Overview
The Best, Period
Netflix
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Best For Disney, Marvel, And Star Wars
Disney+
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Best For Theatrical Releases At Home
HBO Max
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Best For Amazon Regulars
Amazon Prime Video
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Best For Big Blockbusters
Showtime
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Table of Contents
Most of us have our go-to movie streaming service — the one that's been inserted into our monthly budget alongside obviously comparable essentials like groceries and rent. But whether your service of choice is Netflix or Hulu, ol' reliable probably doesn't have every single film you want to watch, especially when titles are constantly flip-flopping on which service they call home.
To understand why, exactly, the “To Watch” list in your Letterboxd needs to bend to the will of whatever streaming service decides to play host to a particular movie, let’s roll things back to 2018 for a second. That’s the year that Wired marks as the start of the streaming wars, and it’s also the year that the internet had a complete meltdown over Friends potentially leaving Netflix — long before equally panic-stricken stans had to overcome The Office's havoc-wreaking departure as well.
Since then, the streaming service market has been an ever-evolving clusterf*ck of new streamers rolling out one after the other: Disney+ in 2019, HBO Max and Peaco*ck in 2020, and then the full-fledged metamorphosis of CBS All Access into the far more epic Paramount+ in 2021. (Not to mention a myriad of niche platforms that were also introduced in the past few years.)
But why can’t they all get along and let us have one big, happy streaming service? Well, like everything else, it’s all about the Benjamins, baby.
More and more networks and media conglomerates are deciding that they want the rights to their own stuff rather than letting Netflix and Hulu rake in the subscription fees. Fair enough. But for the viewer, keeping track of which libraries are worth yet another $7 to $15 per month often leads to shamelessly begging an acquaintance for their password. (Although caps on maximum simultaneous streams have made this tactic a lot more difficult to pull off.)
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Until it gets that ^ easy, we're here to break down the advantages and disadvantages of each app —both generally and for specific fandoms.
What should you look for in a movie streaming service?
Obviously, the number of movies (and whether those movies actually pique your interest) is a given piece of criteria when choosing the right movie streaming site (or sites) for you. A close second to that is the price of the service, of course. In addition, considering some other key factors can help set similar platforms apart.
Concurrent stream allowance: Despite a few platforms threatening to crack down on password sharing in recent years, pretty much every mainstream streaming service allows at least two streams at once. This means that a handful of people on different devices or in different households can use the same login info and watch at the same time. Large families or friend groups who plan to share an account should probably opt for a service that allows at least three devices streaming at once, or seek a service that offers an "unlimited streams" add-on for an additional cost.
Free trials: It's always nice to preview a service before you make a monetary commitment. Most movie streaming services offer a free week (or maybe even a month with some more generous platforms) wherein you can browse the full library, test the 4K or HDR upscaling (if you care about that), and get an overall idea of how smoothly or laggily the interface runs.
4K and HDR support: People who have gotten used to binge-watching in regular HD on the TV they've had since college probably don't care much about higher resolution viewing. Others can't focus on anything but the indistinguishable blobs. The latter group of people will have to be pickier about the apps they pay for — because while 4K TVs are common nowadays, content available to stream in 4K isn't, yet. For instance, Netflix only unlocks 4K and HDR upscaling if you bump your plan to the most expensive one, and HBO Max only offers it for certain movies. Higher-quality viewing will require a certain internet speed, too.
Compatible devices: No one's gonna pay for a movie streaming service that's impossible to access on their smart TV (or on the streaming device they use to access streaming apps on their TV). As new services have launched, some have had issues playing nicely with streaming devices like Fire TV and Roku for a period of time, but the bugs tend to shake out in a month or so. As it stands now, it should be safe to assume that each movie streaming site we’ve listed below is compatible with the interface of most big-brand TVs, the main mobile operating systems (iOS and Android), top streaming media players (Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV), and gaming consoles (Playstation and Xbox).
How do I stream outside the US?
Signing up for a VPN can open the door to a plethora of international shows and films that aren't available in America. VPNs essentially allow you to make up your own internet rules by carving out a personal security tunnel in which you browse, stream, or game the way you normally would.
