Video Streaming: Which of These 7 Services is Right For You?

It always shocks me when a friend or family member reveals that they don’t use any video streaming services.

They still rely on their TV shows coming to them through a cable in the ground on a schedule determined completely by someone else. For movies, they’re content with Redbox or buying a physical disc at the store. When everyone else is gushing about Stranger Things during a work conversation, they grow awkwardly quiet or attempt to change the subject.

This might describe you, in fact, but it would place you in a shrinking minority. The numbers show that the number of households relying on cable for TV and movies are slowly but steadily declining, while video streaming services are growing in popularity.

According to a new report from Digitalsmiths, only 36% of U.S. and Canadian adults don’t use some kind of video streaming service.

Nielsen’s most recent Total Audience Report tallied up Netflix’s total paid U.S. subscribers at 40 million, roughly 36% of all households. Amazon Prime claimed 13% and Hulu Plus 6.5%.

Driving this growth seems to be the ease with which people can find things they want to watch. In Digitalsmiths’ survey, over 81% of people said it was easy to find things they wanted to watch on services like Netflix and Hulu. Only 57% of cable subscribers could say the same thing. The survey-makers concluded simply, “It is clear that the content discovery-driven user interfaces are more desirable.”

Clearly, video streaming services are no longer a fad or some Silicon Valley science experiment. If you are thinking of trying out this new technology, and the new entertainment possibilities it provides, you’re going to need some help navigating the many options there are out there.

Here are the 7 biggest video streaming services and how each might measure up to your entertainment needs:

1. Netflix

Price: $9.99/mo (for two-device package)

Number of movies/shows: 4,874

Netflix is currently the champ in the world of video streaming with more than 70 million subscribers worldwide, more subscribers than any other service. And it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. Although not perfect, Netflix features tons of high-quality original shows and movies that can be found only on Netflix, including:

• Marvel series Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage
• Emmy-winning series like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards
• New hit series Stranger Things

In addition to these, Netflix features thousands of TV shows, documentaries, and movies old and new. Admittedly, some of these are recognizable blockbusters, but some are the type of thing you’d find going straight to DVD or playing late Saturday night on Syfy. One important note here: TV shows on Netflix only show past seasons, not current ones.

One big plus: there are no commercials. One final plus: because of its popularity, Netflix works, and is sometimes preloaded, on nearly every video streaming-enabled device.

You’ll like Netflix if:

• You don’t mind catching some series a year late
• You like binge watching entire seasons at once
• You like documentaries or Marvel or spooky but family-friendly ’80s throwbacks
• You don’t want to ever watch commercials

2. Amazon Prime Video

Price: $99/yr (included in Amazon Prime)

Number of movies/shows: 10,630

The best part about Prime Video is that it’s just one of the benefits that come with Amazon Prime. For the single fee that you pay to be able to ship your Amazon purchases for free, you get Amazon Prime Video, Prime Music, and Prime Reading at no extra cost. This alone makes Prime Video an easy shoo-in, but what about the actual content?

Prime Video claims among its free original offerings some Emmy-winning series, quirky comedies, and low-budget dramas but still lacks the blockbuster offerings that can be found on Netflix. When it comes to movies, Amazon pays big money to bring in recognizable new releases like Interstellar or Mockingjay 2, but they also tend to skimp on the rest of their content. TV offerings, on the other hand, are a bit more robust. Amazon brings in series from CBS, BBC, TNT, and other cable networks that you won’t see much of on Netflix, like Doctor Who and Falling Skies.

Another plus with Prime Video is that you can, on the same platform, pay to rent or purchase other shows and movies and watch them right alongside your free stuff. For instance, if you burn through the free seasons of Vikings, you can buy the new season and keep your binge going.

One downside about Prime Video is that it’s not as universally compatible with devices as Netflix is.

You’ll like Prime Video if:

• You shop frequently on Amazon
• You like quirky, indie-style dramas, comedies, or dramedies
• You like binge watching entire seasons at once
• You don’t want to ever watch commercials
• You like being able to watch rentals and purchased movies in the same service

3. Hulu

Price: $6/mo (basic); $12/mo (ad-free)

Number of movies/shows: 3,701

Hulu’s biggest standout feature is that it gives subscribers access to thousands of TV show episodes as those episodes air. For Once Upon a Time fans, for instance, new episodes are available the morning after they air on television. Customers’ biggest hangup with Hulu, however, is that its basic subscription still forces them to watch commercials throughout episodes. To get rid of the commercials, customers have to pay double the price.

