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5 Most Popular and Affordable Streaming Services

What is the Best Streaming Service?

In light of the fact that regular cable TV is making a slow exit from most people’s lives in this day and age, how do you know which streaming service to subscribe to when there are suddenly so many to choose from, and what is the best streaming service?

Out of all the available options, here is a comparison of five of the most popular streaming services available at present and the streaming service subscription cost.

1. Paramount Plus

Subscription cost: $5 per month

Paramount Plus is Viacom CBS’s new on-demand streaming service which replaces CBS All Access. With around 36 million subscribers it is very affordable with subscription plans starting form only $5 per month.
On the Premium Plan, viewers also have access to the live CBS TV channel which includes a large selection of movies and TV shows.

Pros:
A few pros of Paramount Plus is that in addition to CBS series, it uses programs from Viacom cable channels like MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. It also exclusively offers shows like “iCarly” and “Star Trek” which forms part of the large collection of classic TV shows, live CBS with Premium Plan and Paramount Films streaming only 45 days after being released in theater.

Cons:
The only real con we can find for Paramount Plus is that it offers less exclusive content than the other platforms.

2. Peacock

Subscription cost: $5 per month

Peacock is a very popular streaming service, listed in the top five ranking across the board, with 42 million subscribers. If you do not mind the ads, you can watch many live news, sporting events, shows and movies free of charge.

Some of the many popular NBC series are available, like “The Tonight Show,” “Saturday Night Live” and “The Office” as well as their more recent addition of WWE shows which is great for wrestling fans. Viewers can also enjoy some Peacock originals shows as well as shows like “Saved by the Bell,” “Dr. Death,” “Girls5eva” and “Punky Brewster.”

Pros:
Peacock releases its own originals, and it is free of charge if you do not mind ads.

Cons:
One of the cons is that a Peacock Premium subscription at $5 per month still has ads and also not the widest variety of exclusive shows.

3. Apple TV Plus

Subscription cost: $5 per month

Being one of the newest streaming services, you may be wondering what is Apple TV Plus? Apple TV Plus is catching up fast with 40 million subscribers already.

As with all things Apple, you can expect to find shows with A-list talent and shows to impress. Some of the Apple TV shows include “The Morning Show,” “Servant” and “Ted Lasso,” which is a multi-Emmy winning series.
It’s also one of the most affordable streaming services, with the subscription cost starting from only $5 per month.

Pros:
For ad-free access, the streaming subscription costs $5 per month and it features a range of exclusive shows and movies. There is also the option to rent or to purchase movies and streaming channels can be added on.

Another added benefit getting Apple TV Plus is that if you have other Apple services, you can consider the Apple One Bundle, which includes Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple TV Plus and 50 gigabytes of iCloud storage for a reasonable fee of $15 per month.

Cons:
At this stage, and considering Apple TV Plus is still one of the newer services, the line-up of movies is rather limited compared to other services.

4. Hulu

Subscription cost: $5.99 per month

Hulu has slightly more subscribers than Apple TV Plus, but definitely offers a much larger variety of programming. With 41.6 million subscribers and being owned by The Walt Disney Company, you can enjoy original Hulu shows like “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Little Fires Everywhere” and “Mrs. America.”

A Hulu account will cost you from $5.99 per month and it will be worthwhile as it has won many awards for its programming.

Pros:
Viewers can subscribe to channels like HBO and get a discounted bundle with ESPN Plus and Disney Plus. There is also an on-demand library with live TV option.

Cons:
It’s got no HDR, the Basic Plan includes commercials and it is more difficult to share due to its two-device limit on the Basic Plan.

5. Netflix

Subscription cost: Starting at $8.99 per month

With a whopping 209 million subscribers, Netflix definitely still takes first place right at the top of the streaming service ladder. It’s no surprise as Netflix has dropped some extremely successful series over the past few years.

Shows like “The Queen’s Gambit,” “Orange is the New Black” and “Ozark” have captured viewers and given new meaning to binge-watching series. A Netflix subscription will cost you from $8.99 per month, but with the massive selection of series and movies, you may find it worthwhile.

The foreign content that Netflix has attained has also gotten a lot of attention with series like “Money Heist,” giving the film industry in other countries a foot in the door. Like “Lucifer,” Netflix has chosen to pick up shows which have been dropped by other networks and made them successful.

Pros:
It goes without saying that the enormous library of original movies and series is unbeatable as well as the huge variety of genres, from documentaries, true crime and Anime.

Cons:
This service is more expensive than its competitors and it seems that its new movie selection is slightly more limited.