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The Only Streaming Services Worth Your Time (Plus, Shows You’ll Love!)

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

The best streaming sites can be hard to find amid all the options! We’ve done the hard work for you, so now you can sit back and relax!
Cable is ridiculously EXPENSIVE nowadays! I know so many who go without it altogether, so when my husband and I got married, we ditched cable and have stuck to strictly Netflix. Lately, though, we've been wanting more options. This is THE most comprehensive list of streaming sites, subscription services, and special bundles that are literally popping up all over the place I've ever seen. And they're still cheaper!

Almost every month it seems like I’m hearing about yet another subscription service. In fact, I recently saw this Instagram post that made me LOL…hard. Because it’s soooo true!

How long until some genius bundles all the streaming services and just reinvents cable?

C’mon. It’s unrealistic to check dozens of apps (over 270 exist!) just to find the one thing you want to watch. And with each of the best streaming sites out there producing their own exclusive content, you’re stuck wavering back and forth between which one is best.

I’ve mentioned before that excessive screen time isn’t great for our physical and mental health, but I’m also not going to be the person who says TV isn’t a form of self-care. I’ve come to appreciate (and enjoy!) the art of storytelling through various shows and movies.

Just as a well-written book can move me emotionally, so can talented actors and directors.

So I hope you’ll come with me on this deep dive into the world of streaming services to find out which one (or two!) is the best choice for what you watch. And along the way, I’ll share some of my favorite content!

But first, let’s talk about what you’ll need before you can stream any service.

You Can’t Stream Without This

A high-speed internet connection.

No, really, that’s all you need if you want to watch shows on your phone, tablet, or computer! But for those of you who want to stream on the living room big screen, you’ll want to look into:

  1. A SmartTV (this already has streaming services built in) OR
  2. A small streaming device you can connect to your TV though your HDMI port (ex. Roku or Amazon Fire TV)

There are pros and cons to each of the best streaming sites listed below.

With a Smart TV, you won’t need to buy any extra equipment to stream (which would cost you $20-$40), but these TVs don’t list every single app on the market. So you might not be able to add the ones you want.

A streaming device provides a better ecosystem. These devices also come with pre-built streaming apps (you still need to subscribe to the service and sign in), but they are easier to navigate and give you the ability to download other apps.

Types of Streaming Services

There are two main types of streaming services—On Demand and Cable Replacements.

  • On Demand Services—These are generally cheaper and offer On Demand access to thousands of TV shows and movies, including original content. Netflix (and others like it) fit into this category.
  • Cable Replacement Services—These services are more expensive, but provide live TV viewing and the ability to record the latest shows.

So which ones deserve your subscription dollars? Let’s take a look at the U.S. Market’s best streaming sites.

On Demand

1. Netflix

Netflix really trumps the competition when it comes to original content, movies, kid-friendly TV, and ad-free episodes. However, even though they have an extensive library of past seasons, they usually don’t air episodes until the entire season is complete. Kind of a pain if you want to keep up with your favorite shows, but the movie selection is top-notch.

Cost: $8.99-17.99/month

Shows I love: Heartland, Virgin River (Netflix Original), The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix Original), Reign

2. Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime isn’t just for two-day shipping; it also features hundreds of movies and shows that you can watch for free online with your subscription (just be sure to check the Prime option—other shows still cost money to watch!). From my experience with Prime, I didn’t find the movie selection to be awesome for adults, but they do have a lot of kid-friendly options.

Psst…Amazon recently purchased MGM, so I’m hoping their movie selection improves soon!

Sign up for a 30-day free trial.

Cost: $8.99/month (for stand-alone Prime Video)

Shows I love: Poldark & Downton Abbey

3. Apple TV+

Apple has joined the list of streaming services with a lineup of completely original movies and TV shows, including The Morning Show and Oprah’s highly acclaimed interview with Prince Harry in The Me You Can’t See.

