Best On-Demand Streaming Services

Find the best streaming service for you with as we compare new TV shows, binge-worthy series, and Original movies.

Best Streaming Service Overall
Netflix
Netflix
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
Prices
$6.99-$30.98
Best for Newer Content
Hulu
Hulu
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
Prices
$7.99-$17.99
Best Benefits for the Family
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime Video
3 out of 5 stars
3
Monthly price
$8.99–$14.99
Best for Disney Fanatics
Disney Plus
Disney+
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
Monthly price
$7.99–$13.99
Best for Excellent Productions
Max
HBO Max
4 out of 5 stars
4
Monthly price
$9.99–$15.99
Chantel Buchi
Mar 12, 2024
Icon Time To Read9 min read

So you're looking for the best on-demand streaming service for you.

You want to find one that has the on-demand TV series and movies that will keep you entertained for hours. We hear ya.

We know it isn’t that simple (there are many to choose from), so we’ve put together our top five best streaming services list, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Max. We'll also tell you why these services might be great or not so great for you and your family.

What’s important to you? Lots of content, newer content, more benefits, family-friendly content, or Original content? Let’s find out.

Quick comparison—best on-demand streaming services
Streaming service
Monthly price*
Details
Netflix$6.99–$19.99
Hulu$7.99-$17.99
Amazon Prime$8.99–$14.99
Disney Plus$9.99-$159.99
(HBO) Max logo black$9.99–$15.99
Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change. Data verified as of the article's publication date.

reviews.org next zip logo
To stream without lag, you'll want a good internet connection. Find internet providers in your area.

Netflix: Best streaming service overall

Netflix’s Originals changed the game for on-demand streaming services. That, plus its user-friendly interface and huge on-demand library, make Netflix the best on-demand streaming service in the industry.

How much does Netflix cost?
Plan
Monthly price
Details
Netflix Standard with Ads$6.99/mo.*
Netflix Standard$15.49/mo.*
Netflix Standard w/extra member slots$23.48/mo.
Netflix Premium$22.99/mo.*
Netflix Premium w/extra member slots$30.98/mo.
* Compatible device and internet connection required. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Compatible device and internet connection required. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Extra members have their own account and password, but their membership is paid for by the person who invited them to share their Netflix account.

What we like about Netflix

  • Netflix has unbeatable Original content, not to mention its vast on-demand library.
  • This service also has a great interface and features.

Netflix has content you’ll get hooked on

The one-of-a-kind, Original content you get with Netflix includes hilarious comedy specials along with TV series and movies with famous actors. So you’re guaranteed an enjoyable watching experience when you need to pass the time.

Need a laugh? Watch a comedy special by Nate Bargatze or Bert Kreischer.

Need to escape from reality? Get sucked into the movie Reptile with Justin Timberlake or the series Ancient Apocolypse.

Other Originals include the following:

  • Selling Sunset
  • Ginny & Georgia
  • You
  • Virgin River
  • All the Light We Cannot See
  • Wednesday
  • The Fall of the House of Usher
  • Life On Our Planet
  • Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  • The Crown

The interface we all love

You know we all love the organization of Netflix’s homepage with its vertical rows of suggestions. Netflix sifts through its content for us by putting them in categories of Popular, Trending, New Releases, Top 10 in the US Today, and more.

Netflix homepage November 2023

It even categorizes by genre. So jump straight to documentaries to watch Quarterback or action movies to watch the Rush Hour movies. But you should expect to sift through 6,000+ titles in total!

An awesome feature Netflix has is strong parental controls. We named it the best streaming service for kids because you can create a kids profile and a PIN. So just tap on your Kids profile on your streaming device, and you won’t have to worry about your little ones accessing mature content.

What we don’t like about Netflix

  • Unfortunately, Netflix is the priciest on-demand streaming service.

Netflix has four plans, but you'll likely want the $23/month one

Netflix has some of the priciest plans in the industry. But you get what you pay for, right?

What are Netflix’s subscription plans?

  • Standard with ads ($6.99/mo.): You can access most of Netflix's library on two devices at a time in standard definition (HD).
  • Standard Plan ($15.49/mo.): You can stream Netflix's entire library add-free on one device at a time in standard definition (HD) and access downloads on one device.
  • Standard Plan w/ extra member slot ($23.48/mo.): You and another member can enjoy a Netflix Standard plan.
  • Premium Plan ($22.99/mo.): You can stream Netflix on four devices at a time in HD and Ultra HD and also access downloads on four devices.
  • Premium Plan w/ extra member slot ($30.98/mo.): You and an extra member can enjoy a Netflix Premium plan.