That security tunnel paves the way for location spoofing and getting around location-based roadblocks or censors. All decent VPNs offer a wide selection of servers based in multiple geographic locations. Picking one of those essentially tricks your ISP into thinking your device is based there, maneuvering around geoblocks and opening the door to international content, like another country's Netflix library.
The case against pirated movie websites
VPNs and cybersecurity go hand in hand. When framing cybersecurity around movies, the conversation naturally leads to pirated movie sites. We've all used them, and admittedly, they've saved all of our asses once or twice when we couldn't find the movie we wanted anywhere else. But they're not as instantaneous as we give them credit for — not when you have to "X" out of five (usually very graphic) pop-up ads before the movie starts, plus each time you need to pause or fast forward. Not only does the experience just suck, but a misdirected click on an infected ad could get you sent to a website with malware waiting in the wings.
Malware spreading is much more likely if you actually download the movie or a whole app rather than watching in a browser, but you still need to take precautions if you go down this slippery slope. Antivirus software is the obvious first line of defense here (and yes, Macs need to be armed with antivirus too), but that doesn't help with the clunky interface or volatility of these sites. Stuff freezes, audio stops working, and people's words don't match the motions of their mouths. Most pirated movie sites are shut down eventually, too, and/or frequently have to change their domain name to stay up and running. It's just not a reliable setup, especially with free apps like Tubi and Documentary+ out there.
What about premium movie channels?
Not keen on just rolling over and letting the biggest streaming platforms — like Netflix and Disney+ — run the streaming game, premium cable channels like HBO, Showtime, STARZ, and EPIX are now offering streaming apps of their own so subscribers don't need to be tied to a cable contract to access their blockbuster lineups. After all, it's way easier to control your month-to-month subscription to premium channels when it's squarely in your hands, not your cable company's.
They're all certainly worthy additions to your rotation of movie streaming services. But so far, only HBO Max is creating content — Max Originals — that is exclusive to app subscribers. The others provide all the same movies and shows as you'd get when you sign up with your cable provider (which is nothing to sneeze at!), but offer no extra content ... yet.
Also keep in mind that you can subscribe to many of these premium channels as add-ons via other streaming platforms, like Hulu and Amazon Prime. In most cases, you won't get a special discount or anything, but bundling them is incredibly convenient, and it's definitely something to consider if the thought of juggling a half-dozen (or more) streaming service subscriptions is getting a little overwhelming.
What’s the difference between movie streaming services and live TV services?
We’ve already established that there are a ton of streaming services out there, but cutting the cord with your cable company often requires at least a two-pronged approach to get the shows and movies you love. Many streaming services have a mix of both television series and films, but most really stand out for one more than the other — and only a small handful will hook you up with the live TV you’ve grown so accustomed to through traditional cable.
Platforms like Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV offer an assortment of live channels for a costly monthly fee. While these are clutch for catching sports, TV shows, or the news as it airs, a live TV streaming service is probably not a necessary investment for those who are more interested in watching movies. And for you, dear cinephile, we present our roundup of the best movie streaming sites that you should consider adding to your lineup of subscriptions.
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The Best, Period
Death, taxes, and Netflix. We're at the point where access to Netflix (whether through your own login or someone else's) is so ubiquitous, the app barely requires explanation. But to sum up the ins and outs for those who have yet to hop on the bandwagon, it's the first place to check for that random movie you've been itching to watch, plus a good number of the most popular Netflix Originals you've been hearing about around the proverbial water cooler.
A respectable subscription price gets you access to over 3,000 movie titles, including Django Unchained, The Conjuring (1 and 2), Shrek, and Midnight in Paris, the range of which showcase the unmatched variety and relevance of Netflix’s lineup. This is only amplified by critically-acclaimed Netflix originals like Beasts of No Nation, Da 5 Bloods, Marriage Story and Roma, as well as fun titles like To All the Boys I've Loved Before and The Kissing Booth (and all of their many sequels).
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Best For Disney, Marvel, And Star Wars
It took forever for us to get a streaming service with all things Disney in one damn place. But Disney+ proved that it was a force to be reckoned with when it sucked in 10 million subscribers within 24 hours of launch.