Right now if you buy an Apple Device, you get a free year of Apple TV+! If you’re not in the market for a new device, you can also sign up for a free 7 day trial.

Cost: $4.99/month

4. Disney+

Remember the uproar when Disney decided to pull all their content from Netflix to start their own streaming service? I’d say it worked out pretty well for them! Disney+ is a top contender in the streaming space, especially now that they own the Star Wars and Marvel brands.

Cost: $7.99/month (or bundle with Hulu and ESPN for $13.99/month)

Shows I love: Hamilton

5. Discovery+

In addition to channels like HGTV, TLC, and Food Network, you also get the Discovery Channel (obviously!), Animal Planet and more. If reality shows are your jam, you will fill up your queue fast with Discovery+!

Cost: $4.99-$6.99/month

Shows I love: Fixer Upper

6. HBO Max

HBO Max offers an amazing selection of movies and addicting shows to watch, but if you spring for the ad-free plan, you’ll get access to blockbuster films the very same day that they come out in theaters.

Cost: $9.99-$14.99/month

Cable Replacement

1. Sling TV

If you want to cut cable for good, then say hello to Sling TV. Sling carries live channels such as, HGTV, ESPN, Food Network, Starz, Showtime, and many others. Subscriptions are either Blue (News + Entertainment channels) or Orange (Sports + Families) or you can get a combo of both for a 25% discount.

Not only can you stream live, you can also go back and start the current episode over, or watch any episode on that channel within the last 24 hours (for most, not ALL). You can also record 50 hours of DVR storage!

Cost: $35-$53/month

2. Frndly TV

Just like the name implies, Frndly is a small but mighty family-friendly service that dishes up some of my very favorites, like Hallmark or Hallmark movies and UPTV. With 15 channels to choose from, there are options for the whole family! You can watch live or play back on a DVR. And if you miss a show, Frndly allows you to go backwards in time 72 hours!

Occasionally, Frndly will also provide On Demand seasons of certain shows, like When Calls the Heart and The Good Witch so you never miss an episode.

Try Frndly FREE for 7 Days

Cost: $5.99-$9.99/month

Shows I love: When Calls the Heart

3. Philo TV

Philo provides access to 63 channels, including Lifetime, AMC, Food Network, DIY Network. It’s very similar to Sling TV, although the cheaper price also comes with a limit on DVR storage. While you can record as many shows as you want, you must watch the show within 30 days or it will disappear.

Cost: $20/month

4. YouTube TV

Watch more than 85 popular channels (with unlimited DVR storage) through YouTube TV. With news, sports, Disney, and other other family-friendly networks, you can watch all your favorite programs the moment they air.

Plus, YouTube TV offers a la carte options like Showtime, Starz, and HBO Max for an additional monthly charge. So you can choose what you want to pay for!

Cost: $54.99/month

A Mix of Both

1. Paramount+ (Formerly CBS All Access)

You won’t find CBS on any other streaming service, because they have their own!

Shows on this network (along with a few other channels and hundreds of movies from Paramount Pictures) are packaged together in Paramount+, for an On Demand/Cable Replacement experience. If you want to watch sports live, stay informed with breaking news, and enjoy the extras like your favorite shows and all your kids’ favorites on Nickelodeon, this could be a good fit for you!

Try one month for FREE.

Cost: $5.99-$9.99/month

Shows I love: The Good Wife

2. Hulu

Hulu is similar to Netflix in that they both stream TV shows and movies. However, while Netflix waits until a season is over before airing, Hulu features most shows the day after they go live. Most past seasons are available in the archives, but occasionally a channel (ex: The CW) will have a separate contract and give them access only to the last 5 episodes.

If you want On Demand AND Live Channels, you can upgrade to Hulu Live TV. This is a great option for families! With 65+ live channels and the entire Hulu streaming library (all for $64.99/month), this can be an economical way to enjoy a lot of variety.

