The 12 Best Streaming Services in 2021

Back in the day, Netflix was one of the only streaming services that promised to help you end your expensive cable subscription. But now, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of streaming options available—and the costs can quickly add up when you feel like you need to have separate subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon, Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO, and more to stay on top of all of your favorite shows and movies. Whether you want to pare down to only the essential services or add a new one to watch, we’ve broken down the top twelve streaming channels you should consider, including their subscription pricing, bundle options, and other convenient features. Oh, and if you’re looking for what to watch, we have recommendations for popular TV shows and movies available now, too.

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Cable vs. Streaming Services

According to Nerd Wallet, the average monthly cable bill costs $45 to $130, so even the priciest of streaming subscriptions are more affordable. However, when adding up the cost of all of these services, you can easily pay more than the cost for cable. Therefore, you need to be strategic about what services you purchase and how you might bundle them for better deals.

The most expensive streaming services offer access to live TV channels. Subscribe to something like Hulu’s Live TV plan, SlingTV, or Fubo if you want to keep on top of network news or sports coverage. On the other hand, some of the cheapest—and even free—services offer limited content and/or still show commercials. Consider if you really want to pay extra each month for ad-free viewing, or if you should just stick with mid-tier options like Disney Plus and Netflix that don’t show any ads. Some streaming services, like HBO Max, also offer discounted annual rates compared to their monthly fees.

How We Selected

Like most people, we’ve spent hundreds of hours streaming shows and movies—no cable subscription required. But beyond the subscriptions we’ve personally used, we also researched what other experts, including Tech Radar, PC Mag, and Tom’s Guide, have to say about the best streaming services. We compiled and compared information about subscription pricing, bundle options, how many user profiles you can create, and how many devices can stream simultaneously.