I write about entertainment for a living, which means my personal life is a steady stream of people asking me what they should watch. Ten years ago, I’d always ask people what sorta shows and movies they like before handing out my recommendations, but now, my first question is always the same. Which streaming services do you have? There’s never been more entertainment options than there are right now, but there’s also never been more content people are shut out from. Most of us don’t have the money or the desire to subscribe to every streaming service; so, we either play a constant game of cancel and subscribe whack-a-mole or pick a lane with a few services and mentally come to terms with the fact that we’ll probably just never watch some shows our friends are talking about.
While CinemaBlend can’t completely solve that problem, we can help you make better choices. That’s where this list comes in. We sent out a survey to every single one of the writers and editors who works here and asked them to rate every streaming service they subscribe to in a variety of different categories. For the next step, we had them assign scores for original content, hidden gems, variety of content, value and overall user experience. We also had them submit written notes about the things they enjoy and dislike the most about each service, and now, we’ve compiled them together into one handy list.
There’s no one single streaming service that is right for everyone. Based on your own preferences and how thick your wallet is, what’s right for you isn’t going to be what’s right for me, but hopefully, if you’re looking to possibly make some changes, there’s enough information here to point you in the right direction and figure out what the best streaming service is for you.
8. Paramount+
Paramount+: Overall Score = 6.62 / 10
While coming in at the bottom of our list, Paramount+ is still a great streaming platform for fans with specific interests, such as Big Brother, StarTrek, and live sports. The platform also includes CBS' brands like Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, so when nostalgia hits, it's the perfect place to binge classic comedies and childhood shows. With the recent addition of Showtime, the library of content is only getting better.
Check out the individual scores for Paramount+ as well as more information below.
| CATEGORY | DETAILS | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Original Content: | Paramount+ has great original content, but it tends to aim toward hardcore yet niche fandom bases. | 3.23 / 5 |
| Hidden Gems: | An abundance of hidden gems if you are a fan of the classics. | 3.08 / 5 |
| Variety of Content: | While a lot to choose from, the genres of interest are hit and miss and many classic CBS shows frequently pop on and off of the platform. | 3.31 / 5 |
| Value For The Price: | The price is well worth it- if you are looking for specific shows or want immediate access to new episodes right after they drop on CBS. | 3.67 / 5 |
| User Experience: | The interface has a few hiccups, such as incorrect captions and resuming episodes where users left off last, but has greatly improved since launch. | 3.15 / 5 |
7. Amazon Prime
Amazon prime: Overall Score = 6.94 / 10
It's rare that one single company has everything. While most notably an eCommerce giant, Amazon Prime also boasts an extensive streaming platform that contains not only original shows and movies, but also both rental and purchase options. With original hit shows like The Boys and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel coupled with a plethora of other Amazon Prime Subscription perks, the streaming platform is well worth the price but can be daunting due to the sheer number of options and things to explore on the platform.
| CATEGORY | DETAILS | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Original Content: | Amazon's original content is highly praised, but users sometimes find the recent addition of ad breaks frustrating. | 3.56 / 5 |
| Hidden Gems: | With such a vast amount of content, there are definitely hidden gems on the platform- if you're willing to take the time to search. | 3.36 / 5 |
| Variety of Content: | Amazon has one the most vast libraries of content out there, both to rent or purchase. | 3.88 / 5 |
| Value For The Price: | Amazon Prime comes with so many perks outside of streaming that it's worth it to a lot of users to use the streaming feature as an awesome added bonus. | 3.63 / 5 |
| User Experience: | With an app run by an eComm giant, sometimes the user experience can be distracting and hard to navigate without avoiding potential up-sell attempts. | 3.07 / 5 |
6. Peacock
PEACOCK: Overall Score = 7.19 / 10
Jumping in rather late to the streaming game in 2020, NBC's logo-lead Peacock streaming service made waves when they let their contract with Netflix expire for the most popular show on the platform back in 2020 in order to help launch their own streaming product. They have since launched original audience favorites like Traitors, Twisted Metal, and Poker Face, to name a few, furthering their stake as a serious streaming contender.
| CATEGORY | DETAILS | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Original Content: | Although slow to start, Peacock has ramped up their original content and is definitely delivering in multiple genres. | 3.73 / 5 |
| Hidden Gems: | While original and classic comedic content may be a draw for Peacock, the amount of hidden gems is slightly limited. | 3.27 / 5 |
| Variety of Content: | New movies and network shows often air quickly and their library appears to keep growing, yet some content is not available at lower tiers. | 3.56 / 5 |
| Value For The Price: | Like many streaming services, the price is well worth it for fans with specific interests.. | 3.94 / 5 |
| User Experience: | While improvements have been made, many agree the rewind and fast-forward functions can be very buggy and frustrating. | 3.31 / 5 |
5. Apple TV+
APPLE TV+: Overall Score = 7.20 / 10
Although it took awhile for Apple to get into the streaming game, the late 2019 launch of Apple TV+ was a move that made sense for the content juggernaut and has since paid off tremendously. The platform has racked up multiple awards and launched instant classics like Ted Lasso and and Black Bird. They have even added to their movie library with the addition of over 50 licensed titles from studios including Universal, Sony, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
| CATEGORY | DETAILS | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Original Content: | Apple TV+ offers Oscar-winning movies, prestige TV shows and quite a few sports documentaries. | 3.93 / 5 |
| Hidden Gems: | Since most of the content is their own, there are plenty of high-quality shows and movies that might just become your latest obsession. | 3.29 / 5 |
| Variety of Content: | Possibly prioritizing quality over quantity, Apple TV+'s library consists mostly of their own exclusive content. | 2.73 / 5 |
| Value For The Price: | With a 7-day free trial and then just $9.99/month, it's worth checking out. | 3.60 / 5 |
| User Experience: | While well known for their product design, sometimes the interface can be still confusing. | 3.53 / 5 |
4. Disney+
Disney+: Overall Score = 7.27 / 10
It's no surprise that Disney has been dominating the streaming game. The titan of entertainment has been creating classic films, television shows, theme parks, and even live-action remakes of their classics long before most of their competition even stepped foot into the arena. They have also consolidated power through strategic acquisitions of IP such as Hulu, ESPN, Marvel and 20th Century Fox. While their "hidden gems" score may not be top notch, their original content base contains more well-know entries than any other.