Cost: $5.99-$64.99/month

Shows I love: The Rookie, The Resident, Shark Tank

3. Fubo TV

Fubo boasts an astounding 100+ channels, both live and On Demand, along with 30 hours of Cloud DVR storage. Unlike Philo, recordings never expire! You’ll get full coverage of all the major sports as well as ABC, NBC, HGTV, Showtime, and other popular channels.

Start your 7-day FREE trial.

Cost: $64.99-$79.99/month

4. Peacock

Peacock is a newcomer to the streaming world, and it’s the only service on this list with a completely free plan! If you’re willing to watch a few ads, you can have access to over 40,000 popular movies and TV shows.

Start your 7-day FREE trial.

Cost: $4.99-$9.99/ month for ad-free viewing and live TV.

So…which one is the best streaming site of all?

Well, it depends. I know that’s not super helpful, but hear me out.

If you want the most bang for your buck, I would suggest paying for either:

  1. An On Demand/Cable Replacement Mix (Fubo comes with the most channels)
  2. OR one On Demand Service + one Cable Replacement Service

Here are some mix-and-match suggestions:

  • For those with kids and a sports fan in the house, I would suggest Disney+ paired with a Sling Orange subscription. (Approx. $43/month)
  • If you’re a Hallmark fan and don’t need live access to other channels, I would suggest Netflix paired with Frndly TV. (Approx. $15/month)
  • If you can’t get enough of reality shows, I would choose a Discovery+ subscription and Philo TV. (Approx. $27/month)

Since we can’t get live TV in the RV, we subscribe to a few of the best streaming sites: Netflix, Hulu (no ads), Discovery+, and Disney+. We would have been content with Netflix and Hulu, but our Verizon plan throws in Discovery and Disney for free!

The bottom line: Pick and choose a combo of the best streaming sites that works best for you, then make that call to your cable company (if you still have one) and finally cut the cord. You can totally do it!

Do you subscribe to any of these channels?

Tell me the combo that works best for you, or a combo you might switch to! And of course, I want to know ALL about your favorite shows.

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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81 Comments

  1. I read these in hopes that there’s something new out…since we’re been streaming our TV for over 3 years now. One thing I do want to try that you didn’t mention is Mohu Leaf Paper – Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna. I keep putting of the purchase because I’m afraid to get sucked in wasting more time…but ti’s an option that a few of my friends seem to love.

    1. Thanks so much for mentioning this one! I had not heard of it before, but sounds like it’s something worthwhile to look into for sure.

    2. I have the leaf hooked to 2 tv’s. I bought it from Sams Club and it had 2 in a package for about 50$. It works great. I probably get about 30 or so channels. I also do netflix

  2. Have enjoyed watching what we want through roku, netflix and amazon for over 2 years now. And for the most part, the best thing, is it is commercial free. We pay like $40.00 for internet connection and with all that mentioned above we do not miss expensive cable bills any longer.

    1. Unfortunately, no. I’m looking forward to the day when Hallmark is offered on Hulu or Netflix, or part of a different package!

      1. same frustration;

        I don’t understand why Hallmark Ch seems to be the only hold out from usual favorites, but now that I know HGTV, etc is available on Sling –guess I’ll just write to Hallmark & let them know that in spite of being a daily fan -they are the ONLY holdout and not worth cable for just one channel —

        * * * Maybe we could start a petition to let them know how many loyal viewers they’ve lost??? * * *

        1. I’d sign that! 🙂 I miss Hallmark… but not enough to pay an arm and a leg to get it and 100 other channels I don’t miss.

          1. They just added Hallmark and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries to Sling if you do the lifestyles add on package for $5. I don’t really care about anything else on there as I like my Netflix and Hulu just fine. But I might do it for the month of December so I can see all the Christmas movies!

      2. Have you checked Sony PlayStation vue? They offer a subscription service for watching over a 100 channels for about 45 a month and you download the app onto a kindle fire tv and other devices. Not sure they have hallmark but thought I seen something. Worth checking out

        1. I hadn’t checked that out yet. I just took a quick look and it doesn’t look like they have Hallmark but they do have several sports channels for those who are looking to cut the cord but have people in their home who need their sports fix.

