Netflix is currently undisputed king of video streaming with more than 80 million users. They’ve acquired the top spot in the industry with a unique mix of TV shows, movies, and their original content. In addition to vast contents to choose from, they have a fair price for the content. There are many startups which try to be Netflix. But today we are going to talk about some other reliable and reputed Netflix alternatives which are competing now.
Some of the Best Alternatives to Netflix
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Amazon
Amazon is the largest e-commerce company in the US, its entry to on-demand video streaming is not a surprise at all. Amazon started its on-demand video service in 2011. And in just a short period of 5 years, it has become the second most popular on-demand streamers of movies, shows, and series just below Netflix. And as the growth of Netflix is slowing down, Amazon is giving tough competition to it, and the rivalry will certainly be more fierce in coming time. Unlike Netflix, Amazon instant video users can download the video for offline access when there is no internet connection. With Amazon Prime membership you get thousand movies and shows which include Amazon originals. It also provides just-released films and series for prime users. Amazon expanded its service with library content of HBO. You can either have Amazon Prime subscription which has thousands of movies and shows and pays monthly or annually. You can also purchase any individual movie or show and pay for the purchased content only, which facility is not available on Netflix.
One month free trial of Amazon Prime.
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Hulu Plus
Hulu is the outcome of the partnership between multiple entertainment companies which include The Walt Disney, 21st Century Fox, Comcast and Time Warner. It is a Netflix-like service which offers premium video content like TV shows and films. Hulu has the backing that allows it to go beyond many other video streaming websites and puts it right at the top in competition with Netflix. With a small subscription fee, you can gain access to everything on Hulu library and stream as much as you want. You can watch Hulu streaming from the web or any Hulu-compatible devices. There is two type of subscription, with or without advertisement. Without ad, streaming will cost you little more than with ads.
Try Hulu today http://www.hulu.com/start
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Apple iTunes
You may know Apple iTunes for music, but iTunes is the player and store both. iTunes library has a vast collection of movies and TV series, ranging from current releases to old and classic flicks. Previously there wasn’t an option for renting a movie from iTunes but now you can either rent or buy the title. You can either watch it online or can download content to view it offline. One of the drawbacks of iTunes is you cannot stream it on other devices except iOS devices, Mac, PC and Apple TV and iTunes doesn’t have monthly subscription policy. Instead, you purchase individual title or shows. The latest and new titles cost you more than old ones. Itunes costs more, so it is preferable only for viewing single film or series. If you are addicted to movies and cost is one of your concern, you should consider other alternatives to Netflix rather than iTunes.
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YouTube
You watch/upload/share videos on YouTube every day but are you aware that you can purchase and watch movies on it as well? There are massive numbers of movies you can buy from YouTube. You can buy or rent movies via web-browser, YouTube app or smart TVs. There are also thousands of free movies which you can watch without spending a penny. Unlike iTunes, you can enjoy YouTube on any device with internet. Though YouTube is not the same service like Netflix both are competing for the same audience who want to watch movies online.
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Google PrimeTime (Formerly TV & Movies)
It is an online movie and TV shows on demand service provided by Google. You can watch films and shows on the Google Play website or via the Google Play Movies & TV app which is accessible on Chrome browser, Android OS, Google TV, and iOS. Choose either to rent or purchase the episodes or films in Google Play Store and it will immediately appear in Play Movies application, ready to stream. The following content sources are included in the PrimeTime app:
- Amazon
- Crackle
- Dish Network (For Dish Network subscribers with Enhanced Integration)
- HBOGO
- Linear TV (cable, satellite, OTA, etc.)
- Netflix
- YouTube
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HBO Now
HBO is one of the biggest premium cable and satellite television based on America. Widening its service, it launched HBO on Demand and HBO Go apps for on-demand video streaming. Recently HBO launched the whole new updated app with extensive content and features named HBO NOW. HBO Go, and HBO on demand still needed cable TV subscription for accessing this app. On the other hand, HBO NOW doesn’t require a cable subscription, and you can directly log into it. The major drawbacks of HBO NOW are that it is based only in the USA, and the cost of the subscription is almost double of Netflix. But due to its quality service, it still has millions of user in the US. You can watch popular series such as Game Of Thrones in full HD quality without any ad disturbance. HBO doesn’t have the depth that Netflix has in its content but what it has is of full quality.
In addition to the services mentioned above, there are much more paid and free Netflix-like services.
Free Netflix Alternatives
- Crackle
It is a free Netflix-like service which is provided by Sony entertainment. You don’t have to any fee but will advertisements will be served. Crackle has a good collection of Hit films and TV series along with its originals. Crackle is supported on Android, iOS, Apple TV, Roku, Playstation, and XBox. - Tubi TV
It is a free and ad-supported online TV and Movie platform. Tubi TV has one of the largest collection of free Movie flicks and shows. You can sign up using Facebook or email. The interface is same like Netflix so it wouldn’t be hard for you to get used to it. It is supported on all major platform and OS. - Popcornflix
It is another alternative to Netflix which is entirely free. Same like Crackle and Popcornflix it is an ad based platform. It has more than a million monthly user, and you can watch it on all major TV platform and OS.
As the market for streaming videos is growing at an exponential rate, many other Netflix competitors will arise. It will be interesting to see what Netflix alternatives will offer to surpass Netflix and what Netflix will do to keep stay on the crown.
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