STREAMING COMPARISON
Prices change constantly. Libraries shift. Here is the unvarnished reality of the major SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand) platforms as of 2024.
The Big Three
NETFLIX
Price: $6.99 (Ads) / $15.49 (Standard) / $22.99 (Premium 4K)
The Reality: Still the default. The largest volume of original content, but highly algorithmic and quick to cancel shows. Essential for true crime docs and massive international hits (Squid Game). 4K costs a premium.
MAX (formerly HBO Max)
Price: $9.99 (Ads) / $15.99 (Ad-Free) / $19.99 (Ultimate 4K)
The Reality: The highest quality prestige TV (Succession, The Last of Us, Sopranos) mashed together with Discovery+ reality programming (90 Day Fiancé). The app can be buggy, but the HBO library is unrivaled.
HULU
Price: $7.99 (Ads) / $17.99 (Ad-Free)
The Reality: The best service for next-day network TV (ABC, FOX, FX). Incredible for adult animation (Family Guy, Bob's Burgers) and FX prestige dramas (The Bear, Shogun). Ad-supported tier has heavy ad loads.
The Specialty Networks
| Service | Base Price | The Value Proposition |
|---|---|---|
| Disney+ | $7.99 | Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Classic Disney. Essential for kids. |
| Apple TV+ | $9.99 | High-budget, ad-free originals (Ted Lasso, Severance, Slow Horses). No back catalog. |
| Peacock | $5.99 | The Office, Parks & Rec, WWE, Premier League, NBC next-day. Best cheap tier. |
| Paramount+ | $5.99 | Star Trek, Taylor Sheridan universe (Yellowstone spin-offs), Champions League, CBS Live. |
The Bundle Strategy
Do not subscribe to all of them. The modern way to watch TV is churning. Subscribe to Max for two months, watch everything you want, cancel it, and subscribe to Apple TV+. Services make it easy to cancel online. Use our tools to calculate your savings.
Go to Streaming Cost Calculator