19 Best Starz Alternatives Right Now

Disney Plus is a streaming on-demand service owned by the Walt Disney Company available in 59 countries at the time of writing. Pricing starts at $9.99 a month in the US, while plans differ from region to region.

Peacock is a streaming service owned by NBC, with options to choose two plans: $7.99/month ($80/year) for ad-supported, or $13.99/month ($140/ year) for ad-free. It used to offer a free plan, but that went away amid the Great Streaming Price Hikes the previous year. Still, with both premium plans, you'll get access to the full catalog of 2,000 movies and shows, including every episode of original NBC favorites like Brooklyn 99, The Office, and Parks and Recreation. You'll also get next-day and early access to all the new episodes of live NBC shows like Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. You can stream Peacock on Apple devices like the iPhone and Apple TV, Google devices like Android phones and Chromecast, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles. But there is still no app available for Roku or Amazon platforms.

Frndly TV is a streaming platform focused on family-friendly live TV channels, with an attractive price starting at $6.99. There are three plans, Basic, Classic and Premium, which respectively cost the $6.99 starting price, $8.99, and $10.99. The Basic plan only allows for SD streaming, but both other plans allow for HD. The basic plan doesn't allow for DVR recordings, but the other plans allow for 3 months and 9 months respectively. And lastly, the basic plans allows for only one simultanious stream, but the Classic allows for 2 and the Premium allows for 4.

Apple TV+ is an ad-free on-demand stream from Apple that costs $9.99 per month and is accessible in about 150 countries. The Apple TV+ app is accessible via Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac) and Apple TV. While Android phones and tablets are not supported, you can access Apple TV+ via Android-powered TV devices like Chromecast. It can be accessed via web browser and supported by PC, as well as Roku devices, Amazon Fire TV devices, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Dubbed "The Free Netflix," Tubi is one of the best options for streaming quality movies and TV shows online. The completely free, ad-supported service has one of the most extensive title lineups, plus it's compatible with most devices, making it an extremely popular option for cord-cutters. Though it has been noted to have a less-than-stellar resolution, most viewers don't mind due to its easy interface, constantly updated library, and of course free titles. Parents will also be glad to know that the service has parental control features.

Amazon's premium membership program is an all-in-one bundle that includes access to the streaming platform Prime Video, more commonly referred to in this publication as “Amazon Prime.” A subscription entitles you not only to Amazon Prime's thousands of films and TV shows, but also to Amazon's delivery benefits, which include discounted fees, free shipping, and same-day delivery on select items. The membership bundle costs $14.99/month, but you can access the streaming service as a standalone for just $8.99. Depending on where you live, access to Amazon Prime might differ. If you live in the US, UK, or Germany, you have the option of paying a yearly or monthly subscription fee for an Amazon Prime account. Users from the US, UK, France, and Brazil likewise have access to Amazon Prime's sports content which, depending on the season, may include live and on-demand coverage of basketball, football, and baseball events. Meanwhile, people in countries where Amazon is not operating may only be able to access it from a browser. In addition to on-demand streaming, you can rent or buy titles that are not on the service or purchase add-on channels like HBO, Starz, and MLB.TV to watch on the Amazon Prime platform. And apart from Amazon devices, the app is available on any mobile device, including iOS, Android, or Windows. The app also works on Apple and Windows computers, a wide range of TVs, mobile devices, and gaming consoles.

Formerly HBO Max, Max is a subscription-based on-demand platform that is only available in the US. New subscribers can choose from three monthly tiers ranging from $9.99 (with ads) to $16.99 (no ads) to $20.99 (no ads, plus more concurrent streams, downloads, and 4K streaming). An annual subscription option is also available. When you subscribe, you'll get HBO’s world-class exclusives, such as The Wire and Game of Thrones but Max also functions as a bundle: you'll get content from Discovery, DC, Criterion Collection, Looney Tunes, Studio Ghibli, Turner Classic Movies, and Crunchyroll. And as of September 2023, you will also get a live stream of CNN. It's not a direct 24/7 simulcast of the channel, but many segments of it are broadcast live. Most mobile devices that can stream video support Max, although there is yet no app for Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIME (previously Paramount+ Premium) is a Netflix-style streaming service, offering movies and TV shows on-demand like The Good Fight and Yellowstone. But unlike Netflix, it gives you access to Live TV from CBS. That means CBS local channels, CBS News (CBSN), CBS Sports, ET live, and some live sporting events like NFL on CBS Live. It also offers on-demand access to programming from Comedy Central, MTV, BET, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Paramount Pictures, and Smithsonian Channel.