      3. I was just looking up Hallmark Channel for my sister-in law, and it is offered on Hulu now according to the Hulu add.

        1. I have Hulu and have not seen it yet. It doesn’t appear that Hulu has it. Maybe they are offering some specific Hallmark content?

    2. “Feeln” is the Hallmark channel but it doesn’t have much variety-lots of old movies.

  3. What is the best choice for my husband to still be able to watch sports games live (football, hockey, basketball etc)? We get the premium sports network through regular cable which is only like $8/ month but all the cable companies require you to upgrade your cable package in order to add on the sports package. Other than sports, we don’t really watch tv and my kids watch DVDs and shows on demand so I would love to ditch cable!

    1. I would also like to know this. While my husband and I do have our selection of shows we enjoy and keep up with, and I do have the option of visiting my parents to catch the one show I like to keep up with that costs almost as much as buying the dvds to stream without cable (a BBC America one), my husband loves hockey and loathes our most local team. So the traditional answers of “go to a sports bar or a friend’s house” won’t work for him, nor does he want to resort to that since we have a baby on the way. So this is pretty much THE thing I’d really like to figure out for him before we try cutting cable.

    2. ESPN and ESPN 2 are both offered through Sling TV, {and when it came to March Madness, TBS also carried the games as well}, but you won’t get any non-ESPN sports shows. You do have the option though to grab MLB .TV, NBA League Pass, and MSL Live as a la carte options. You pay for these by season.

      1. Do any of these carry the NFL network channel? We’re a huge sports family, as well, and my husband watches a lot of this channel.

        1. Not that I have seen. 🙁 That’s the one major drawback to cutting cable! Sling TV does fill in the gaps for some sports watchers, but if someone is really into a specific sport, it can be a little more difficult to find an alternative.

    3. My husband got this streaming box called Stroom box, at first he got it because it included a sports package but in the long run we use it for everything, we can any movie that we want, any tv show, we can also watch older seasons everything is commercial free too, which was exciting bc I got to watch old big Brother episodes. We have saved a lot of money, we still kept basic cable but canceled HBO and Showtime. And no more Netflix. My husband loves the sports package deal, he can watch any game any time, any team. we got ours on Stroombox.com

        1. I just went to the website and asked a couple of pointed questions regarding streaming Live Sports. I have the A-Box(android TV) unit I bought in February and finally cut the cord to my cable company few months later. My one issue is streaming live sports and specifically the teams I follow= Gators and Rays. The last several weeks I can not stream my football games. Stroombox admits the units shine for TV shows and movies but the sports streaming is poor picture quality(not HD) and there are issues obtaining specific teams. So I am not purchasing this box. Let me know if you learn anything different.

          1. you are making the right choice to NOT buy this hunk of junk. i can’t get any normal quality movies, let alone HD, and tonight i can’t get to the movies. this thing is trash.

      1. My big question with Stroombox is can I get Disney Jr and Nick Jr? And if I can, is it only a few episode of a few select shows? Or is it all, and more importantly the most current, episodes?
        And does it provide local channels or will I need an antenna?

        1. I’m not sure. I still haven’t had a lot of time to look into Stroombox. Anyone else have an answer to this?

          1. YEAH I HAVE AN ANSWER, don’t waste your time and money with stroombox, we are SO disappointed in this stupid thing

      2. That is what I am buying, cutting the high cable bill. I have read that this is one of the best.

  4. There’s also Jetflicks. We’ve had them for over 4 years. They upload episodes within an hour or 2 from airtime. It’s 9.99 a month or they give you a price break if you pay in chunks. I think half off highly pay for the year. Not bad at all. And they have so many shows. Regular network, reality cable shows, regular cable shows, and the Showtime/HBO stuff. My referral code is 26733 if anyone wants to check it out. We’ve been so happy cordless. We have Jetflicks, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. I had the Amazon for other reasons so the tv was a total bonus.