So if you want to share Netflix with the family or your roommates, the Premium Plan is the way to go.

Hulu: Best for newer content

Hulu is best for cord-cutters because of its great feature: recently-aired TV episodes will be available on this streaming service by the next day.

How much does Hulu cost?
Plan
Monthly price
Details
Hulu$7.99/mo.
Hulu (no ads)$17.99/mo.^
30 day free trial, then 7.99/mo. includes ads
^ Hulu (No Ads) excludes a few shows that play with ads before and after the video.

What we like about Hulu

  • Hulu is best for newly released content.
  • This service's lowest-priced plan is affordable.

Get new episodes the following day

If you’re all caught up with The Good Doctor and want the new episodes the day after they air, you need Hulu to avoid spoilers on social media.

Hulu is the only service that stores next-day episodes of TV shows aired on FOX, ABC, MTV, TLC, CBS, FX, History Channel, A&E, Bravo, and more. 

Hulu is also great for those who want to stop paying for the cable bill because you’ll get access to the following shows after they air on television:

  • The Bachelor/ Bachelorette
  • Project Runway
  • Celebrity Jeopardy
  • RuPaul's Drag Race
  • Hell's Kitchen
  • Special Forces: World's Toughest Test
  • Married at First Sight
  • The Amazing Race
  • Lego Masters
  • The Simpsons
  • Naked and Afraid
  • Most Terrifying Places In America
  • Hideous Houses
  • Cutthroat Kitchen

We must warn you that Peacock has acquired all NBC shows, so new episodes of Saturday Night Live and Chicago Fire will no longer be on Hulu.

Choose to have ads or no ads

Hulu recently increased its pricing (again) by $2, making the no-ad plan that much more expensive than Max's no-ad plan and Netflix's Standard plan. (Hulu used to be considered one of the cheap greats.)

The two Hulu subscription plans include:

  • Basic ($7.99/mo.): Includes limited ads
  • Premium ($17.99/mo.): Ad-free

You just have to decide if it’s worth the extra $10 for uninterrupted streaming (we know we don’t like commercials). But the Basic plan has a price most people can fit into their budget.

What we don’t like about Hulu

  • Hulu has a smaller library than Netflix.

Missing classic TV shows and movies

The caveat of Hulu providing newer network content is the lack of older classic content.

Netflix has over 6,000 movies and TV shows, while Hulu has over 3,000. So you can imagine all of the great older content that Netflix has, such as Cheers, The Andy Griffith Show, and That '70s Show.

But not every streaming service has everything. So why not get Netflix and Hulu to cover all of your bases?

Amazon Prime Video: Best benefits for the family

You get many perks with an Amazon Prime membership, including unlimited streaming on Prime Video and 2-day shipping for all of Amazon's products.

How much does Amazon Prime Video cost?

What we like about Prime Video

  • Amazon has perks you and your family will love.

On-demand content is just one perk you get with Amazon Prime

We’re pretty sure you like getting the most out of your money, especially if it benefits you and your family.

With a subscription to Amazon Prime, you get many perks including:

  • On-demand content, including Originals, on Prime Video
  • Rent or buy movies and TV shows
  • Prime shipping
  • Free monthly Kindle book
  • Home of Thursday Night Football

Prime Video has popular movies such as The Wolf of Wall Street, The Hunger Games, Legally Blonde, and the James Bond movies, just to name a few. Your little ones will also enjoy the kids section with TV shows Kung Fu Panda, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Hotel Transylvania.

Not only do you get lots of on-demand content, but you can also rent and buy movies and TV series on Prime Video.

If you haven’t watched new-ish movies like Top Gun Maverick, Air, or Creed III, you’ve just found yourself the service you need.

And last but not least, you get super quick shipping with Prime. Does your daughter need a new toothbrush? Order it in a swipe. Do you need desk organizers? Get it on your doorstep within a few days.

Prime Video is a unique service where you get on-demand content, the choice to rent or buy new movies, quick next-day Prime shipping, and four more underrated services.

What we don’t like about Prime Video

  • Amazon Prime Video has a random mixture of content.

