11 Best Streaming Platforms For Under $5

Discovery+ is a streaming service from the famous mass media company that has an ad-supported plan for $4.99 a month and an ad-free plan for $6.99. This includes content from Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet, Food Network, HGTV, ID, A&E, History, Lifetime, OWN, Travel, Science Network, and The Dodo. But beware, you cannot stream these channels live with a Discovery+, you can only watch their TV shows in playback.

Shudder is an on-demand streaming service dedicated to niche horror movies. In the US, a monthly subscription currently runs at $5.99 per month, or  $56.99 per year. In 2020, Shudder extended its operations to Australia and New Zealand, where pricing differs. You can also sign up to Shudder via your Amazon Prime account. Shudder can be accessed via a full range of services including Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Fire TV, Roku, Xbox One and is compatible across Apple and PC computers, and Android and iOS phones and tablets.

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. 

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.

IndieFlix is an online streaming service dedicated to independent filmmaking and is available in 85 countries. 

In the US, you can access IndieFlix for $6.99 per month, or a one-year subscription at a discounted $69. Patrons of IndieFlix may access IndieFlix free of charge. 

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. 

CuriosityStream is an American streaming services that focuses on documentary movies and shows and is available in more than 175 countries.

In the US, pricing starts at $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year for the basic plan, with an upgrade to the 4K Monthly plan available for $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year. 

CuriosityStream can be accessed via web browser as well as Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Fire TV, Roku, and has a mobile app that is compatible across Apple and PC computers, and Android and iOS phones and tablets. 

With its curated lineup of over 100 hand-picked, top-quality independent films every month, Curia indulges viewers with seasonal and permanent film collections for only $3.99 a month. The service ensures an experience less reliant on the impersonal algorithm that has dominated the likes of Netflix, and more on the personal recommendation setup where friends and experts help you pick out the next best watch. Aside from thoughtful curations, signing up also gets you unlimited access to award-winning feature-length and short films from beloved festivals around the world, all in the comfort of your home. 

Countryline TV is a free streaming service that serves as the ultimate base of all things country music. A cost-free subscription gives you access to interviews, jam sessions, and behind-the-scenes content on your favorite country artists, while a premium subscription, which costs $3.99 a month, gives you access to all that plus full-length films, concerts, documentaries, and TV shows. If you can't get enough of that distinct Southern sound, then this streaming platform is worth giving a shot.

If you have a taste for Black-oriented films, particularly those made in the late 20th century featuring funky settings and action sequences, then Brown Sugar just might be for you. The streaming subscription service mainly curates titles from the so-called Blaxploitation era, while also offering newer content such as a documentary about Beyoncé and a movie starring Denzel Washington. It has a wide array of titles thoughtfully dedicated to those who appreciate this kind of content, and at only $3.99 a month, it's a niche service seriously worth considering. 

Amazon Kids+ is a streaming service for kids 3 to 12. it features animation content from Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street and Cartoon Network, but also access to educational apps, games, and e-books. It costs $4.99/month if you already have Amazon Prime or $7.99/month if you don't.