  5. $720 a year? How about $1440.00 a year? I tried saving w/a satellite dish but couldn’t because I live in an apartment. Going to have to cut the cable cord but I think we will be okay.

    1. Wow! Prices definitely vary from region to region, that’s for sure. On the bright side, cutting the cable cord would result in even bigger and better savings for you! 🙂

  6. The problem with most, if not all, of these alteratives, Kalyn, is that they require an unlimited broadband internet connection of some sort, and in my town, that’s the cable company or DSL. Either way, that connection costs about the same as cable alone, so that leaves us back where we started.

    That said, I’ve never had cable anyway. As busy as my family is, all of that is just TMI, and a distraction from our real lives.

    We do have a Chromecast that we can access using our phones as a hotspot, but we use it rarely, in part because the hotspot data limit is pretty low, and that’s ok. All that stuff is a treat for us, not a staple, and we seem to do okay anyway.

    1. What you should try is Jetflicks.mobi This site works great from a phone or tablet (in fact, by preference – you have to diddle about a bit to watch it on some desktops, depending on what browser you use).

      This site has multiple channels, including some things from subscription channels, like True Blood or Game of Thrones. The best thing is that they keep all the seasons available, whenever possible, but BEST OF ALL – they update the most CURRENT episode within a day or so. It has a VERY reasonable monthly subscription, but you can save even more paying by the 6mo or year plans.

      You can also choose the less expensive subscription for just scripted shows – OR pay just a little bit more for the “reality shows.” It’s only a few dollars more, and worth it to me as I like SyFy’s Face Off and some of the cooking shows. But if you don’t care about those shows, it’s even cheaper than getting both.

      Generally, it’s $9.99 / month and adding reelflix (the “reality show” package) is $4.99/month If you want to add HD, that’s another $1.99/month – though I’ve never needed it for watching on my phone or tablet or desktop computer.

      You save a VERY big chunk just paying for the year. Instead of a about $180 (FOR THE WHOLE YEAR, mind you!) that you would pay over 12 months, getting BOTH, if you pay the $49.99 + $59.88 price for both, it comes to about 109.87 … for an entire YEAR of television. That’s about what cable costs me per month, and I get to watch whatever I want, whenever I want.

      And here’s the BEST part- NO ADS. None. I don’t know if they’ll be able to keep that up, but so far they have and I LOVE it. I know they used to have some technology problems, but they’ve recently revamped everything, and they are serious about their customer support these days. I suggest going to their Facebook page if you have jetflicks and are still facing issues. I’ve never had any problems, but some Mac people with older browsers (cough cough my parents cough) could play the shows, but had trouble seeing the icons for some of the seasons. That’s the only problem I’ve ever seen in person.

      I’d just like to say one more thing. I don’t work for Jetflicks.mobi, I get no advantage for recommending them, they have no connection to me aside from the fact that I think they’re the best thing since sliced microchips. I heartily recommend this service. Go ahead and try it for the free month and I think you’ll be hooked.

      One usage note. When you log in, click on the magnifying glass to find an alphabet. Click the letter of the show you’re looking for, and scroll down. Click the show tile, pick a season tile, scroll to the episode you want to watch and click. that’s all there is to it.

      Also – some things have a slightly different FULL name than you might think – check a few different letters as the show you are looking for might be there under a different first letter than you thought.

      Enjoy!

  7. An old time method of cutting cable costs was to tape the show as it aired on tv. You can use a converter box for your antenna to pick up free tv on the network channels and your DVR to record it. All you have to do is program it and set it up with a dvd-r. Then your good to go.

  8. So we have slow dsl where I live. Cable isn’t offered out in the boonies! I would much like to drop the satellite company but basically one thing holding us back. My husband and daughter love The Walking Dead! Last time I checked, I couldn’t find a streaming service that had any AMC programs. Does anyone know of any that do?

