40 Best Niche Streaming Services Available Right Now

Mubi is a movie-streaming service featuring a curated selection of 30 movies on a daily rotation, as well as a large library of movies from previous rotations. The subscription costs $14.99 per month or $119.88 for an annual subscription. If you just want to browse the database before paying up front, you can sign up for a free account for access. Mubi has a Now Showing section, with the newest entries to the library on a given day (the library is updated daily), and a Library section featuring a back-catalog of other highlights and previously “showing” movies. You may see a section called 'Live' for live broadcasts once in a while. Aside from the options to stream via web browser, Mubi also has mobile apps for Android and iOS, media streaming devices (Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku), and you can subscribe to Mubi as a Prime Video channel. While Mubi is not available on the Xbox One, you can access the service on a PlayStation 4 console.

Crunchyroll is a video-on-demand streaming service that specializes in all things anime. It's also recently absorbed a competitor, FUNIMATION, offering an even bigger catalog. You can opt for either a free ad-supported plan or subscribe to one of its paid tiers, which starts at $7.99. These tiers remove ads out of the picture and feature episodes that are simulcast from Japan. for the longest time, you could try these plans free for 14 days, but it's since shortened that trial period to 7 days. You can access Crunchyroll via a web browser or app, the latter of which is available on all major streaming devices.

Criterion Channel is a curated movie-streaming service that offers ad-free and on-demand access to films from The Criterion Collection in HD. It is currently only available in the US and Canada. The subscription costs $10.99 per month or $99.99 per year. Like Netflix, the Criterion Channel also offers a physical rental service. The number of movies you can rent each month, for a flat monthly rate, depends on how quickly you can return them. You don't need to subscribe to The Criterion Channel to buy or rent physical media on DVD and Blu-ray, but subscribers may get discounts. With the introduction of Criterion24/7, Criterion Channel also entered the Live TV world, offering a great alternative to channels like Turner Classic Movies.

WOW Present Plus is an online streaming service that offers a wide variety of LGBTQI+ content, including Drag Race, UNHhhh, and other World of Wonder originals. World of Wonder launched this subscription-based streaming service in 2017. It offers exclusive access to content that concerns pop culture and the LGBTQI+ community. If you love drag, queer shows, and live-streamed events, then this service is for you. According to their website, WOW Present Plus is the only service that offers Drag Race as one of its streaming options as it is no longer available on Netflix.

If you like Korean drama or Asian content any general, this is the platform for you. There are even watch parties so you can feel like you are attending events for your favorite shows. A lot of content is free, but most of the new releases are paid. So you will have to either get a paid subscription (called "The Viki Pass") or wait until what you want to watch goes free.

True Story is an online streaming service that focuses on documentaries from all over the globe. The nature of the films seems to focus on relationships among real-life people in specific and unique contexts. If you enjoy exploring the complexities of interpersonal relationships while also learning surprising things about the world interestingly and movingly, then this streamer is for you. The subscription is $6.99/month. True Story was launched in 2020.

Spamflix is a video rental service dedicated to showcasing the most offbeat and avant-garde films. The service prides itself on its absurd line-up of titles, which it claims will "surprise, shock, entertain and amaze" users. These genre films span borders and come from all parts of the world; upon purchase, which usually starts at $5, they will be available to watch for 72 hours or 3 whole days. Spamflix also offers themed film packs, online games, and for true-blue fanatics, an updated movie newsletter.

Originally founded in 2002, Shout Factory is a long-standing leader in independent film and television distribution. They have recently started a streaming service called ShoutFactory that streams their content as well as some live channels (for the most part, lineups of their series that play on repeat) but it does have a lot of classics in both the indie and blockbuster department. The streaming service is mostly free, but a paid subscription of $3.99/month unlocks even more content and removes those pesky ads.

Revry is a streaming service for LGBTQ+ content. It offers a free selection, consisting especially of four "channels" that play their content back to back: Revry One, Revry Her, Revry News, Revry Latinx, and Revry Brasil. They also have a premium subscription that allows you to access more on-demand movies and shows.

