For all the movie lovers out there who want the best streaming service for their hard-earned dollars, it’s not the cut-and-dry choice it sounds like.
Based on the term “best streaming service,” Netflix and Prime will always rise to the top.
The thing is, everybody has their own particular preferences.
Some are more interested in blazing speeds and HDR10+ on an 85″ screen, while others are satisfied with a massive library.
Some people prefer indies, and others want the biggest theatrical hits.
You know what they say about assumptions.
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Online listicles too often make the mistake of assuming the network with the most available movies is the best.
So, we’re gonna do something a little bit different by applying an extra label to each streaming platform.
If you’re a movie lover who prefers quantity over quality, you’ll find what you’re looking for instead of a generic “muh…Netflix is the best because movies” list.
Then there is the money side of things.
Sure, Netflix has a lot of movies, and so does Prime, but you’ll pay for it if you want the cream of the crop in terms of viewing experience.
So, we’ll cover that as well because why not?
It’s the reason you come to TV Fanatic! Here they are, in no particular order.
Apple TV+: Best For Cinematography and 4k HDR10+
If you’re a purely visual aficionado, you’ll find no better streaming service than Apple TV+, at least not for the price.
Apple’s biggest failure (thus far) is the lack of content.
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It won’t take you long to work your way through all of Apple’s movie offerings.
You will find some of the most stunning visuals in movies with large budgets and fantastic cinematography.
Apple Originals, such as Napoleon, Wolfwalkers, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Finch, are visual feasts.
Apple TV+ is also an aggregator, so to speak. You can add all of your favorite streaming platforms to the app for easy access.
Better yet, Apple TV+ is growing, recently overtaking Paramount+ and only two percentage points behind Disney+.
With growth comes more content, and given Apple’s propensity for dazzling with high-quality production values, that isn’t a bad thing.
Right now, you can get Apple TV+ for $9.99/mo — not a bad deal at all.
Prime Video: The Largest Movie Library
The biggest benefit of Prime Video is that it’s a connected offshoot of Prime membership.
The latter is so common now that a Prime membership is as prevalent as a loaf of bread in the pantry.
If you’re a member, you have Prime Video.
Unfortunately, an ad-free version isn’t available unless you boost your Prime membership to $17.98/mo versus the standard $14.99/mo.
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But hey, you can order a new TV and have it sitting on your front porch in two days. Alone, Ad-free Prime Video is $11.98/mo or $8.99/mo if you don’t mind the ads.
Amazon also offers movies and shows in 4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HDR10+, though you’ll need to check each movie you want to watch to determine its resolution (not all are HDR10 or HDR10+).
If you’re looking for a massive movie library, Prime is at the top, with the most movie offerings of all the streaming services available.
Netflix: Best for R-Rated Movies
For some odd reason, Netflix seems to be the place to go if you prefer hardcore R-rated movies, and nothing else will do.
Netflix is just behind Prime in terms of having the largest movie library, but the world’s most popular streaming platform has more R-movies than Bezos.
It’s surprising how much that matters to movie lovers.
A good streaming service that offers the PG and PG-13 versions of everything just isn’t as appealing to some.
The Robocop of the 1980s, played by Peter Weller, was fantastic.
However, Tinseltown slapped a PG-13 label on the remake, and the outcry was loud and clear.
If you prefer a cackling demon with a 360° head over Simba talking to a cloud, Netflix is where you want to be.
On the flip side, Netflix is getting pretty expensive. If you want the best resolutions and screen sharing, the cost is $22.99/mo. Standard is $15.49/mo, and the “with ads” tier is $6.99/mo.
Max: Best Bougie Content
Bougie content? What we mean is content that is critically acclaimed.
Not only does Max (formerly HBO and then HBOMAX) have the most critically acclaimed movies, but the name-changing streaming service also has the third-largest movie library behind Prime and Netflix.
So, you get the best of both worlds: some of the best movies ever made and a massive library of high-quality 4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10.
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If you’re looking for HDR10+ and have a TV that’s premium enough to reveal the subtle upgrade, you’ll have to wait.
There’s little doubt that Max will get around to offering HDR10+ content; it’s just a matter of when.
Like so many others, Max has given in to adverts.
Since commercials are becoming a part of everything, the bottom Max subscription tier, with ads, is $10/mo. It’s $16/mo without and $20.99/mo for the max (haha, you see what I did there?) experience.