Let's not kid here: It's hard to beat the streaming platform that's home to all of the Star Wars movies and all of the Marvel movies. (Not to mention their buzzworthy spin-offs, like The Mandalorian and WandaVision.) Even for people who have never seen a single movie from either franchise, Disney+ is worth the cost for the pure nostalgia. With all the classic Disney princess movies and Pixar favorites, plus throwbacks like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and Home Alone, it's a must-have, family-friendly favorite. The only part that's not such a fairytale is the absence of a free trial.
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Best For Theatrical Releases At Home
HBO Max launched in May 2020 — over 10 years after Netflix moved to streaming. But with HBO Max's announcement that it would host each new release of the entire Warner Bros. 2021 lineup on the same day the movies were slated to hit theaters, it quickly secured a stronghold on the market. Godzilla vs. Kong, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and Space Jam: A New Legacy are just a few highly-awaited titles that have us sold.
The streaming service essentially combines the libraries of its predecessors, ending the confusion of HBO GO vs. HBO NOW. And while the same-day-streaming perk didn't last forever (Cineworld signed a multi-year deal with Warner Bros. to exclusively show its movies in U.S. theaters starting in 2022), the gap between theatrical release and streaming platform debut is just 45 days.
Plus, HBO Max is still home to a blockbuster rotation of over 1,300 hit films to compete with Netflix and friends, including Max Originals like Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Roald Dahl’s The Witches, and popular movies that are not HBO titles like The King of Staten Island and Suicide Squad.
And yes, the HBO Max app is finally supported everywhere — including both Fire TV and Roku devices — so everyone can stream wherever they want.
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Best For Amazon Regulars
The frequently-Googled question "Is Amazon Prime worth it?" seems like a "duh" moment when you consider that fast and free shipping also comes with fast and free access to one of the best streaming libraries on the market. Amazon Prime Video streaming is simply an included perk of a Prime account if you already have one. However, it can also be purchased on its own for those on a budget, albeit without all of the myriad perks that make Prime so great.
While Prime Video members still have to pay to rent some titles (like ones still in theaters or freshly released), over 21,000 films are completely free. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Selah and the Spades, The Tomorrow War, and Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse are just a few of them. (Pause to ogle Michael B. Jordan.) The most annoying part, however, is that free and paid titles are mixed together, and the browsing function can be generally chaotic and even misleading. But your patience will ultimately be rewarded.
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Best For Big Blockbusters
One of the OG cable networks to bring blockbuster hits straight into your home, Showtime now has an ad-free streaming app so you can stream popular movies, original series, and riveting documentaries anywhere your favorite streaming device has a WiFi connection — no cables or contracts required.
Showtime is home to several original series that alone make the service worth the price of subscription, but movie lovers in particular, will enjoy the well-curated and varied selection of new and classic hits currently on offer, including Footloose, Midsommar, Minari, and Sophie's Choice.
With over 500 movies available at any given time — one of the largest offerings from the premium cable lineup — and a rotation of top-tier hits always being refreshed, Showtime is a trusty addition to your streaming roster.
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Best Combo of Movies and Live TV
Hulu is forever the service that gets compared directly to Netflix and, more recently, has had to compete with HBO Max, Peaco*ck, and others as the best Netflix alternative. But it has held its own despite the competition over the past few years.
Though probably more sought out for its TV selection (including episodes of shows like SNL and The Bachelor becoming available the day after they air), Hulu has still amassed a formidable library of movies. There are blockbusters like Deadpool and The Hunger Games, more recent releases like 2022 Oscar-nominated Spencer and 2020 Best Picture winner Nomadland, and originals like No Exit and The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
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Best For Horror
The horror junkies reading this have likely already plowed through Netflix or Hulu's hit-or-miss horror section. When that happens, it's time to pay for Shudder and its macabre medley of classics from the 1970s to now, including a hefty collection of terrifying international films (The Wailing) and other exclusive gems (The Dark and the Wicked) that didn't quite make it to the mainstream.