  9. We don’t watch any TV, but have Netflix streaming both for movies/tv shows and educational programs since I homeschool. The limits are kind of annoying (they don’t seem to have recent releases and they have a lot of sequels but not the first movie, stuff like that). One of our favorite resources is our local library, which we use almost every week anyway – you can request any movie from the database online and have it sent to your library if it’s not already there Sure, you might not be able to watch it the second you want, but that’s alright.

    1. That’s really neat that the library will order movies for you! And that’s one of the reasons we decided not to go with Netflix and chose Hulu instead, but having programs for homeschooling is a really great benefit too. I can’t say for sure that Hulu would have those, though it might be worth checking!

  10. I love my roku and don’t know what I would do without it. My favorite channels, PBS & PBS Kids, plus Plex, PlayOn, Crackle, okay there are just too many to list them all but you get the gist. Roku is awesome. Also, I am a bigger fan of Netflix content over HuluPlus or Amazon Prime. With my PlayOn lifetime membership ($80.00 period), I can watch all free Hulu (original Hulu) shows, and so much more which trumps HuluPlus if you ask me. Also, for movies I find Netflix better than Amazon Prime (plus I can watch friends, not that I don’t already own every season).

  11. We just started streaming US TV now. It has all the major networks and lots of others. We stream through our roku. It’s 20 or 25 I can’t remember. But also has ESPN.

  12. I don’t miss TV at all … what a waste of money. I own a Roku and watch most of the shows I would watch on cable TV for the one-time cost of the Roku unit. One alternative you don’t mention is reading! I often read and never turn on my TV. Many popular books are available in audio from your local library or through Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited. Best of all, I feel I am enjoying better, more intelligent entertainment than just watching the typical boob-tube offering from cable tv.

    1. Agreed — reading is such a great {and even better} alternative!

  13. I didn’t read all the comments but my family primarily uses Jetflicks. We absolutely love it! It’s an annual subscription (pretty comparable to Netflix except it is paid in a lump sum). There are two purchase sections “reality” and regular TV, I guess. We buy both bcs there are a few reality shows we like. Anyway, it’s $100 for 12 months ($50 for each section). Shows are general published within a day or two of the air date and commercial free.

    We also use Netflix for the kiddos. We’ve found that Netflix pretty much stinks for anything current so we use it pretty much just for kid stuff.

    1. i ADORE jetflicks.mobi A couple of extra perks that make ALL the difference:

      A) NO ADS! Not ANY, not even on the mobi site itself
      B) Multiple devices can watch different shows at the same time. I don’t know how many before they object, but definitely two members of your family can watch different shows at the same time
      C) works very well on tablets and phones – no more boredom in the waiting room!
      D) Did I mention NO ADS, NONE AT ALL?

      You can pay a couple of dollars a month extra for HD, esp if you are watching on a big screen, but I’ve never needed it.

  14. We have satellite TV and would like to cancel our subscription but before we do, are you aware if NASCAR races can be streamed or available via other options? We reside in Canada.

  15. The problem is that when you drop cable, the price of Internet goes way up. That’s what we’ve been struggling with…

    1. Depending on where you live)which cable companies you are dealing with, if it is one of the two biggies (ATT or Comcast), I usually call them near end of my subscription period for internet and mention their competitor is offering me a much better price and threaten to cancel. EVERY time, they ‘magically’ decide to lower their offer. It is a ridiculous game, but if you tell them that instead of just dropping the cable to internet, you are going to drop everything, it helps

      1. I’ve done that before and it does work, but I hate doing it! Sometimes I’d rather just pay the money and avoid the confrontation, haha!

  16. This is such an informative post, thank you! I do have a few questions for anyone that might know.

    My soon to be husband Just got cable for the first time and he is way too attached to it for the price that it is. He mostly watches the Cartoon network and anything science or syfy he can come across. We are both Walking Dead and FearThe Dead fans. Is there a way I can convconvince him to a cheaper solution? It just seems like so much to pay for so little content.

