The Best Streaming Platforms for Documentaries

NASA+ is the space agency's official, ad-free, and on-demand streaming service. It carries original shows and movies that feature NASA's discoveries on the cosmos and beyond and intimate interviews with the astronauts and scientists behind these projects. There are also animated kids' shows and Spanish-language content for younger viewers and families to enjoy, as well as high-definition intergalactic videos set to interesting sounds, in case you're not in the mood to watch anything too heavy. The app, which can be downloaded on iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV, is completely free and requires no sign-up to access.

Mylifetime is a website that lets you watch countless Lifetime movies and TV shows both live and on-demand. You have to log in with a streaming service, cable provider, or satellite provider that carries Lifetime to access most of it, but there are a few videos you can still watch without signing in. Think of it as a free extension of the Lifetime channel you can go to at the click of a link. It's important to note, though, that Mylifetime does not support Frndly TV log-in credentials as of this writing, even though the streaming service carries the live channel.

If you're a hardcore baseball fan, you'll be glad to know you can tune in to your favorite pastime via MLB.TV, the league's official streaming service. Previously MLB.TV offered All Teams and Single Team packages, but it's replacing them with more affordable tiers that start at $5.99/month. The cheapest plan allows you to stream MLB Network 24/7 and tune into extensive baseball coverage and analyses, while the MLB.TV + At Bat plan, which costs $6.99/month, adds access to La Liga Dominicana (Spanish only), live Spring Training games, and archives from past seasons. An important reminder: if you're still on the cord and have the MLB Extra Innings cable TV package, you're likely entitled to a free MLB.TV subscription. Contact your provider to check whether you're eligible.

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.

Microsoft is most known for its computer and gaming services, but the tech corporation also has a streaming service under its belt. Microsoft's media store allows you to rent or purchase a host of films and TV shows, many of which are still up in theaters or being broadcast on network TV. The good news is that Microsoft often puts up sales and specials that slash prices up to half, and the even better news is that Xbox Game Pass holders are entitled to many of these discounts. So for instance, a Game Pass holder can pay just $7 for a film that costs $20 to rent. Now, the not-so-good news is that Microsoft's rental store is only available for Xbox and PCs and mobile devices that run on Windows. Anything outside of these devices, unfortunately, won't be able to access the store. 

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.

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.

With Amazon Prime's Max Cinemax bundle, you get access to all three of the streamers' unique films and TV shows and pocket $4.99/month in savings. That's because the bundle offers Max Ad-free ($15.99/month) and Cinemax ($9.99/month) for just $20.99, in addition to your current Amazon Prime subscription. Some notable titles include House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, and every other HBO show you can think of, as well as the latest blockbusters on Cinemax. Like most bundles, this one also conveniently charges you under one bill, under Amazon, and you can cancel it anytime you want.

The Max + B/R Sports add-on combines Max's arsenal of on-demand titles from Warner Bros., HBO, DC, and Cartoon Network with The Bleacher Report's wide coverage of live sporting events, including March Madness, the NBA Playoffs, The Stanley Cup Playoffs, and various MLB matches. You could say it's an extension of TBS, TNT, and truTV sports as it airs select (not all) games from those channels, but it also covers so much more, including other sports like golf, cycling, and MMA. Since October 2023, B/R Sports has been added to all Max plans completely free of charge, but once the promo ends, you'll have to pay $9.99/month on top of your Max subscription to enjoy B/R content. And of course, blackout restrictions apply.

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.

Local Now is a free streaming service from The Weather Channel that offers localized content geared to where you're using it. That means you can get local news, weather updates, and even restaurant reviews that are specific to where you, the user, are from. Aside from the convenience of getting local coverage, Local Now also provides thousands of movies and live TV channels to choose from, perfect for when you're relaxing or on the go.

Described as the Netflix of language learning, Lingopie has a wide array of international movies and TV shows to watch in nine languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and English. Mainly, it has a flashcard feature that allows you to learn the words in the subtitles as you go along. The flashcard lets you hear the right pronunciation of the word, while also giving info on its position of speech, tense, etc. It's a great option for those interested in learning through entertainment. 

Lifetime Movie Club is a subscription video service that gives you access to thousands of original titles, many of which can also be found on its cable counterpart the Lifetime Channel. Lifetime movies are known for being unapologetically dramatic and occasionally sinister, so if you're one to indulge in such content, then this might be for you. Lifetime Movie Club also welcomes new movies to its library every Friday, as well as hosts a handful of syndicated shows, including the much-beloved Grey's Anatomy.

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).

Whether you're a Korean expat living in North America or a true-blue Hallyu fan, you'll find much to like in OnDemandKorea, also sometimes known as Korea on Demand. The streaming service has both live TV and on-demand content, which it makes available in three tiers. The basic plan is ad-supported and free, the premium plan costs $13.99/month and gives you exclusive ad-free content, while the premium + box plan costs $19.99/month and gives you all the benefits of the previous plans plus five simultaneous viewings and 100 live channels. Korea on Demand also gives you the option to pay yearly to help you save up to $200 in costs. In terms of content, the platform has an impressively wide range. On the on-demand side, it has more than 500 films that range from mainstream to indie, while on the live TV side, it has multiple channels that cover news, entertainment, variety, and sports. It's important to note, however, that the entire site is in Korean and not all titles have English subtitles, making it most suited to native or advanced speakers of the language.