| CATEGORY | Header Cell - Column 1 | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Original Content: | For fans of Star Wars or Marvel, the original content coming from Disney+ has been worth the wait. | 3.47 / 5 |
| Hidden Gems: | With a brand so well-known and with so many classics, it's not too easy to find hidden gems. | 2.93 / 5 |
| Variety of Content: | With the addition of more live action shows and Hulu content, the vast library is great for all Disney fans. | 3.60 / 5 |
| Value For The Price: | Bundling tends to be your best bet to maximize the value of the platform. | 3.57 / 5 |
| User Experience: | Even with such a large library, the breakdown of Disney collections and the intuitive app gives Disney+ one of the best user experiences we have seen. | 3.93 / 5 |
3. Netflix
Netflix: Overall Score = 7.29 / 10
Highly considered the original king of the steaming game, Netflix came onto the scene all the way back in 1997, building their company before moving into the streaming game ten years later in 2007. The company challenged traditional movie-watching methods — even making a documentary about Blockbuster Video, their once biggest competitor — and continued their DVD rental service service before finally finally ending it in 2023. Although the price has increased considerably over the years, new and seasoned streaming fans alike still recommend the company, and especially the User Interface that helped pave the way for the way we all stream today.
| CATEGORY | Header Cell - Column 1 | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Original Content: | Netflix creates more original content than any other streaming service in the business. | 4.06 / 5 |
| Hidden Gems: | As one of the original streaming services in the game, Netflix is full of hidden gems. | 3.76 / 5 |
| Variety of Content: | Whether you browse by genre or tell Netflix to "surprise you," the variety of content is nearly unparalleled. | 4.53 / 5 |
| Value For The Price: | Over the years the price of Netflix has continued to increase and sharing restrictions have left many users frustrated. | 3.18 / 5 |
| User Experience: | With time comes wisdom, and that is clearly on display as Netflix earned our highest score for User Experience. | 4.18 / 5 |
1. Hulu (Tied)
Hulu: Overall Score = 7.53 / 10
Out of all the streaming services we reviewed in 2024, Hulu tied for our gold medal with an overall score of 7.53 out of 10. The service has tons of Network shows, original award-winning content, and the ability to be bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+. Hulu also has one of the best "value for the price" scores on our list, meaning if you're looking for the most bang for your buck, Hulu is a solid choice to solve your streaming needs.
| CATEGORY | Header Cell - Column 1 | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Original Content: | Hulu includes multiple award-winning shows as well as recent Network premiers and tons of great original movies. | 3.71 / 5 |
| Hidden Gems: | If you're looking for classic streaming options or sports you might not typically check out, Hulu is a great go-to. | 3.47 / 5 |
| Variety of Content: | Hulu's different tiers allow users to view original content, classics, and even live events like sports or other major television events. | 4.35 / 5 |
| Value For The Price: | For recent cable cutters, a variety of network shows drop on the platform shortly after their cable release, with plans starting at just $7.99/mth. | 3.76 / 5 |
| User Experience: | One of the best things about Hulu is the simplicity of the User Interface. The platform is very user friendly, meaning functions are easy to find, viewers can skip easily from the end of one episode to the next, and you can even control autoplay, which is not always the case for a streaming app designed to keep the binge going. | 3.71 / 5 |
1. Max (Tied)
MAX: Overall Score = 7.53 / 10
The other contender tied for first place, Max, has been known for their ability to create high-end, prestige television. From classic shows like The Sopranos and The Wire, through pop culture greats such as Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones, to more recent wins with Succession and True Detective, it's evident that the brand knows how to create great shows. After going through a rebranding from "HBO Max" to simply "Max" in 2023, the platform eventually absorbed the content from Discovery+, adding to the already massive backlog of available content.
| CATEGORY | Header Cell - Column 1 | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Original Content: | As previously mentioned, there is no better place for Prestige TV. But Max also has the best collection of content for any diehard superhero fan. | 4.19 / 5 |
| Hidden Gems: | If TV dramas aren't enough, the variety of documentaries on Max - with anything from history to conspiracy theories, is unrivaled on the Max platform. | 3.75 / 5 |
| Variety of Content: | Do you want realty shows? Max's addition of Discovery+ has you covered. Look for any other type of genre collection? Max simply makes the most sense. | 4.41 / 5 |
| Value For The Price: | With the ability to watch a vast catalog plus live HBO shows, fans new and seasoned alike will appreciate the amount of content for the price. | 3.71 / 5 |
| User Experience: | Although depending on the streaming device you're using, there have been vast improvements on the Max app since the rebranding from HBO, leading to a much more intuitive experience. | 3.53 / 5 |
