The question of what movie to watch is a loaded one. The list of movies to watch in your Notes app bends to the will of passwords you’ve acquired for various streaming services whether your own or from a generous friend or family member.
Most of us have our staple service — the one that’s been solidified into our monthly budget like bills and rent. (This is Netflix for most people in the U.S.) But ol’ reliable probably doesn’t have every single film you want to watch, especially when titles are constantly flip-flopping which service they call home.
New year, new streaming service
Counting just the past few years, we’re technically not wrongWired marks 2018 as the start of the streaming wars. That’s the year that the internet had a meltdown over Friends potentially leaving Netflix — those panic-stricken stans had no idea that The Office‘s departure was about to wreak havoc in a few short years. Read more…
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THE BEST, PERIOD
Netflix
There’s a reason that the iconic buh bum sound just played in your head — Netflix is that widespread because it’s that good.
- Price: $8.99/month for Basic, $13.99/month for Standard, or $17.99/month for Premium
- Free trial: None
- Max simultaneous streams: 1 with Basic, 2 with Standard, or 4 with Premium
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BEST FOR DISNEY, MARVEL, AND STAR WARS
Disney+
The combination of nostalgia and action between Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and vault classics is unbeatable.
- Price: $6.99/month
- Free trial: None
- Max simultaneous streams: 4
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BEST FOR THEATRICAL RELEASES AT HOME
HBO Max
A month of HBO Max costs less than a movie ticket and grants access to new Warner Bros. theatrical releases.
- Price: $14.99/month
- Free trial: 7 days
- Max simultaneous streams: 3
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BEST FOR AMAZON REGULARS
Amazon Prime Video
Anyone who already pays for Prime shipping has access to one of the best streaming libraries on the market.
- Price: $12.99/month or $119/year
- Free trial: 30 days
- Max simultaneous streams: 3
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BEST COMBO OF MOVIES AND LIVE TV
Hulu
Hulu continues to challenge Netflix with an increasing number of originals and recently-released films.
- Price: $5.99/month or $11.99/month for no ads
- Free trial: 7 days
- Max simultaneous streams: 2 (unless you upgrade to Hulu + Live TV)
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BEST FOR HORROR
Shudder
A must in the pocket of any horror fan, Shudder organizes its scary-good selection of classics and originals with sick curation.
- Free trial: 7 days
- Price: $5.99/month
- Max simultaneous streams: 1
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BEST FOR UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND DREAMWORKS CONTENT
Peacock
You’ll end up in a paid tier if you care about ‘The Office,’ but a huge majority of Peacock’s movies are available for free.
- Price: Free for some content, $4.99/month for Premium with ads, $9.99/month for ad-free Premium
- Free trial: 7 days
- Max simultaneous streams: 3
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BEST RENTAL SERVICE
Vudu
Walmart’s movie platform is a wicked up-to-date rental service that often touts films that just left theaters.
- Price: Rentals range from $1.99 to $19.99, plus free movies
- Free trial: None, but get 30% off first rental or purchase
- Max simultaneous streams: 3
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BEST FREE LIBRARY
Tubi
Between its surprisingly-legit library and non-existent monthly charge, there’s no reason to not download Tubi.
- Price: Free
- Free trial: N/A
- Max simultaneous streams: N/A
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BEST FOR STAR-STUDDED ORIGINALS
Apple TV+
Head to Apple TV+ for fresh original films and music docs featuring some pretty huge stars.
- Price: $4.99/month
- Free trial: 7 days
- Max simultaneous streams: 6
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BEST FOR NICHE AWARD WINNERS
Sundance Now
Your whole friend group can peruse this collection of stellar films that often don’t hit the mainstream.
- Price: $6.99/month
- Free trial: 7 days
- Max simultaneous streams: Unlimited
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BEST FOR PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE CBS ALL ACCESS
Paramount+
CBS All Access is rebranding to Paramount+, a more expansive service featuring carry-over content plus favorite Paramount films.
- Price: $5.99/month with ads or $9.99/month ad-free (expected)
- Free trial: 7 days
- Max simultaneous streams: 2
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BEST FOR FREE DOCUMENTARIES
Documentary+
It only takes seconds to get lost in a new nonfiction world on this totally free documentary app.
- Price: Free
- Free trial: N/A
- Max simultaneous streams: Unlimited (no account necessary)
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BEST FOR DOCUSERIES
PBS Video
Catch ‘Masterpiece’, ‘Nova,’ and other PBS-exclusive shows on the broadcast service’s free app.
- Price: $5/month for Thirteen Passport, some free content
- Free trial: N/A
- Max simultaneous streams: 1
Source : From Netflix to Hulu to Disney+: The best streaming sites for movies
