Best Original Programming
Netflix is known for its vast collection of series and movies, including widely popular originals, making it one of the best video streaming services you can subscribe to.
Best On-Demand Movies and TV Streaming with Live Options
Hulu is an excellent video streaming service that features on-demand content, live television, and major entertainment that isn’t as suitable for Disney+.
Best Affordable TV and Movie Streaming
Peacock allows you to stream popular NBC series and many noteworthy films. The service no longer offers a free plan, but it has a robust and surprisingly capable basic plan.
Best Free Movie and Show Streaming
Tubi is a well-designed free video streaming service that features a large library of movies and TV shows that frequently change. Its ads and resolution limitations are a small price to pay for a high-quality free viewing experience.
Best Original Movies and Purchase Options
Amazon Prime Video features many prestigious movies and TV shows, streaming Thursday Night Football, and capabilities like 4K HDR streaming as well as the ability to purchase or rent programs.
Best for Families
Regardless of ads or not, Disney+ offers an impressive library that includes high-quality shows and films from Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and other properties.
Best for International Movie Lovers
KweliTV is one of the best video streaming services celebrating international Black art.
Best for Original HBO Content
The revamped Max streaming service offers a fantastic library filled with popular shows and movies from various sources along with appealing apps and user file tools and parental controls.
Best for Free Popular Movies and Family Titles
Amazon Freevee offers an impressive library of TV shows and movies, especially for an ad-supported free streaming service. However, there are cost-free alternatives that provide more features and a wider range of content.
Best for Independent Movie Viewers
IFC Films Unlimited provides good value for watching great independent films, even though it does not support wide-ranging platforms.
Best for MGM Movies
MGM+ is a video streaming service that pays homage to the studio’s cinematic legacy, but it lacks some of the common features found in competing platforms.
Best for Film Appreciation and Discovery
Mubi is a partial video streaming service targeting true cinema. The Mubi audience may be limited to broader cinema lovers, and the service lacks some standard features.
Best for Independent and Documentary Films
The Ovid.tv streaming service is building its library from independent and art film distribution services, and as such, it has a large and diverse array of titles. Its limited availability in countries and translation options are its biggest drawbacks.
Best for Network Shows and Sports
Paramount+ offers popular original shows and live sports coverage at a reasonable price, but you’ll need to pay for the best features, including access to Showtime content.
Best for Entertainment and Lifestyle Channels
The live TV streaming service Philo provides a valuable mix of entertainment and lifestyle channels at a reasonable price, but it lacks news networks and sports content.
Best for Horror Movie Fans
Shudder, the dedicated horror movie streaming service, is a good option for fans of the genre, but it doesn’t offer popular enough content or sufficient features to attract mainstream audiences.
The Criterion Channel
The Criterion Channel video streaming service allows you to watch most films in the Criterion Collection without purchasing physical media, ad-free, and in high quality.
Which Movies Can You Stream Online?
The movies available for streaming depend on distribution rights. It’s similar to how live TV streaming services negotiate with cable channel owners for broadcasting rights. Services that hold rights to massive collections of content (or have the money to acquire broadcasting rights) have an advantage. For example, Comcast (Peacock) owns several film studios, including DreamWorks Animation, Illumination, and Universal Pictures. Disney+ has classic Disney films and Marvel movies (but not all Marvel films) and Pixar and Star Wars films. ViacomCBS owns Paramount Pictures. Max includes films from Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema, along with exclusive streaming rights to Studio Ghibli films in the United States.
Do
Do movie streaming services support 4K, HDR, and surround sound?
Some video streaming services support high-quality audio and video standards. For example, Apple TV+, Disney+, Max, Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video support 4K streaming. Other movie streaming services peak at 1080p, while others peak at 720p. Some services also support HDR streaming (HDR10 or Dolby Vision). Support for higher audio standards (5.1 surround sound, Dolby Atmos, or Dolby Digital Plus) is more common. Many services support at least these standards.
Accessibility options for movie streaming
Most video streaming services reviewed here include closed captions for the majority of their content, but only allow full adjustment of them. Some services also support audio descriptions, which are narrated accounts of events that cannot be discerned through dialogue alone. Currently, this feature is available on Apple TV+, Disney+, Max, Hulu, IMDb TV, Netflix, and Prime Video.
Streaming quality vs. Blu-ray quality
The potential savings is one of the main reasons to consider video streaming services over physical media for watching movies. If you buy one or more 4K UHD Blu-ray discs every month (usually priced between $15 and $30 depending on their recency), it is likely that subscribing to a video streaming service will be cheaper—at least regarding watching movies. However, if you are buying 4K UHD Blu-ray discs separately or feel the need to purchase standard DVDs or Blu-rays, you may end up paying less over the same period than if you had subscribed to a video streaming service.
Which movie streaming service is the best?
When you pay for an on-demand video streaming service, you are usually not limited to just watching movies. Some of the best new offerings are exclusive to on-demand services. For example, Netflix is the only place to watch Squid Game, Disney+ is home to streaming Hawkeye, and Prime Video is the place to watch The Wheel of Time. These subscriptions allow you to watch what you want, making it easier to justify the costs of the services.
Video streaming services may not be perfect for watching movies, but those with the best features, a large movie library, and support for high-quality standards are viable alternatives to purchasing physical discs or paying a high amount for movie tickets.
This review was contributed by Ben Moore.
Leave a Reply