As of 2024, it increased its monthly price to $12.99, but with that comes a significant upgrade: members now have access to all of Showtime's content, which includes movies and shows like Billions, Dexter, and Yellowjackets, as well as live coverage on sports including boxing, football, and MMA. Since Showtime shut down its standalone service in early 2024, this Paramount+ plan is now one of the few ways to watch Showtime without cable.

The Roku Channel can't replace Netflix or a cord-cutting service like Sling, but it's a nice added bonus if you already have a Roku device. The selection of live channels is limited, but there's something for everyone, including news, sports, and entertainment. It has a nice mix of free on-demand movies (ad-supported of course) that range from indie hidden gems to blockbuster classics. And thanks to a multi-year deal, The Roku Channel will air a weekly Sunday MLB game for free, indefinitely.

AMC Plus is a premium streaming bundle that includes the same benefits of AMC Premiere, the add-on subscription service available to subscribers of AMC. The service is currently available only in the US for $4.99 per month ($8.99 for the ad-free plan). You can subscribe at a reduced price if you’re an existing AMC channel subscriber on services like Xfinity, Dish Network and Sling TV. AMC Plus can currently be accessed via Apple TV Channels, Amazon Prime Video Channels, Comcast Xfinity, DirecTV, Dish, Roku, and Sling TV. While there is no AMC Plus app at the time of writing, you can access AMC Plus content via your provider’s app.

Sundance costs $6.99 per month, with an annual subscription that goes for $59.99. In addition to watching Sundance Now on the web, you can stream from the service’s apps for mobile, (Android and iOS) and media streaming (Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku). Sundance Now does not offer any apps on game consoles, such as the Xbox One or PlayStation 4.

Britbox is a streaming service born out of an alliance between two British broadcasters: BBC and iTV. If you like British humour, British detective shows, or anything British TV, it's the place for you. You won't be the only one, by October 2020, the platform had 1.5 million subscribers, a number that's growing.

Paramount Plus Essential is a video-on-demand service that replaces its predecessor, CBS All Access, and is currently available in the US, Canada, and parts of Latin America. This ad-supported tier costs $7.99, while Paramount's premium, ad-free tier costs $12.99 per month or $119.99 per year, with an optional 7-day free trial. Essential subscribers used to have the option to bundle the service with Showtime, but ever since the Paramount-Showtime merger in June 2023, the latter is now only available to Premium subscribers. But to its credit, Essential still has 40,000 episodes and movies to its name, plus live feeds on NFL on CBS and the UEFA Champions League. You can access Paramount Plus Essential via web browser, while the app is supported on a wide range of TV and mobile devices.

MGM+ (formerly Epix On Demand) is a streaming platform from the Epix television network that offers on-demand content from the channel. It’s offered to subscribers of the Epix television channel at no extra cost. Otherwise, the cost varies depending on your TV provider, though it averages at about $6.99/month whether you subscribe directly or via a third partner. You can subscribe to MGM+ via supported providers including Comcast Xfinity, Cox, DISH, DIRECTV, Spectrum, and Verizon FIOS. It can also be used as an add-on with Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, DirecTV Stream, Sling TV, and YouTube TV.

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. 

Editor's note: unfortunately, Amazon has said it plans to shut down Freevee in the coming weeks. 

Amazon Freevee, or simply freevee, is a free, ad-supported streaming service powered by Amazon. It has a notable library of licensed titles and original shows, not to mention 24/7 live channels, plus it's easy to access since it runs on most if not all available devices. Although other free streamers have it beat in terms of range and variety, freevee is still a great option for newbie cord-cutters, especially since it already comes on most Amazon platforms.

FlixFling is a flexible video on-demand streaming platform available in the US. A subscription costs $7.99 per month (or $95 per year) and includes streaming access across 5 different devices and access to movies and shows on the on-demand library. Without a subscription, you can still access on-demand rentals/purchases that range from $0.99 to $7.99. Meanwhile, on-demand subscribers have to pay for some titles that are available only as premium rentals. FlixFling works across devices, smart TVs and media services.

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.

BET+, or Black Entertainment Television plus, is a streaming service created for and by the African-American community. It celebrates the culture by bringing forth an endless and varied library of movies and TV shows, many of which are co-produced by the all-around entertainer himself, Tyler Perry. Aside from Black-led '90s sitcoms and mainstream films, the streamer also features titles from other Viacom channels such as Comedy Central and VH1. An ad-supported plan costs $5.99/month, while an ad-free plan costs $9.99/month.