Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Hulu may be dominating the streaming wars, but did you know there are more than 200 streaming services around the world? From on-demand and live TV to broad and niche content, there are multiple services, each with its own strength, that are waiting to be discovered by cord-cutters like yourself. Some cater to specific communities, some are offered free, and some preserve whatever's left of a particular archive. Many are actually excellent. So, if you're looking to expand your lineup beyond the usual, read on as we explore the best streaming services you probably haven't heard about, till now.
50 Best Lesser Known Streaming Services
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Mozi is a new entirely free streaming service that brands itself as the "home of free TV". It's understated and simple to use, with navigation between channels as easy as a scroll. Plus, it's well-rounded: from news programs like CBS News to kids programming with Nick Jr, documentaries with National Geographic, and the weather with Fox Weather.
The service, a curated collection of live streams from Youtube, is a great resource for those looking to watch TV for free, especially news. And unlike other free streamers like Pluto and Xumo, the emphasis here is on quality, not quantity: there are no made-up channels.
Price: free for 24 channels available
Device availability: Website
Channel lineup: ABC News, Aljazeera, Arirang TV, Bloomberg, CBS News, CNBC Marathon, Disney Jr, Disney XD, DW, ESA, Euronews, Fox Weather, France 24, NASA, National Geographic, NBC News, NHK World Japan, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, PBS Newshour, QVC, Sky News, Today, Wion
Frndly TV offers more than 40 live TV channels, including Hallmark, Lifetime, and A&E for a friendly price of only $6.99. If you’re just looking to cut the cord and reduce expenses, Frndly TV is where you get the bang for your buck.
Price: $6.99/month
Free Trial: 7 days
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku
Channel lineup: A&E, BabyFirst, BYUtv, Circle, Crime-Investigation, Curiosity Channel, DECADES, Dove Channel, Dove Family Movies, Dove Kids, FETV, FMC, FYI, Game Show Netowrk, GetTV, Great American Family, Great American Living, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Heartland TV, Heroes & Icons, History, INSP, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Local Now, MeTV, Military HISTORY, Outdoor Channel, Pixel, QVC, Recipe.TV, Sportsman Channel, Start TV, Story Television, The History Channel, The Weather Channel, UPtv, Vice, World Fishing Network
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.
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.
Price: $5/month
Free Trial: 14 days
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, iOS, Website
Watch all you can with your family and friends with Yip TV! For only $49.99 per year, Yip TV offers a more affordable annual subscription than an additional international package to your standard cable plan. Access your favorite 44 Live TV shows and on-demand content simultaneously with 5 different devices so everyone in the family can watch what you want. Yip TV offers Spanish content, which is not typically offered by other streaming services.
Price: $14.99/month
Device availability: Android, Apple TV, iOS
Channel lineup: ¡Hola! TV, 360 Tune Box, Antena3, Arirang TV, Atreseries, BizTV, Bloomberg TV, Bolivia TV, Canal 52 MX, Canal Sur, CB24 Noticias, Centroamérica TV, Cine Sony, CubaMax TV, Destinos TV, Dominican View, El Financiero Bloomberg TV, FashionBox Live, FilmBox Art House, FilmBox Russia, France 24, Kino Polska International, Kino Polska Muzyka, Latin Angels, Mi Gente TV, Mis Películas, NTN24, Pasiones, RCN Novelas, Show Business TV, Sony Movie Channel, Supercanal, Tele El Salvador, Teleformula, Telesur, Televisión Dominicana, TV Chile, Video Rola, WAPA América, YouToo America
WatchFree+ is a free live TV streaming service exclusive to VIZIO smart TV users. It comes free on the device, with no download or registration needed, and it gives you access to more than 260 live channels and 8,000 on-demand movies and TV shows. Notably, WatchFree+ has a local channel category that covers news, sports, and the weather, making VIZIO more cord-cutter friendly than ever. It's partnered with FOX channels and Gray Television channels to cater to up to 20 local markets in the US, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Washington DC.
Price: free for 77 channels available
Device availability: Vizio, Vizio Smart TV, Vizio SmartCast, Vizio TV
Channel lineup: AMC En Español, AMC Thrillers, Architectural Digest, Ax Men, Baby Shark, Bein Sports XTRA, bein Sports Xtra en Espanol, BET TV, Black Cinema, Bloomberg Originals, Bon Apetit, Canela.TV, CBC News, CBS local channels, CBS News, CBS Sports HQ, CBSN, Cheddar News, CINE REAL, Cine Sureno, CNN Replay, Cony Canal Compentencias, CSI, Danger TV, Dark Matter TV, Dora TV, Dove, Estrella Games, Estrella News, Estrella TV, FilmRise Action, Filmrise Family, Flash TV, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports, Fox Weather, Fubo Sports, GQ, Hallmark Movies and More, History Hits, HSN, IGN1, ION, LiveNOW from FOX, Local news channels, MagellanTV, MLB Network, Modern Marvels, MotorTrend, NBC News Now, Newsmax, Newsmax TV, NFL Channel, Nick, Nick Jr., Paramount Movie Channel, Popsugar Fitness, QVC, Retro Crush, Reuters, Revry, Screambox TV, Scripps News, Sony Canal Novelas, Sportsgrid Live, Tastemade, TBN, TD Ameritrade Network, The Hill, Tru History, Tu Cine, TV Land, USA Today, WeatherNation, Wired, Women’s Sports Network, Yahoo! Finance
VUit is a free streaming service that has live and local feeds from more than 260 broadcast stations around the United States. While it does have on-demand content (mostly documentaries and food shows), VUit is focused on hosting local channels, which cover everything from high school sports updates to regional political news. Recently, VUit also partnered with Paramount to carry local CBS TV stations, two of which include the New York and Los Angeles stations. Unlike other live TV streamers, VUit isn't limited by geoblocking, so you can stream most of its local channels wherever you are in the world, which aligns with VUit's mission of reconnecting younger people to local TV.
Price: free for 21 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG Smart TV, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung Smart TV, Sony Smart TV, Vizio, Vizio Smart TV, Website
Channel lineup: 911 Encore Channel, AWEP Plus, CBS local channels, Food. Curated., FUEL TV, Fun Roads TV, Investigate TV, KTSF, Local news channels, N2, NewsNet, Nubian TV, NYC Live, Politics Uncut, PowerNation, Quili, Sino TV, Sports News Highlights, The Asian Cinema, The Henry Ford Museum, Us Weekly: News
Volta was the name of the first cinema that opened in Ireland in 1909. And this streaming service lives up to the name - it's the first independent Irish streaming service. You will find a range of Irish content as well as some international releases.
TysonPlus is an internet streaming service that spotlights diverse content from marginalized communities, with a particular focus on queer and Black stories. This provider is for those who don’t want to sift through an overwhelming number of titles just to find quality and thoughtful representation in the media they consume. TysonPlus, first released on Amazon in 2019, is a growing streamer that offers a subscription for $9.99/month. The company also produces original content, which they release both online and in select film festivals.
True Story is an online streaming service that focuses on documentaries from all over the globe. The nature of the films seem to focus on relationships amongst 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 in an interesting and moving way, then this streamer is for you. The subscription is $8.49/month. True Story was launched in 2020.
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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.