In general, Hulu is strong in the TV department, but weak in movies. Like Amazon Prime, they will occasionally splurge on new movie releases and they also have their own original exclusive content, most of which is quirky dramedies (not unlike Amazon) with the occasional big-budget series like J.J. Abrams’ Stephen King series 11.22.63.

Like Netflix, Hulu comes with, or is compatible with, almost any device out there. One more plus: if subscribers want to also be able to watch Showtime content without paying for a separate app, they can add Showtime to Hulu for a few more dollars a month.

You’ll like Hulu if:

• You must watch TV shows as they air
• You tend to watch more TV shows than movies
• You’re willing to pay more to make commercials go away

4. Vudu

Price: $2.99-$5.99/rental; $4.99-$24.99/purchase

Number of movies/shows: 16,220

The best way to understand Vudu is that it’s pretty much a digital video store, where you can either rent or buy movies or TV shows. Rather than paying one monthly subscription fee, you pay to either rent or buy individual TV shows and movies. In this way, Vudu is a very different beast than Netflix or Hulu.

Vudu, if you use it as your only streaming services, is going to run up quite a bill. But it’s also really handy for a number of reasons. First, it lets you get only the movies and TV shows you want to see; you don’t have to sift through Big Ass Spider and The Land Before Time 7 to get to the stuff you want to watch. Second, Vudu is great for finding older movies that have been missed by Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. Third, Vudu rentals and purchases can be viewed in true, flat-screen-worthy HD, if you pay extra for it. Fourth, it has pretty much every new release you would want to see, sometimes before they are available on DVD/BluRay. And finally, Vudu doesn’t pester you with ads.

You’ll like Vudu if:

• You don’t want to commit to a monthly subscription
• You want maximum control over your streaming library
• You want to watch new movies and TV shows
• You like to watch old movies missed by other services
• You don’t mind paying extra to keep up with your favorite shows
• You insist on HD quality

5. Google Play

Price: $1.99/episode; $9.99-$14.99/movie

Number of movies/shows: 25,763

Google Play is very much like Vudu. They waive any monthly subscription fees, instead charging you to purchase or rent old and new movies and TV shows. Their prices are nearly identical to Vudu’s.

But there are a few important differences. First, Google Play does not put an emphasis on delivering HD quality. Second, in the war between Google and Apple, Google Play naturally has trouble playing on Apple devices. Third, Google Play has offline features that let you download and watch your favorites video without an Internet connection.

You’ll like Google Play if:

• You don’t want to commit to a monthly subscription
• You want to watch new releases as soon as possible
• You want to watch stuff without an Internet connection

6. Crackle

Price: Free

Number of movies/shows: 231

That’s right. Crackle is absolutely free. You get to consume their library of movies and TV shows without ever having to pay a dime. Granted, that library is not very big. Crackle is owned by Sony, so its library is mostly limited to Sony productions, but it also features some stuff from Columbia Pictures, Tristar Picture, and Screen Gems and a few original productions like the much-anticipated sequel to Joe Dirt.

“But what’s the catch?” you rightly ask. The catch is that Crackle keeps the lights on by putting their users through lots of commercials. This combined with the small library makes Crackle a less-than-ideal choice to cover all of your video streaming needs.

You’ll like Crackle if:

• You don’t mind watching commercials
• You have another streaming services to cover your bases

7. Network-Specific Apps

Price:

• HBO Now: $15/mo
• Showtime: $11/mo
• CW: Free
• Starz: $8.99/mo
• CBS All Access: $5.99/mo

Number of movies/shows:

• HBO Now: 827
• Showtime: 388
• CW: 19
• Starz: 1220

Realizing the huge shift in audiences to streaming, the networks — HBO, Showtime, CW, ABC, ESPN, Starz, CBS All Access, and more — are looking to get in on the action by creating their own mini-services to push their own content. Each of these is unique in its approach to streaming, but most charge a monthly subscription fee.

For instance, Starz carries a massive selection of new release movies and older ones, as well. CBS All Access will feature televised series old and new from the network, along with content especially for streaming, like the upcoming Star Trek Discovery. Some of these will also allow subscribers to watch live sporting events. Most will feature those dreaded ads. Ultimately, any of these apps make for a cheaper option than purchasing the new TV shows on Prime Video, Vudu, or Google Play.

You’ll like these services if:

• You’ve got to see the newest episode of Game of Thrones or Homeland now
• You want to unplug from cable but don’t want to lose live sports