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.

Similar to Xumo or Pluto TV, KlowdTV is a streaming service that offers users a free way to watch Live TV. The selection is limited to news channels like France24 and right-wing channels, but you can pay a monthly or yearly fee to get even more channels.

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.

Formerly Kino Now, which only offered rentals, Kino Film Collection is an on-demand streaming service featuring films that could rival the catalogs of Criterion and Mubi. Here you'll find indie darlings, hard-to-find classics, and international gems by the likes of  Jean-Luc Godard, Jafar Panahi, Jia Zhangke, Joanna Hogg, and Alfred Hitchcock. Some examples of their carefully curated collections are "Cannes Winners," "New York Times Critcis’ Picks," "Visionary Black Directors," and "Women Filmmakers." You can watch the Kino Film Collection on major streaming devices.

iTunes is one of the oldest media apps currently in use. While many people know it as a music player, iTunes has since evolved to offer digital movies and TV shows for rent or sale. The bigger and newer releases can cost up to $20 to purchase, but iTunes also has past hits, modern classics, award-winning pictures, and even local films you can rent for as low as $2. Purchased films and TV shows are available for as long as the studio allows them to be, but rentals are a different story. Once you've rented a particular title, you have up to 30 days to start watching it. And after you start watching it, you'll then have 48 hours before it expires. iTunes comes pre-installed on Apple devices, but it's also available on Windows PCs and Android Smart TVs.

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.

IndieFlix is an online streaming service dedicated to independent filmmaking and is available in 85 countries. In the US, you can access IndieFlix for $4.99 per month, or a one-year subscription at a discounted $39.99. Patrons of IndieFlix may access IndieFlix free of charge.

Hulu with Live TV is already a pretty packed live TV streaming service for sports. It comes with ESPN+ and has channels like ABC, CBS, FS1, TNT, TBS, and TruTV. But for an additional $9.99/month (that's about $87/month total if you're on the basic plan), you get to supplement those with specialty sports channels like NFL Redzone, which gives you access to nonstop and on-demand football action. Along with NFL Redzone, Hulu's sports add-on comes with MLB Strikezone, Outdoor Channel, Tennis Channel, Fanduel, Sportsman Channel, MAVTV (for avid motorsports fans), and Fanduel Racing. If you're a hardcore sports fan looking to cover all bases, then this bundle is certainly worth considering.

In our book, Hulu is already up there when it comes to Hispanic-friendly streaming services. It spotlights Latin American-made content and makes those titles easy to find on their platform. But if you want to improve the experience, then you can check out the Español Add-on, which adds Spanish live TV channels to your current lineup so you're updated on Latin American news, entertainment, and sports. At the moment, the add-on costs $4.99/month, so prices start at $86.98/month when combined with Hulu with Live TV plans.

Available to American Express Platinum cardholders, the Hulu AMEX bundle is a deal that gives you up to $20 in credits every month on your statement account (that's $240 saved in a year), provided that you use your card to subscribe to any Hulu product on their website. The bundle covers both Hulu's on-demand and live TV services, as well as Hulu's Disney+ and ESPN+ package. You have to remember to enroll your card to start receiving the benefit, but once you do, your credit should appear around six to eight weeks after the purchase has been made.

If you're already subscribed to any of Hulu's existing plans (currently, those are with ads, no ads, and live TV), you can choose to boost your subscription with a Starz add-on for an extra $8.99 a month. This rounds up your library of Hulu originals with Starz's own collection of prestige series such as Gaslit, Outlander, and Serpent Queen, as well as their cult-status comedies like Party Down, Minx, and Ash vs. Evil Dead. Additionally, you can stream Starz live and log on to the app, if you have it, with your Hulu credentials. While this simplified bundle is certainly interesting, it's even more appealing for TV fans out there who have much to gain from this pairing. Prices for this bundle start at $18.98, since the ad-supported Hulu plan now costs $9.99/month.

The Hulu + Max bundle gives you the ultimate entertainment experience. On the Hulu front, you get a constant stream of lighthearted comedies, hard-hitting documentaries, and the occasional prestige drama, while on the Max front, you get a bundle within a bundle: HBO hits, Discovery documentaries, Warner Bros. blockbusters, and even BBC imports. To access Hulu + Max, you'll have to pick a Hulu base plan, which starts at $9.99/month, and pick a Max plan, which also starts at $9.99/month. Once you do, you get everything under one platform and pay for just one bill. You can also use your Hulu credentials to log into the Max app, in case you want to watch your favorite shows on the latter's platform. It's quite the deal if you're looking to tune into the most critically acclaimed originals streaming has to offer.

Hopster TV is a kids-oriented streaming service that offers a variety of educational and entertaining shows. It also offers games, books, and songs in the platform, allowing kids to navigate between depending on their mood.

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.