    1. I know that you can access Walking Dead on Sling, but I’m not exactly sure about the Cartoon Network. Hopefully that is something they will add in the future!

    2. I think most of that is on jetflicks.mobi – and as a bonus, with NO ads. Check it out for a month free, and you will see what all they have. I know they have a whole kids section with lots of cartoons, including ALL the back seasons, too (usually).

      and no, i’m not connected with the company in any way. I’m just sick and tired of cable and LOVE jetflicks.mobi

  17. IF you don’t have a Smart TV. A Blu-Ray DVD player will turn a TV into one. and not very expensive

    1. Thanks, Shelly! I didn’t know that. Joseph has been itching to get a Blu-Ray player so I’m sure he’ll add this to the list of “pros” if he hasn’t already. 🙂

  18. Big thing for is is recording shows. Options you recommend that allow one to easily set up to record to a server? Not all shows are later available on demand or maybe I am missing something?

    I appreciate the article

    1. You’re right, John. The lack of DVR is one of the toughest parts of cutting cable. We have our shows listed by network and most of the networks let you watch their shows via their app up to a few weeks after air time. We have several shows we watch from CBS which is a little more difficult as we have to wait 2 to 3 weeks before it becomes generally available on their app {they offer it to their all access subscribers right away}. It takes a little bit of work on our end but it made a huge difference in our budget. Cable networks like HBO and Showtime are different but I think you may be able subscribe to them separately now via their apps, but I’m not sure.

      1. We just got a Tablo about a month ago. You plug your antenna into the Tablo device and the Tablo device goes into your home network. You get the Tablo channel for your Roku (or whatever) and then you can watch shows live or recorded on any TV that has the Roku type device. They have a 2 tuner for around $200 and a 4 tuner for $300 – you still need to provide your own hard drive. One thing it does that cable doesn’t do is that since it’s getting the local over the air channels, it’s also getting the “alternate” channels. So if you get ABC, CBS, NBC, etc. then each one of them will have alternate programming (movies, old TV series, etc.). I would suggest people check into that for another option. You can use it totally free after you buy it, but if you pay $5 a month (or 50/year, 150/lifetime) you get the program grid (like cable) and can see what’s coming up for the next two weeks or whatever – than makes it easier to schedule your recordings.

        1. That is a really neat option! Being able to DVR your over the air signal is a great improvement and I really like that they have the lifetime option so that if you want your not locked into another monthly subscription.

  19. What you should try is Jetflicks.mobi This site works great from a phone or tablet (in fact, by preference – you have to diddle about a bit to watch it on some desktops, depending on what browser you use).

    This site has multiple channels, including some things from subscription channels, like True Blood or Game of Thrones. The best thing is that they keep all the seasons available, whenever possible, but BEST OF ALL – they update the most CURRENT episode within a day or so. It has a VERY reasonable monthly subscription, but you can save even more paying by the 6mo or year plans.

    You can also choose the less expensive subscription for just scripted shows – OR pay just a little bit more for the “reality shows.” It’s only a few dollars more, and worth it to me as I like SyFy’s Face Off and some of the cooking shows. But if you don’t care about those shows, it’s even cheaper than getting both.

    Generally, it’s $9.99 / month and adding reelflix (the “reality show” package) is $4.99/month If you want to add HD, that’s another $1.99/month – though I’ve never needed it for watching on my phone or tablet or desktop computer.

    You save a VERY big chunk just paying for the year. Instead of a about $180 (FOR THE WHOLE YEAR, mind you!) that you would pay over 12 months, getting BOTH, if you pay the $49.99 + $59.88 price for both, it comes to about 109.87 … for an entire YEAR of television. That’s about what cable costs me per month, and I get to watch whatever I want, whenever I want.