Traditional movie categorization doesn't exactly apply to a streaming app where just one genre is the focus, but Shudder's curation is on point. Slashics, Zombie Jamboree, Trapped, and Serial Killers are just a few of the ultra-specific subgenres that streamline the search process. Shudder also deserves kudos for its original films: Host and Revenge have quickly become cult favorites.
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Best For Universal Pictures and Dreamworks Content
Contrary to popular belief, there's more to watch on Peaco*ck than just The Office! In a move far more generous than competing apps can claim, roughly two-thirds of Peaco*ck's content is free (albeit ad-supported), including shows, movies, news, sports, and even most Peaco*ck Originals.
A paid account, however, gets rid of ads on all the content and unlocks access to a few exclusive movies (like The Boss Baby: Family Business and 10 Things We Should Do Before We Break Up). Still, the real draw of Peaco*ck Premium is less about the movies — since most are already free — and more about unlocking access to live sports and every episode of new and old TV favorites.
That said, Peaco*ck grants you access to huge blockbusters, including all films in the John Wick, Harry Potter, and The Godfather collections. The premium spread may not be as vast as apps with a movie count in the thousands, but the value is in the small price you pay — if anything at all.
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Best Rental Service
Being an adult means keeping track of where your money goes and all the endless bills that stack up — including monthly streaming services that accumulate over time, even when you’re not using them. Vudu offers a clutch on-demand alternative when there's no room in the budget to squeeze another auto-renewing streaming subscription into your ever-growing roster.
Like your typical rental service, you'll only pay for movies you care about — but this library isn't the typical obscure, early-2000s spread you're picturing. In the past, it's been a place to catch Oscar and Golden Globe nominees before they're streaming elsewhere. (Most of the latest movies released go for $19.99.) And the sale section is far more relevant than Walmart's $5 DVD bin, too. Recent deals have included Spider-Man: Far From Home, Aquaman, It: Chapter Two and This is the End.
One major note: You have 30 days from the time of the rental to rewatch your movie, but the grace period requires you to watch the movie from start to finish within 24 hours, so only pull the trigger when you know you have a few hours free in the next day.
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Best Entirely Free Library
The fact that Tubi is totally free is reason enough to keep it in your streaming arsenal. But it won't be one of those free movie streaming platforms that you scroll through every few months just to find that the titles haven't gotten any less D-list. Tubi is home to so many underrated hidden gems, as well as popular titles that may be hard to find for free elsewhere like Pearl Harbor, Gone in 60 Seconds, True Lies, and multiple Rob Zombie films.
Anyone considering a free streaming app probably isn't expecting luxurious streaming features. If you care about HD streaming or the ability to download movies to watch offline, Tubi may not be your top choice. But hey, free's free.
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Best For Star-Studded Originals
Apple likes to carve their own path in everything they do, and their premium streaming service is certainly no exception. Unlike other movie streaming sites that have their own original programming alongside a vast library of acquired content, Apple TV+ is comprised mainly of original programming. That nips the opportunity to hunt down big blockbusters that you may have had a hankering for, but it's a fun spot to try out buzzed-about gems (usually with lots of star power) if you've exhausted your streaming options elsewhere.
Apple TV+ hosts many fresh series that steal the spotlight, but their exclusive films and documentaries deserve just as much attention. Both Beastie Boys and Billie Eilish documentaries are there, as well as several films tied to huge, A-list names like Greyhound (Tom Hanks), The Banker (Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson), Palmer (Justin Timberlake), and Cherry (Tom Holland). It’s also home to family-friendly classics, including all of the Peanuts holiday specials.
On top of all that, six simultaneous streams (that’s double what most services allow) and HDR support are rare instances of Apple being more generous than they have to be.
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Best For Niche Award Winners
If your confidence in the film you’re about to watch instantly skyrockets when you see the Sundance stamp of approval before the opening credits, then Sundance Now should be at the top of your movie streaming roster. The app brings together all of the best award winners in addition to new original content from independent and foreign artists, including Lady Macbeth, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and Fargo.
However, a max resolution of 720p seems like an odd way to entice the cinephiles who would be drawn to the Sundance app in the first place. But the unlimited allowance of people who can watch at once softens the blow of the just-kind-of-average streaming quality.
