Streaming services have become more expensive, but not all are overpriced. Some services still offer impressive content libraries and unique perks that make them excellent value options.
Netflix remains one of the best-value streaming services, even as competition intensifies. While it’s no longer the cheapest option—with its Standard plan at $17.99/month and Premium at $24.99/month—Netflix still justifies its price through sheer content volume and global reach. Even the ad-supported Basic plan at $7.99/month includes nearly the full content catalog. If that’s still expensive for you, there are various ways to get Netflix for less.
What sets Netflix apart is its consistently strong lineup of original content and the fact that it caters to diverse tastes, offering everything from reality shows and stand-up specials to international dramas and anime.
For households, Netflix allows up to four simultaneous streams on its Premium plan and supports downloads for offline viewing, making it a great choice for shared accounts and watching on the go. Its smart recommendation engine and kids’ profiles also make it easy to discover something new or family-friendly.
While frequent price hikes and occasional content removals are drawbacks, Netflix’s variety, accessibility, and diverse originals make it a solid all-around choice. If you only want to pay for one service, Netflix still offers enough to keep most viewers satisfied.
Peacock is one of the most affordable alternatives to Netflix. Owned by NBCUniversal, Peacock offers a strong mix of current NBC shows, classic sitcoms, blockbuster movies, live sports, and original programming. Its ad-supported plan starts at just $7.99/month (or $79.99/year), while the ad-free Premium Plus tier costs $16.99/month (or $169.99/year).
What makes Peacock stand out is its access to live sports. If you’re a sports fan, Peacock offers a variety of sports content from the English Premier League, WWE, NASCAR, US soccer, NBA, NFL, and cycling. It also provides on-demand replays, match highlights, and post-match coverage. For instance, Premier League games that stream live on Peacock and NBC are available shortly after the livestream ends for replay.
Compared to other streaming services that offer sports content like Hulu + Live TV, Peacock provides better bang for your buck. And if you fancy NBC and Bravo shows, Peacock adds them the next day after streaming. That makes Peacock an easy, cable-free way to stay current with NBC content.
Apple TV+ offers some of the best value in streaming, especially if you care about quality over quantity. At just $9.99/month, it’s cheaper than other major services, and even better, it hasn’t adopted modern industry practices like ads or multiple pricing tiers, which is why it’s one of the few streaming services still worth paying for.
Not only that, but streaming quality is also 4K by default, which you won’t find on streaming plans from other services that cost around $10. Apple TV+ focuses entirely on original content, and, as such, you won’t find old sitcoms or licensed blockbusters here.
What you get is a curated library of high-quality, award-winning shows and films, most of which are not found elsewhere, such as Ted Lasso, Severance, Silo, The Morning Show, and For All Mankind. And if that wasn’t enough, Apple TV+ also includes Friday Night Baseball and Sunday Night Soccer. It won’t meet all your sports needs for sure, but it offers great value for money.
Priced at $9.99/month with ads or $15.99/month ($159.99/year) for the ad-free plan, Disney+ offers a massive catalog of content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic in one place. As such, Disney+ is a must-have for families and fans of blockbuster franchises.
Where Disney+ shines is in its collection of franchise content. It also offers access to Disney theatrical releases, albeit a few months after their debut. The platform supports 4K, Dolby Vision, and up to four simultaneous streams at no extra cost.
On top of the individual plans, Disney+ offers bundled plans with Hulu, ESPN+, or HBO Max, which include extra content. As of this writing, it offers some of the best bundles for saving money on streaming. For instance, the basic Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ bundle is just $16.99/month, while the premium option with ad-free Disney+ and Hulu is just $26.99/month.
Amazon Prime Video stands out by bundling streaming with an already popular service. If you’re an Amazon Prime member ($14.99/month or $139/year), Prime Video is included at no extra cost, making it one of the best value options if you already shop frequently on Amazon. Alternatively, you can subscribe to Prime Video on its own for $8.99/month for the basic ad-supported plan or pay $11.99 for the ad-free plan.
Prime Video’s main selling point is its vast library of diverse content that includes a mixture of originals (like The Boys, Reacher, and The Rings of Power) and licensed TV shows and movies. Prime Video is especially rich in blockbuster movies with titles like The Fall Guy, Oppenheimer, and Heads of State, to name a few.
You can also watch some live sports events on Prime Video. For instance, it has exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football. And in July 2025, Prime Video expanded its portfolio of live sports content to include NASCAR and the NBA.
You can also watch the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), WNBA, Premier Boxing Champions, and ONE Championship fights, Yankees’ MLB games, select NHL games, and select Overtime Elite games. While it doesn’t provide the breadth of live sports found on full live TV streaming platforms, the value is hard to beat at this price point.
Streaming has become pricier over the years, but these five services still offer strong value for different viewing needs. Whether you’re a fan of blockbusters, franchises, or original content, or want a mixture of content and live sports, these streaming services offer the best value for money.
