10 Best Netflix alternatives for streaming movies & TV shows
Tyler Lee
When it comes to online video streaming for TV shows and movies, Netflix has become pretty much synonymous with that. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Netflix is the best. After all, there are plenty of other streaming services that might have shows or movies that are more suited to your needs.
If you are looking for Netflix alternatives, then do check out our list as we have put together some of the best Netflix alternatives for streaming movies and TV shows online.
Some of you might know Plex from its earlier days as a software that helps you create your own server that you can stream content from. The company and its offerings have since grown and expanded, where it now also plays home to a catalogue of various shows and movies. The best part is that it is free to watch, although you’ll have to put up with ads, but if you don’t, it could be worth taking a look at.
If you don’t fancy having to pay for a subscription or you don’t like ads, it might sound a bit demanding, but Hoopla actually has you covered. The company’s catalogue consists of a variety of shows, ranging from dramas, classics, documentaries, and more. Granted, you might not necessarily have access to the latest shows or movies, but if you’re fine with that, Hoopla just requires you to sign in using your library card and you’re set!
Speaking of library cards, if you don’t have one you might consider getting one because Kanopy is a good and free alternative to Netflix. It also accepts student cards so if you have either, you’ll be able to access a ton of great TV shows and movies all for free. It is also supported on multiple platforms so you can watch on your TV, smartphone, or tablet.
A lot of the time, we recognize movies because of their heavy advertisements and trailers, but Hollywood is a machine that churns out both blockbusters and those that go straight to DVD/Blu-ray. If you don’t mind ads and want a free streaming service, Vudu actually has a pretty decently-sized catalogue that you could explore, although they might not necessarily have the latest titles or titles you’ve heard of (you’ll have to pay for those).
Initially known as IMDb Freedive, the Amazon-owned outlet has since been rebranded to IMDb TV. It is a free streaming service, but unfortunately its library is pretty small. The upside though is that while its library is small, the focus here seems to be on quality where it actually houses titles you’ve actually heard of, with actors that you’ve probably seen before. Since it is free, we suppose it’s hard to complain.
If you’re concerned about watching shows you’re familiar with that are produced by studios you’ve heard of, then Disney+ is probably where it’s at. It is, of course, not free, but it has movies and TV shows that are popular not just amongst adults, but also if you have kids that you need to entertain. It also has original TV series that have proven to be extremely popular, like The Mandalorian and Wandavision, just to name a few.
Streaming services can be expensive, especially if you’re subscribed to multiple at once. The good news is that if you want to save a bit of money, Hulu’s ad-supported tier could be worth it. Priced at $5.99 a month, Hulu has a ton of popular TV series like Seinfeld, ER, Futurama, and so on. The downside is that for now, Hulu is only available in the US and Japan.
Unlike the other services mentioned above, The Roku Channel doesn’t actually license the content it makes available. Instead, it acts like an aggregator that puts together content from various other free services so you can watch it all in one place. The disadvantage here is that you’ll need to own a Roku device for it to work, but if you already have one at home, then you’ll definitely want to check it out.
If you don’t necessarily need to watch the latest TV shows or movies, Crackle could be a good alternative to Netflix. It is free and its library boasts various types of popular TV shows and movies from the good old days. It might not have the largest catalogue we’ve seen, but since it’s free, you can just hop on or off any time you want. It is ad-supported so you’ll have to put up with the occasional ad that pops up every now and then.
While YouTube probably doesn’t have mainstream TV shows or movies, they do have a library of movies and shows you can rent. There is also YouTube Premium that removes ads and also grants you access to various original content. Don’t forget, Cobra Kai was originally launched on YouTube Premium (when it was known as YouTube Red). Plus with there being tens of thousands of creators, there’s bound to be content you’ll enjoy streaming.
