17 Best Educational Streaming Services

One of the best things about the new streaming age is that many services, to stand out, specialize in a single thing. There are streamers dedicated solely to classics, reality shows, live TV, and horror films. In this list, we're rounding up the best of the educational streamers. 

Some of them will be kids-focused, like Noggin and Hopster, but most of the services in this list offer quality lessons on topics like history, geography, race, and culture. Unsurprisingly, many also lean on documentary and non-fiction styles of reporting.

Our recommended five best educational streaming services:
Discovery+ $4.99 Watch
Kanopy free Watch
Guidedoc $7.99 Watch
Amazon Prime + PBS Kids $19.98 Watch
Amazon Kids+ $4.99 Watch

The History Vault has all the best of The History channel: excellent documentaries, informative series, travel shows, and of course, historical specials. The difference is that the streamer offers all this on-demand and ad-free, with curated collections and exclusive titles to boot. Some programs that are no longer available on the cable channel can also be found in the Vault. If you're a fan of quality deep dives on everything and anything related to history and humanity, then this streamer is for you. 

Price: $4.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Website

Features: annual subscription, offline downloads, on-demand content, unlimited simultaneous streams

A sure treasure trove for history buffs, History Hit TV is a dedicated service featuring original documentaries, series, dramas, interviews, and films spanning all sorts of time periods and eras. It was founded by renowned historian Dan Snow, who hosts a hit podcast of the same name and whose other content can be found in the streamer. History Hit TV also claims that 10% of its profits go into history education projects around the globe.

Price: $6.99/month

Free Trial: 14 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Website, Xbox One

Features: annual subscription, offline downloads, on-demand content, unlimited simultaneous streams

GuideDoc is a global online streaming and distributing service for documentary films.

The service is currently available for US$7.99 per month and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. 

GuideDoc apps exist for iPhone, iPad, Android phones, Android Tablets, Google TV, Apple TV, ChromeCast and Airplay. At the time of writing, GuideDoc does not offer an app for other services like Roku, Fire TV and game consoles. 

Price: $7.99/month

Features: annual subscription, on-demand content

Docsville’s focus is on documentaries sourced from around the world, originally launched by award-winning documentarian Lawrence Elmen and his business partner, Nick Fraser, who worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation. This streaming service is for those doc junkies who can’t get enough of real-world exploration and have a thirst for knowledge about many different aspects of our planet and the human race. Topics include climate change, inequality and racism, inspiring real-life tales, and true crime. Most of the documentaries offered are independent films.

Price: $4.99/month

Free Trial: 3 days

Device availability: Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, iPhone, Roku TV, Website

Features: annual subscription, on-demand content, unlimited simultaneous streams

CuriosityStream is an American streaming services that focuses on documentary movies and shows and is available in more than 175 countries.

In the US, pricing starts at $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year for the basic plan, with an upgrade to the 4K Monthly plan available for $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year. 

CuriosityStream can be accessed via web browser as well as Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Fire TV, Roku, and has a mobile app that is compatible across Apple and PC computers, and Android and iOS phones and tablets. 

Price: $4.99/month

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox

Features: 4k-compatible, annual subscription, likely to work with a VPN, offline downloads, on-demand content, parental controls, up to five concurrent streams

Following a multi-year deal signed by both parties, Amazon Prime is now the exclusive home of PBS Kids and all the entertaining and educational shows it carries. This bundle allows you to pay for Prime and PBS content under one bill while giving you all the useful perks of the former platform, namely, parental control and offline downloads so you can supervise what your kid watches and have episodes ready on the go. It's the perfect bundle if you're looking to have both mature content for the adults and appropriate shows for the young ones.

Price: $19.98/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Changhong, Chromecast, Haier, Hisense, iOS, LG, Nvidia SHIELD, Panasonic, Philips, PlayStation, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung Sharp, Skyworth, Sony, TiVo, Vestel, Vizio, Wii, Xbox

Features: 4k-compatible, ad-supported option, annual subscription, Dolby Atmos, multiple profiles, offline downloads, on-demand content, parental controls, picture in picture, spatial audio, up to three concurrent streams

Amazon Kids+ is a streaming service for kids 3 to 12. it features animation content from Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street and Cartoon Network, but also access to educational apps, games, and e-books. It costs $4.99/month if you already have Amazon Prime or $7.99/month if you don't. 

Price: $4.99/month

Free Trial: 30 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Fire tablets, iOS

Features: annual subscription, kid profiles, on-demand content, parental controls, quarterly subscription, up to three concurrent streams

Ready to cut the cord? Here are the 14 live TV streaming services that offer a free trial.

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The streaming services on this page were chosen by our editors. If you choose to subscribe to a streaming service we recommend as a result of our research, analysis, and curation, our work is sometimes (but not always) supported by an affiliate commission from the streaming service when you make a purchase.

That's all from us for the 16 Best Educational Streaming Services!