15 Best Streaming Services for Movies

cord-cutting › best streaming services for movies

Updated November 22, 2023 • Staff

Netflix is only movie-oriented by name (the "flix"). If you like movies, there are other options out there that may be better suited to your tastes. For those who like anime, check out Crunchyroll; if you prefer independent films, look at Kanopy (which you might be able to get for free using your library card); and for cinephiles in general, take a look at either Mubi or Criterion.

Below is a list of the top streaming services that cater best to movie lovers, and which everyone can get. Kanopy, while great, is not included because it's only available through a library.

Criterion Channel

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.

Price: $10.99 per month

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

Go to Criterion Channel

Max

STREAMING ADVICE Read the full list of the 15 Cheapest Live TV Streaming Services for Cord-cutting

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 $10 (with ads) to $15 (no ads) to $20 (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.

Most mobile devices that can stream video support Max, although there is yet no app for Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices.

Price: $9.99 per month

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

Go to Max

Peacock

Peacock is a streaming service owned by NBC, with options for paid subscriptions as well as a free plan. The free plan offers about 13,000 hours of ad-supported content, with the option to upgrade to premium for more access to content. The premium options include two plans: $5.99 a month or $60 a year for ad-supported; $11.99 a month or $120 a year for ad-free. With both premium plans, you'll get access to the full catalog of 2,000 movies and shows, including every episode of the original NBC series. You'll also get next-day access to all the new episodes of ongoing NBC shows, and early access to talk shows such as Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on the air night. 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.

Price: $5.99 per month

Device availability: Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, LG TV, PlayStation, Roku, Visio TV, Xbox

Go to Peacock

FlixFling

STREAMING ADVICE Read the full list of the 10 Best Live TV Services That Offer Free Trial

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.

Price: $7.99 per month

Free Trial: 7 days

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

Go to FlixFling

Amazon Prime

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.

Price: $8.99 per month

Free Trial: 30 days

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

Go to Amazon Prime

The streaming services on this page were chosen by our editors and ranked based on objective criteria (value per dollar spent). 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.

Criterion Channel

Max

Peacock

FlixFling

Amazon Prime

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