder has two plans, monthly and annual. The monthly plan costs $5.99 per month, and the annual plan a total of $56.99 spread out of $4.75 per month. Additionally, this platform also offers a 7-day trial, so you don’t need to spend your money right away.
Download the App on Google Play Store
Download the App on Apple App Store
15. Fandor
Of this list of Netflix alternatives, Fandor is the most different, because it does not cater to mainstream content as such.
Fandor is, instead, a curated collection of the most meaningful but entertaining films and serves the art and cultural community more than any mainstream audience.
Fandor is a critical OTT platform for its partners that produce original content, including filmmakers and film students, and educators directly.
Fandor as a platform also collaborates pretty often with film festivals and film distributors in order to put its own content out. Additionally, Fandor’s website has the option to submit your own film to the website.
Fandor has films in several languages, including English, German, French, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Czech, Russian, Swedish, Norwegian, etc. The website lists all the different festivals that it is associated with, which include Berlinale, Cannes, IDFA, Karlovy Vary, Rotterdam, SXSW, Sundance, Telluride, and so many more.
Fandor is available on all the relevant devices such as the Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android device, Kindle, iPad, and iPhone, which is great because that means that this great content is accessible from anywhere with any device.
Fandor plans start at $5.99 per month or a yearly subscription of $49.99, which comes to approximately $4 per month, which is a great deal if you are up for that kind of commitment.
Students and educators from verified institutions are eligible to redeem a 50% discount on subscriptions, thus bringing the price down to about $3 monthly, and $25 annually (about $2 per month).
Additionally, before availing of these plans, you will have access to a 14-day free trial to help you see if Fandor is your cup of tea after all.
Conclusion
All in all, there are tons of fabulous Netflix alternatives, paid as well as free. In today’s ever-growing digital world, one can never run out of options about things to do on the internet, and consuming OTT content such as that of Netflix and its various alternatives is one of those things.
Above, we have listed 15 such alternatives to Netflix that could fit in your price range or simply cater better to the content you like best, such as Shudder for horror films, Disney Plus for family movies, Discovery Plus for shows and documentaries about nature, and Britbox and Acorn TV to cater to British television.
These are simply examples – it would be best to go through the list to check out which alternative to Netflix you’d like best.