Disney+: Most Family Friendly Movies
Disney+ is the obvious streaming service for families, or if you just want something to keep the kids occupied so you can do the dishes without flinging plates at the wall.
It’s even better when you consider that Disney is more than just Disney nowadays.
Without the bundle (Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN), Disney+ has categories for the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Pixar, Star Wars, Disney, and National Geographic.
There’s also a category for Hulu, but you have to fork over some extra cash if you want to package them together.
If you just want to watch family-friendly movies on Disney+, prepare yourself for the most convoluted subscription tier available right now.
It’s downright ridiculous, but it’s what you have to go through if you want to bring the mouse into your house.
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Disney+ w/ads: $8/mo
Disney+ w/o ads: $14/mo
Disney+ Annual w/o ads: $140
Disney+ and Hulu w/ads: $10/mo
Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN w/ads: $15/mo
Disney+ and Hulu w/o ads: $20/mo
Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN w/o ads: $25/mo
Disney+ with Hulu Live TV and ESPN w/ads: $77/mo
Disney+ with Hulu Live TV and ESPN w/o ads: $90/mo
Whew! Did you get all that? Good. Now copy and paste it somewhere because no one will remember that mess.
Hulu: Nostalgia Movie Watching
There are two reasons why Hulu is the streaming service to use if you love a bit of nostalgia in your movie-watching.
The first is that Hulu also has a Live TV option, so you can catch random movies and hit up your favorite networks, just like back in the day when a bulky TV box taking up all the shelf space was a necessity.
The second is that Hulu is home to one of the largest ’80s movie catalogs.
Nowadays, CG laziness is ruining everything, so a healthy dose of 1980s-style stuntman action, props, robotics, and claymation will bring back the good ol’ days.
Plus, it’s home to The Bear.
No, that’s not a movie, but it should definitely be on your must-watch list. Hulu with ads is a modest $7.99/mo, but if you want a commercial-free experience, the price leaps up to $17.99/mo.
Why that much? Because Hulu knows people hate commercials.
Shudder: All Horror All the Time
If you’re constantly jumping from one streaming service to the next, you’ve probably heard of Shudder.
On its face, Shudder looks like it’s home to every B-movie collection over the last five decades, all the way back to timeless classics such as Rawhead Rex and Killer Klowns from Outer Space.
To be honest, that’s exactly the case.
However, there’s more than just B-movies on this platform, without the monthly sticker shock to go along with it.
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Shudder also includes original horror movies.
It’s mostly Indie stuff, but some of the best movies ever made came from start-up studios independent of Tinseltown.
The timeless classics are also here, including Night of the Living Dead, The Ring, Children of the Corn, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
At $5.99/mo, that’s not a bad deal, especially if you eat, sleep, and breathe horror movies. If you want to bundle Shudder with AMC+, it will run you a reasonable $8.99/mo.
Crunchyroll: The Largest Anime Library
Crunchyroll is the numero uno home of the anime genre, with the biggest library of anime movies and shows of any other streaming service.
It also comes at a modest price of $7.99/mo, $11.99/mo, and $15.99/mo, depending on the tier you go with.
There’s been some controversy recently over localizers purposefully mistranslating some of the shows, which led to more controversy over AI replacing them.
However, if you’re a huge fan of anime movies and shows, there is simply no better alternative than Crunchyroll, at least in terms of sheer volume.
Honorable Mentions
Paramount+, Peacock, and Starz are worth mentioning as well.
Obviously, Paramount+ and Peacock are a bit more limited as they directly reflect their respective networks, CBS and NBC.
Starz is to Max what DiGiorno is to Pizza Hut: a toned-down, generic variation.
That’s not to say Starz is bad by any means.
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It lacks the extensive library and the advantage of the HBO and Cinemax combination, along with all of the originals both bring to the table.
The good news is that you can get Paramount+ and Peacock for relatively cheap, combining the two into a larger streaming service with broader content genres.
Paramount+ is especially movie-centric, with Paramount being the name behind many movies over the decades.
Starz is lacking in the original movies department, but like the premium channel it is, you’ll find a rotating, extensive list of movies on the platform at any given time.
Well, there you have it.
A good streaming service for movie lovers is worth its weight in subscription-tier cash. You also get the benefit of access to some of the more popular series out there.
What do you think? Is there a better streaming service for movie lovers out there? Let us know in the comments!
