Rated 7+ IMDb · 70%+ RT Little-known finds Curated by humans
Rated 7+ IMDb · 70%+ RT Little-known finds Curated by humans
Disney+ and AppleTV+ both cost $10 every month, but which is the better streaming service? That depends on what you’re looking for. Disney+ is more all-around, a great option if you have people of different ages sharing one account. It has blockbusters from Marvel as well as cartoons from the Disney channel. While AppleTV+ has its fair share of kids shows, where it really shines is its original (and PG 13) content, which boast A+ casts and award-winning writing. Severance, Ted Lasso, and Pachinko are just some of the more popular shows, but many new titles are also gaining traction. Oh, and another plus? AppleTV+ has a weeklong free trial, while Disney+ does not. Below, we break down the finer details between the two to help you determine which is the better streaming service for you.
| Feature | Disney+Our pick | Apple TV+ |
|---|---|---|
| Base price | $11.99/mo | $14.99/mo |
| Free trial | None | 7 days |
| Titles that pass our 7.0 IMDb / 70% RT bar | 61 | 87 |
| Try Disney+ | Try Apple TV+ free for 7 days |
We only recommend movies and shows rated at least 7.0 on IMDb and 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. By that standard, Apple TV+ currently streams 87 qualifying titles, compared to 61 on Disney+. Here are the picks our readers are watching most on each right now.
If you just want the lowest possible bill, here is exactly what each service’s cheapest plan gets you.
| Feature | Disney+ Basic | Apple TV+ Apple TV |
|---|---|---|
| Price / month | $11.99 | $14.99 |
| Annual Price | – | $119.00 |
| Streams at Home | 2 | 6 |
| Streams Outside Home | 1, with Extra Member Add-on | 6, more with Family Sharing |
| Profiles | 7 | 6 |
| Max Quality | 1080p | 1080p |
| 4K Support | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Audio | 5.1 audio | 5.1 sound |
| Dolby Digital | – | ✓ Yes |
| Dolby Atmos | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Min. Speed | 5 Mbps | 2.5 Mbps |
| Get Basic → | Get Apple TV → |
| Disney+ 2 plans | Apple TV+ 4 plans | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Basic | Premium | Cheapest Apple TV | Apple One Individual | Apple One Family | Apple One Premier | |
| Price / month | $11.99 | $18.99 | $14.99 | $21.95 | $31.95 | $37.95 |
| Annual Price | – | $189.99 | $119.00 | – | – | – |
| Streams at Home | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Streams Outside Home | 1, with Extra Member Add-on | 1, with Extra Member Add-on | 6, more with Family Sharing | 6 | 6, more with Family Sharing | 6, more with Family Sharing |
| Profiles | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Max Quality | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p |
| 4K Support | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Audio | 5.1 audio | 5.1 audio | 5.1 sound | 5.1 sound | 5.1 sound | 5.1 sound |
| Dolby Digital | – | – | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Dolby Atmos | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Min. Speed | 5 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 2.5 Mbps | 2.5 Mbps | 2.5 Mbps | 2.5 Mbps |
| Get plan → | Get plan → | Get plan → | Get plan → | Get plan → | Get plan → | |
Both services support most major devices. Here’s a breakdown based on the device apps each service lists.
| Device / Platform | Disney+ | Apple TV+ |
|---|---|---|
| Airplay | ✓ | ✓ |
| Amazon Fire TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | Not listed |
| Android TV | ✓ | Not listed |
| Apple TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Google TV Streamer | ✓ | ✓ |
| PlayStation | ✓ | Not listed |
| Roku | ✓ | Not listed |
| Samsung TV | Not listed | ✓ |
| Xbox | ✓ | Not listed |
| iOS | ✓ | ✓ |
“Not listed” means the service doesn’t list an app for that device; it may still work via casting or a browser.
Disney+ starts at $11.99/month, while Apple TV+ starts at $14.99/month. That’s $3.00 more per month for Apple TV+, or $36.00 more per year.
Before you pick either one, here is the drawback of each service, plainly stated.
Outside of Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and family titles, the Disney+ catalog is thin for adults, and price increases have been frequent.
Apple TV+ is originals only, with almost no back catalog, so a few weeks of heavy watching can exhaust what interests you.
Is Disney+ cheaper than Apple TV+?
Yes. Disney+ starts at $11.99/month, while Apple TV+ starts at $14.99/month. That's a difference of $3.00/month, or $36.00 per year.
Do Disney+ or Apple TV+ offer a free trial?
Disney+ does not currently offer a free trial. Apple TV+ offers a 7-day free trial.
Are Disney+ and Apple TV+ the same company?
No. Disney+ is owned by The Walt Disney Company, while Apple TV+ is owned by Apple. They are separate, competing subscriptions.
Is Disney+ included with Apple TV+?
No. Neither service includes the other: a Apple TV+ subscription does not give you Disney+ content, and vice versa. You need a separate subscription for each.
Which has more highly-rated titles, Disney+ or Apple TV+?
By our curation standard (at least 7.0 on IMDb and 70% on Rotten Tomatoes), Apple TV+ currently streams 87 qualifying titles, compared to 61 on Disney+.
Can I cancel Disney+ or Apple TV+ anytime?
Yes. Both Disney+ and Apple TV+ are month-to-month subscriptions with no long-term contracts. You can cancel either service at any time.
Great for kids: There’s no shortage of content for younger audiences, with all the major Disney hits a click away.
New theatrical releases: Although sometimes you have to pay an extra fee (usually of up to $30), a great perk of Disney Plus is Premier Access, which makes theatrical releases immediately available to stream on the platform.
Exclusive releases: Since it’s Disney, the catalog of popular TV shows and movies that you can't find anywhere else is huge.
The app: The Disney Plus app is so well-designed that in 2020, Apple named it the Apple TV App of the Year, and voted the best app of 2020 by Google Play users.
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