25 Cheapest Streaming Services in the UK

uk-tv › cheapest streaming services • August 13, 2024 • Staff

The cheapest streaming services are the ones that come free. That could be services like My5 and Channel 4, which depend on ads to stream free content. The BBC iPlayer counts as well if you already have a TV licence on hand. Now, if you're already subscribed to these, the next cheapest options are those that don't go beyond the £10 monthly price point. That would mean a lot of on-demand streaming services like Britbox (£5.99) and Apple TV+ (£6.99) as well as affordable live TV streamers like Discovery+ (£3.99) and Now (£9.99 for the entertainment pass).

Below is a full list of the cheapest streaming services in the UK, as well as relevant details about each one of them.

BritBox

Backed by ITV and the BBC, BritBox is an on-demand streaming service made for and by British (and British-loving) folk. True to its name, it’s a specialized service that prides itself on its local content from channels all around the country. However, if you’re looking for the most popular or recent titles, this might not be your best bet (for that, you’ll want to look at the BBC iPlayer).

BritBox’s claim to fame, aside from housing all-British titles, is its deep-seated archives of shows and movies past. Here you’ll find Doctor Who episodes dating back to the 1960s and niche movies from an even earlier time period. It also has original titles up its sleeve, so at £5.99, it’s not a bad option if you’re looking for a homegrown service with a handful of classics to its name.

BFI Player

Home to an eclectic mix of local indies and international gems, BFI Player is one of the best movie streaming services out there. Its highly-curated film lists, which range from current to classic, are comparable to those of Criterion and Mubi. They're bound to tickle any cinephile’s fancy, so spending time scrolling through titles won’t feel as much of a drag as it would on other platforms.

A number of films can be accessed for free on the service—you wouldn’t even need to register—but most of them are reserved for paid subscribers only. The subscription plans come at a surprisingly fair £4.99/month or £49/year, but if you’re on the fence about another making another subscription, you can try the service for free for 2 weeks. Some of the newer and more highly acclaimed movies—especially those still screening in physical theaters—will only be available to rent, which usually starts at £2.50.

As a new and homegrown service, BFI Player is impressively competitive and worth checking out if you’re tired of the usual titles on bigger platforms.

Apple TV Plus

Apple TV+ has one simple philosophy: quality over quantity. It may not have nearly as much as its competitors, but it makes sure that every title it has is worth seeing. Ted Lasso, Severance, Pachinko, Little America, Slow Horses…the list of must-watch shows here goes on and on, and it’s not stopping anytime soon.

The streaming service costs £6.99 a month, and it’s compatible to watch on any phone, tablet, smart TV, or streaming device available (and not just Apple-branded ones, mind you). Just make sure you have the app downloaded, and you’re good to go.

Amazon Prime Video

Thanks to its ubiquity and near-unlimited budget, Amazon Prime Video has the biggest media library in the streaming world, making it an alluring option for cord-cutters. It has everything from b-movies to blockbusters, not to mention an in-house catalog that boasts, among others, award-winning shows like The Boys, Fleabag, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

It’s convenient to access, too, since you can subscribe to it as a standalone service for £5.99/month, or pay £8.99/month for the entire Amazon Prime package, which includes access to Amazon music and books, as well as their one-day delivery feature.

The only drawback might have to be its interface, which isn’t as sleek as, say, Netflix or Disney+, although its 4k viewing and download options more than make up for that. Overall, Amazon Prime Video is a neat service that’s well-worth subscribing to especially if you’re a fan of having plenty of things to choose from.

Acorn TV

Acorn TV is an on-demand streaming service dedicated to showcasing programs from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other parts of the Commonwealth. It has a good mix of original series like Agatha Raisin and Loch Ness as well as licensed series from channels ITV, Channel 4, and BBC Studios.

Originally created for expats and British TV fans living in America, Acorn TV was made available in the UK in 2020, where it's since been known to release murder mysteries, endearing sitcoms, and pleasant period dramas, among other formats. You can watch Acorn TV for free for 14 days, after which you'll have to pay £4.99/month or £24.99/year. It's available on most streaming devices, including smart TVs, and most titles can be downloaded and viewed offline.

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BritBox

BFI Player

Apple TV Plus

Amazon Prime Video

Acorn TV

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