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Best For Everyone in the Family
Formerly known as CBS All Access — a small, niche streaming service with just a few dozen movies — Paramount+ has expanded its library to include the catalogs of even more ViacomCBS properties, including Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, and the Smithsonian Channel. This is great news not only because of the impressive amount of new and old TV series that can now be streamed but also for the breadth of movies covering the varied interests of the entire family.
Paramount+ is home to exclusive releases, such as A Quiet Place Part II and PAW Patrol: The Movie, as well as their own Paramount+ Originals like The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run and Infinite, a sci-fi thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor. And, since the streaming service is home to several Star Trek spinoff series, it's only right that it's also home to movies like Star Trek Beyond and Star Trek Into Darkness.
The streaming website also just exclusively debuted a new Paranormal Activity sequel, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, and has a Pet Semetary prequel in the works, so there’s still a lot to get excited about when it comes to this rapidly expanding service.
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Best For Free Documentaries
If nonfiction is your preferred film-streaming genre, you can now get your fill of gripping and educational documentaries without even signing up for anything.
Documentary+ opens the door to docs in a wide variety of categories including pop culture, sports, true crime, and nature — all for free. Seriously. No personal info is required to watch, and making an account isn't even an option!
With that kind of unfettered access, it'll take a while for even the most devoted documentary watchers to tear through this robust menu including award winners Night School and Woman on Fire as well as buzzed-about true-crime hits like Cropsey, The Imposter, and Cruel and Unusual.
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Best For Docuseries
PBS is documentary and docuseries royalty. Whether you don't have cable or always miss new releases when they air, adding the PBS Video streaming app to your arsenal guarantees that you'll always have something new to learn. There is some free content, but most of the classic movies and new releases that you'll care about require a meager sum of money to access.
Think of the price of a Thirteen Passport as a donation to your local PBS station. A minimum of $5 per month is required to sustain the membership, which opens up on-demand access to the most popular shows and docs like Victoria and Masterpiece.
Bonus: A Membercard also locks in discounts to over 80 museums and theaters near you, so you can double down on your at-home and in-person commitment to knowledge and entertainment.
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Best For Those Overwhelmed by Choice
The STARZ streaming app boasts all of the premium cable network's original series and well over 100 hit movies available to stream whenever and wherever you want, without committing to a contract. It may not be a whole lot, but it’s all the same content you'd get with STARZ through a cable provider, and it’s all completely on your own terms.
You can stream your favorite movies from today and yesterday, like This Is the End, Bad Boys for Life, There's Something About Mary, Jumanji: The Next Level, and Top Gun. There's a lot for the whole family to choose from, but the generous number of concurrent streams will make it so that no one needs to fight for access to all the best entertainment. Plus, you can download content to watch offline for all those times you can’t hook up to that precious WiFi.
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Best For Yesterday’s Hits
With more than 250 movies available at any given time, EPIX is a solid choice for streaming some of the best movies at your leisure. Not only can you stream ad-free content on-demand, but you can also stream movies and TV series as they air on four live channels in the app. Even better, feel free to download content for offline viewing, too!
The premium cable channel plays host to their own buzzworthy original series, and though they may not have the latest movies, they tend to acquire relatively recent titles spanning all genres, from Skyfall to Bill & Ted Face the Music to Arrival. They're not completely upfront about the exact number of simultaneous streams they allow, but they do say that subscribers can watch on multiple devices at once. However, if you get EPIX as a premium add-on with another service — like Amazon Prime or Hulu — you'll be subject to that streaming service's concurrent stream limit anyway.
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TopicsAmazon Prime VideoDisney+FilmHuluNetflixStreaming
Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers essential home tech like vacuums and TVs as well as sustainable swaps and travel. Her ever-growing experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
Leah graduated from Penn State University in 2016 with dual degrees in Sociology and Media Studies. When she's not writing about shopping (or shopping online for herself), she's almost definitely watching a horror movie, "RuPaul's Drag Race," or "The Office." You can follow her on X at @notleah or email her at [emailprotected].
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