RetroCrush is a free streaming platform fully dedicated to vintage anime. If you're a hardcore fan in desperate search of a discontinued series, a 90s classic, or an obscure show that practically no one has heard of, chances are you'll find all of what you're looking for and more in this treasure trove of a platform. RetroCrush gives you access to a number of shows without charge, but if you want to stream even more titles ad-free, you can opt to sign up for a premium account that costs $4.99 a month, with a free 14-day-trial.

OutTV is one of the earliest LGBTQ+ oriented streaming services, dating back to a channel by the same name that was launched in 2001. OutTV offers a wide range of programming, from original series and movies to licensed content from other networks. Some of their most popular titles include "Canada's Drag Race" and "Call Me Mother".

If you lived through the '80s, you may have heard of Night Flight, the nighttime cable channel that aired punk rock music videos, low-budget monster flicks, psychedelic documentaries, and adult cartoons, among many others. It went under at the turn of the '90s but has recently returned to join the streaming wars, seemingly bigger and better than ever. As a subscription-based streaming service, Night Flight Plus gives you access to classic gems, plus new content from partner studio companies. It's basically a time capsule with extra room for all the new niche movies it could've aired during its prime. If you're looking for carefully curated nostalgic picks, Night Flight Plus is a great choice to consider.

Remember those thrashy (but fascinating!) films that would air on TV late into the night, long after the proper programs had their run? Those titles have found a new home in Midnight Pulp, a free streaming service that lets you watch films and TV shows on-demand and live. It specializes in the weirdest content you can imagine; whether that's a 1960s Star Trek knockoff, a B-movie erotica, or a laughable monster flick, they likely have it here. Midnight Pulp also offers a live TV stream that's active 24/7 with channels that offer much of the same—with the exception, perhaps, of RetroCrush and AsianCrush, which have solid lineups of anime and dramas. Midnight Pulp also offers more titles (many of which are adult-themed) and ad-free content if you pay for their premium $5.99/month tier, which you can try free for 14 days.

If you’re sick of the same old movies you’re seeing on this side of the world, then MHz Choice might come as a pleasant surprise for you. The streaming service specializes in international content, especially Nordic noir and British thrillers. Though the app itself can be a little clunky, at $8/month, it’s an affordable alternative to accessing quality foreign-language shows, films, documentaries, and more. It also recently merged with fellow subscription service Topic, so expect to see even more European fare there.

Magnolia Selects can be accessed via an array of iOS and Android phones and tablets as well as desktops and Roku devices. It is also available as a channel through Sling TV and Amazon Prime Video.

Subscriptions with unlimited access to Magnolia Selects cost $4.99 per month or a discounted $49.99 per year. 

Another plan is available for “sub-genre subscriptions” that gives access to specific genres (action, comedy, horror, documentary) for only $2.99 per month. 

MagellanTV’s content focuses mostly on documentaries. New movies and series are added weekly, so the library is frequently updated. This streamer is for people who love learning about science, space, and the earth. MagellanTV provides a thoughtfully curated selection of films that focus on current events and global topics of importance. A monthly subscription costs $5.99/month with a 7-day free trial, but if you opt to pay annually, your monthly cost comes up to just $4.99/month and you'll be eligible for a 14-day free trial.

There are many streaming services out there dedicated to specific and underrepresented communities. Black-oriented streamers alone account for a significant portion. But Kweli TV stands out for its far-reaching and careful curation. It hosts films and series worldwide, many of which are festival winners and official selections from Africa and the Caribbean. It also claims to dedicate 60% of its revenue to content creators, so you can be sure your money goes to a good cause. On top of all this, Kweli TV also has a 24-hour live streaming service; a worthwhile package for just $1.99/month (without ads, it's $5.99/month).