New, old, popular, and unpopular content

There isn’t a theme with Amazon Prime Video in terms of what type of content you will get on there, but we do have to warn you of something: 

Although Prime Video says they have over 26,000 movies and 2,700 TV shows, a massive chunk of them are not included with your Prime membership. Instead, they're available to rent or buy. 

With your membership, you’ll find some familiar titles, such as Sicario, Interstellar, and Rocky. But you'll also get to enjoy Originals such as the following:

  • The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
  • Bosch
  • Invincible
  • Jack Ryan
  • Fleabag
  • The Expanse
  • Good Omens

Either way, you’ll still have lots of content to entertain you and your family. Luckily, everything is categorized, like Netflix and Hulu, for you to find something to watch in a jiff.

Disney+: Best for Disney fans

Get magical Disney content at your fingertips. And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that you get galaxy-ridden Star Wars, action-filled Marvel, and lovable Pixar content with this streaming service, as well.

How much does Disney+ cost?
° U.S. residents, 18+ only. Access content from each service separately. Location data required to watch certain content. Offer valid for eligible subscribers only.

What we like about Disney+

  • The content, of course.
  • A Disney+ subscription doesn't break the bank (even though the pricing recently increased)

Disney is what makes this world go round

Calling all Disney fans! (Which should be everybody.)

Disney+ has answered our prayers by gifting us all with Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, and National Geographic content in one place. We could be on the couch for hours.

Disney+ includes the following titles:

  • Encanto
  • Hocus Pocus 2
  • Deadpool
  • The Lion King
  • The Simpsons
  • Zootopia
  • The Princess Diaries
  • Spidey and His Amazing Friends
  • Star Wars: The Clone Wars
  • She Hulk
  • Secrets of the Whales
  • The Parent Trap
  • Secrets of the Zoo
  • Luca
  • Monsters Inc.
  • Lilo & Stitch
Disney+ content October 2022

Having a bad day? Turn on Disney+. Need a break from work? Pull out your phone and tap that Disney+ app. Kids need a distraction while you soak in a bath? Disney+ at your service.

Disney at home for $8 or $14 per month

Maybe you miss Disneyland, or perhaps you miss California Adventures.

But for less than one takeout meal, you get Disney in your living room. That’s not a bad deal if we do say so ourselves.

Disney+ recently increased the price of its plan with ads. Now, you have to pay $7 more per month for no interruptions. But, Disney+ is still the cheapest option on this list for its ad-free tier.

We can't put a price on enjoying Up while making some homemade Mickey Mouse-shaped beignets.

What we (kinda) don’t like about Disney+

  • Disney+ is not a standalone service.

Disney+ is not a diverse streaming service

Everyone loves Disney, right? But the only reason Disney+ isn’t ranked higher on our list is that Disney+ doesn’t have a variety of TV show and movie genres.

With Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video, each family member can find something they want to watch, whether they’re kids, teens, dads, or moms.

Max: Best for excellent productions

Max (formerly HBO Max) has all of the beloved Max content we can spend hours watching. Are you addicted to The White Lotus too?

How much does Max cost?
Provider
Monthly price
Details
Max (with ads)$9.99/mo.
Max (no ads)$16.99/mo.

What we like about Max

  • Max is full of fantastic series and movies.

Max is known for its Emmy-winning series

Max has been great at producing Emmy-winning content. Max is free of fluff, and you’ll only find quality content—in other services, you have to sift through loads of content you know you'll never watch. 

Max is also home to classic TV shows we all know and love, like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Batman: The Animated Series.

Max's marathon-worthy series include the following:

  • Westworld
  • The Gilded Age
  • Friends
  • The Sopranos
  • Succession
  • Gossip Girl
  • Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
  • South Park
  • Big Bang Theory
  • The White Lotus
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm
  • Sesame Street
  • Full House
  • Family Matters
HBO Max content May 2022

This streaming service also allows you to sit back and watch fantastic movies, such as DC League of Super-Pets, Elvis, and Dune.

If you want to learn more about Max and the new Original content that will come with it, check out our full review.

What we don’t like about Max

  • You could say Max has a scarce amount of content compared to Netflix and Hulu.

Not as much content as the other services in the industry

As mentioned above, Max is free of fluff. With that, there are fewer titles available on this streaming service in comparison to the others.

Max has more than 2,000 titles, while Netflix (with almost the same monthly price) has over 6,000.

But it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the money for those 2,000 great titles. We just know we don’t like the feeling of missing out on a series everyone is talking about.

Recap: Which is the best on-demand streaming service?

