Netflix is one of the most popular streaming services in the entire globe. And, it isn’t going anywhere. So, why are we talking about the best Netflix alternatives here?
Well, there are a lot of streaming services nowadays. So, with a lot of options, you also get a variety of content across different platforms. For instance, if Netflix releases a movie, Amazon might release something else at the same time. In order to enjoy all the content, you have to utilize multiple streaming services – there’s no escaping that.
So, in this article, we pick the best possible Netflix alternatives which offer you the latest and greatest (and potentially best-rated content available online).
Contents
Top 9 Best Netflix Alternatives That You Must Have
We’ve listed every possible quality alternative to Netflix that is available. However, the content available will differ depending on the country you’re from. So, keep that in mind while choosing the best Netflix alternative for your needs.
1. Amazon Prime Video
Amazon is a biggie. Who am I kidding? If it’s something from Amazon, it definitely offers a huge catalog of movies and TV series.
And, that holds true for Prime Video as well. At least, for me (in India) – it focuses on curating a lot of exclusive regional content as opposed to International content. But, in countries like the U.S, it offers new movie releases quite fast when compared to India.
In addition, if you have a Prime subscription, you get a lot of perks including benefits for Amazon Shopping and Twitch prime benefits as well.
2. HBO Now
HBO Now is also one of the most favorite services to stream curated and exclusive content worldwide. It quickly became one of the biggest services after the Chernobyl TV series went live on the platform.
Of course, that’s how we know that content matters – not just the pricing. HBO Now may not be a good option for Indian users (I have something else that you can use instead). However, if you live in the U.S or any other country, HBO Now’s subscription should be perfect for you.
It will include movies and TV shows as well. Enjoy bing watching just like Netflix!
3. YouTube
YouTube is unquestionably a free (and paid) alternative to all the streaming services there is.
You can either watch free content for your whole life (shows like the Patriot Act is available on YouTube for free). In either case, if you want to watch the YouTube originals and get rid of the advertisements as well, YouTube premium should be the choice.
Nevertheless, it is free for most of the content, so you can give it a try.
4. Hulu
Hulu is yet another popular streaming platform with a huge collection of curated content. In comparison to Netflix, it may not be the better one – but it offers some exclusive content as well.
I wouldn’t recommend this if you are someone who wants to watch the popular content. If you’re very niche-specific or exploring more content on the entertainment side, Hulu will be useful.
5. Hotstar
Hotstar is in the trends right now after Game of Thrones ended. Yes, it is an India-focused streaming service by Star Networks.
However, the availability of International releases and content is hard to ignore. If you are in India, you should definitely try it out. But, if not, you can try a VPN to test it out, it might end up as a cheap alternative for your streaming requirements.
It may not feature good originals – but it does include a lot of popular and new releases for both movies and TV series.
6. Zee5
Similar to regional-focused Hotstar, Zee5 is also a quite popular streaming service to showcase new movie releases and TV shows.
In Zee5, you will notice most of the content targeted for the Indian (or “Hindi” speaking) audiences. However, with Hotstar, you also get the focus for International content.
There’s also a significant price difference for the subscription. So, if you want a cheaper alternative for your local content experience, Zee5 will be a great choice. However, I wouldn’t recommend this if you are into “English” content.
7. Crackle
Sony’s Crackle is a completely free streaming service. For obvious reasons, it does not feature the latest (or recent) titles. But, it does include a good catalog of movies and TV shows.
You will also find some classic Sony Crackle exclusive. You shouldn’t expect much from this – however, if you want to have something for free, this is worth the trial.
The old movies featured are all good and selective. So, the content curation is quite impressive even if they manage it for free. There’s no option to subscribe, it’s totally free.
8. Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is fairly a new addition to the list of streaming services available. Moreover, it is limited to the Apple devices (for Americans) and could also work on Roku devices, if you happen to utilize any of those devices.
At the time of publishing this article, it wasn’t available yet in India and many other countries as well. However, since Apple TV+ has been recently introduced during the launching of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, so expect to see Apple TV+ in your region during the next few months.
The content, for now, isn’t huge – however, it has announced some exclusives and has plans for more as well because it’s coming from Apple – the first trillion-dollar company, and we have already got some signs as Tim Cook is expecting Apple TV+ to be USD 5.3 Billion business by 2025.
9. Vudu
Vudu is an interesting and powerful alternative to Netflix which has significantly less userbase but great content.
While being owned by Walmart, it makes a lot of new movies available faster than anyone else. Not just streaming for a subscription – but it also includes the ability to rent/buy movies.
You can also choose to watch the free content available with advertisements in between. In addition to the content, you will also notice a wide variety of CD/DVD based classic content that has been converted to watch here. It’s also one of the key highlights on Vudu that you can do that as well.
Conclusion
Without expecting the Netflix originals, you have a ton of Netflix alternatives at your disposal.
In addition to all the options mentioned above, you will also have certain regional alternatives just like we have a few services for India. If you’re an avid content consumer with the interest for popular content, avoid Crackle for your usage.
In either case, if you simply want to explore curated content – try anything you like based on the pricing and availability in your country.
What Netflix alternative do you use? Let us know in the comments below.
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