KocowaTV is a streaming service for K-dramas and Korean content in general. Once a new TV episode airs in Korea, you can get it in as little as 12 hours - the time it usually takes for translation and subtitling. It has free and paid plans (a subscription costs $7/month) but non-paid users do complain quite a bit about the ads. If that's something that doesn't bother you, however, this is a good way to access a variety of Korean content.

Klassiki is a streaming service dedicated to classic and modern films from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. The platform's team carefully curate the titles that go into their library, and every week, they handpick a special film for you to enjoy. Since Klassiki is still new, their library is not too stacked (they have about 50 titles as of this writing), but the leanness is perfect for those who value quality over quantity. A monthly subscription costs $10.99 (£9.99 if you're in the UK), and along with on-demand content, you get exclusive program notes, reviews, and interviews from different critics and filmmakers via their journal section.

Largely known as China's Netflix, iQiyi is a popular and wide-ranging streaming platform that hosts the best of East Asian content. Among its catalog are Asian blockbusters, Chinese variety shows, Japanese anime, and of course, Korean dramas. iQiyi also has multiple deals with studios all over the world, including Netflix, so it's able to stream global content to its Chinese audiences. Perhaps the best part about iQiyi is that it comes for free; no need to pay to see its plenty and diverse titles, although you will be subject to some (okay, a lot of) ads. To avoid ads and avail of perks such as concurrent viewing and download privileges, iQiyi offers a VIP membership that costs $8.99 per month.

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.

Hidive focuses mainly on anime shows and films. Its offerings include classical anime, popular anime films and shows, as well as hidden gems of the anime world, put together for those who love anime and don’t want to wait for the releases of their favorite shows. They add new content via simulcasts which means that you’ll be able to stream new anime shows online as they’re released in real-time. This service is great for anime lovers who don’t want to wait months for their favorite anime shows to be released on DVD. Hidive is an independent anime streaming company based in Texas that was launched in 2017.

Hi-Yah is a niche streaming service for martial arts and Asian action content in general. The cheap monthly price of $3.99 makes it a service that's easy to add to more wholistic streaming platforms.

Hallmark+ (previously Hallmark Movies Now) won't give you access to the live broadcast of the Hallmark Channel but it will give you the next best thing: on-demand access to Hallmark movies. The streamer has many of the fan favorites and beloved classics of The Hallmark Channel, while also featuring exclusive movies, shows, documentaries, and short films. Aside from being ad-free, all these titles are sure to have a PG rating, so you don't have to worry about leaving them on when there are kids around. Other cute bonuses include getting discounts on Hallmark merchandise, receiving a free card every month, and having a gift delivered on your birthday.

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.

Filmzie offers its viewers worldwide free, high-quality content. It aims to spotlight overlooked films in our history and support filmmakers and creators in so doing. If you’re someone who feels ethically motivated to support filmmakers and prefers not to have to pay to be entertained, this is the streaming service for you. Do be warned though, it can be riddled with ads. It’s updated regularly with popular and current content. Filmzie was launched in 2021.

Film Movement Plus is a video on-demand platform dedicated to independent and foreign films, and is currently available in the US and Canada. In the US, it costs $5.99 a month (after a 7-day free trial) and can be accessed via any device, including IOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku.

Fearless is a Toronto-based streaming service built around inclusivity. Their focus is on showcasing films highlighting stories from LGBTQ+ people, Women, BIPOC, and stories on disability. They also enable creators to directly submit their work on either a Free license basis (for creators only interested in traction) or a paid/exclusive license.

True to its name, Documentary+ is a free ad-supported service that streams documentaries as well as non-fiction shorts and series. It has a straightforward interface that has categories like "award winners," "true crime," "festival darlings," "women stories," and "Black stories," as well as films from renowned directors including Werner Herzog, Spike Jonze, Kathryn Bigelow, and Terrence Malick. 

Interestingly, the service also has a live channel you can put on anytime. It’s compatible with all major streaming devices, but you can also access it as a channel on live TV services like Amazon’s freevee and Sling’s freestream.

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.