  • Netflix: All streaming services have great Original content, but arguably, Netflix is King. You’ll also get over 6,000 on-demand titles to play in the background while you're working or to watch on a Saturday night with the family.
  • Hulu: Hulu gives you your newly-aired TV programming within hours straight to your smartphone, tablet, or smart TV to watch whenever it’s convenient for you. You might even find yourself not needing cable TV and a DVR when you have Hulu. 
  • Amazon Prime Video: Enjoy on-demand streaming, movies you can rent or buy, and fast shipping with Prime Video. It's also the only place where you can watch Thursday Night Football. Everyone in the family will thank you when you order this service.
  • Disney+: With Disney+, you get access to all Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic movies and series. Geez, force us on the couch for hours at a time, why don'tcha?
  • Max: Watch Emmy-winning TV series with this service and enjoy all of Max's new Originals and classic TV shows, along with classics Max picked up like Friends and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Streaming service
Monthly price*
Details
Netflix$6.99-$30.98
Hulu$7.99-$17.99
Amazon Prime$8.99–$14.99
Disney Plus$9.99-$159.99
(HBO) Max logo black$9.99–$15.99
Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change. Data verified as of the article's publication date.

Library Size of Major Streaming Services in Hours

Did you know that Amazon Prime has nearly double the amount of content Netflix has? It would take you more than seven years to watch Amazon Prime's entire streaming catalog.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have Disney+ still in its streaming infancy with a mere 140 days worth of content (laughable!). Perhaps one day, the little Disney underdog can overcome the odds and catch up. Just kidding, Disney is coming for us all.

Bar chart depicting hours of content available on major steaming service providers

Interesting findings

  • Surprisingly, the Amazon Prime Video library is nearly twice the size of Netflix.
  • In fact, Amazon Prime has more content than Max, Peacock Premium, and Netflix combined.
  • If a household subscribed to all six streaming services, they would have access to 169,947 hours, or 19 years, of streaming!

In a recent survey, Reviews.org found that only 3% of respondents plan to subscribe to NBC Peacock's premium offering when it launches July 15. Here's how the 15,000 hours of premium content stacks up against other streaming libraries.

Total Runtime by Streaming Service
Streaming Service
Time in Hours
Time in Years, Months, and Days

Disney+

3,340

4 months and 19 days

Max

10,000

1 year, 1 month, and 1 day

Peacock Premium

15,000

1 year, 8 months, and 20 days

Netflix

36,667

4 years, 2 months, and 8 days

Hulu

41,370

4 years, 8 months, and 24 days

Amazon Prime Video

63,570

7 years, 3 months, and 4 days

Light Bulb

Did you know the average Netflix subscriber only watches 2% of the streaming library in a year? To see just how big Netflix really is, see our full beakdown.

Methodology

Content hours for each streaming service were sourced from Ampere Analysis, What’s on Netflix, and promotional materials from Max and NBC Peacock.

We compared the library size in hours across streaming services for this report. Please note that titles are being added and removed from these streaming services on a daily basis, meaning the total hours available will vary at any given time.

Reviews.org conducted a streaming survey on July 11, 2020, with an anonymous group of 500 U.S. respondents 18 and older. The sample error is ± 4.5 percent at a 95 percent level of confidence.

Chantel Buchi
Written by
Chantel is all about finding the best tv or streaming service to watch as many football games as possible to keep her Fantasy Football team in check. A former TV and Streaming Tech Reporter for Reviews.org, she has also worked for NFL Network and The Alliance of American Football. Before that, she received a B.A. of Communication at the University of Utah and an M.S. in Sports Journalism at USC. Go Utes and Fight On.

Related Articles

AT&T Fiber vs Cox Internet
AT&T vs. Cox Internet: Which One Is Worth Your Money?
AT&T’s fiber service is better for the price, but Cox still boasts reliable connections and...
A mom, dad, and two children sit on a couch and use a laptop together
AT&T Internet vs. Comcast Xfinity: Which One Is Worth Your Money?
AT&T Internet and Xfinity score similarly on speed/reliability, dollar value, and customer experience. AT&T is...
Compare Spectrum Internet and Google Fiber
Spectrum vs. AT&T Review
When it comes to Spectrum versus AT&T, AT&T is the better pick for most customers.
AT&T vs. Optimum: Which One Is Worth Your Money?
AT&T offers high-performance fiber internet plans at a reasonable price. Optimum’s cable internet plans are...