    And here’s the BEST part- NO ADS. None. I don’t know if they’ll be able to keep that up, but so far they have and I LOVE it. I know they used to have some technology problems, but they’ve recently revamped everything, and they are serious about their customer support these days. I suggest going to their Facebook page if you have jetflicks and are still facing issues. I’ve never had any problems, but some Mac people with older browsers (cough cough my parents cough) could play the shows, but had trouble seeing the icons for some of the seasons. That’s the only problem I’ve ever seen in person.

    I’d just like to say one more thing. I don’t work for Jetflicks.mobi, I get no advantage for recommending them, they have no connection to me aside from the fact that I think they’re the best thing since sliced microchips. I heartily recommend this service. Go ahead and try it for the free month and I think you’ll be hooked.

    One usage note. When you log in, click on the magnifying glass to find an alphabet. Click the letter of the show you’re looking for, and scroll down. Click the show tile, pick a season tile, scroll to the episode you want to watch and click. that’s all there is to it.

    Also – some things have a slightly different FULL name than you might think – check a few different letters as the show you are looking for might be there under a different first letter than you thought.

    Enjoy!

  20. Don’t you need internet connection with all these though? Unfortunately I have to rely on Mifi and limited data, so not sure this would be an option for me? Suggestions?

    1. If you currently have cable, does your cable provider offer an internet plan? If so, it is probably cheaper to get just the internet plan through the cable company, and then pair it with one of these options. If you don’t have cable now, then you’re already saving money! 🙂

  21. I’d like to add that if you have a Bing rewards account you can get hulu plus for free! It takes 680 credits to get 1 month of hulu free and you can get around 900 in a month (15 credits per day for desktop searches, 10 credits per day for mobile searches, and various daily tasks). This might help save y’all some money as well 🙂

  22. i have netflix now, but im looking for something not so dark more for childern i have a 8 year old, i have notice the shows are changing, i love HGTV, educational shows netflick just discontinued property brothers and fixer uppered whats the best for moms and daughters

    1. No way—Netflix discontinued Fixer Upper? That makes me so sad. 🙁

      Have you ever watched Heartland? There are 10 seasons and I believe the first 9 are on Netflix. I love this show, and it really is for the whole family. There’s clean humor, horses, and just a really neat storyline that I think your 8 year old might find enjoyable. It’s worth a shot!

  23. So we have Philo which is an app based TV that is better than sling IMO and cheaper. It does has Hallmark as well and is $21 a month. Also has recording capability included. The reason it is affordable is that it doesn’t offer any locals or sports channels (which we don’t need). I’ve never had a buffering issue like I did with Sling though and it’s cheaper.

  24. Great post! So in-depth – I appreciate the work you put into it!!!! I have Philo and paid for one year of Hallmark Movies Now though I will probably not renew it as they don’t seem to have current run movies which I thought they would. Philo has 3 Hallmark channels and the DVD capacity for 30 days seems to work well enough for me.

  25. While I share a Netflix plan with a friend and my partner shares a few other services with me, a few free that I love and watch a lot are PBS, Hoopla and Kanopy. I am a huge fan of free and exploring content that I might not otherwise see.

    I donate $5 a month to PBS so I am considered a Passport member and can stream a lot of their content even after they take it off regular streaming, but even without that, their website and Roku apps are rich with great cooking shows, dramas, mysteries, music, news,
    nature, kids and family shows, etc. Lately, I have been enjoying All Creatures Great and Small plus some content from my local PBS station, KQED.

    Kanopy and Hoopla are both library apps that you can access on web, as apps or add for free to Roku and similar. Most libraries have one or the other. I have multiple library cards from different systems (You can sign up for cards online and out of your area if you live near only one branch; I am in San Jose and the bay area has a ton of city library systems. I recommend you do this if you don’t as different libraries often have different e-content available and it speeds up wait time when I am on multiple libraries lists for an audiobook or some such).

    So Kanopy is all movies, not current popular year releases, but huge array of genres that rotates monthly. It does have current and vast international collection, documentary, older popular, and an amazing collection of silent film/early film and art house favorites .
    There is also a separate app called Kanopy Kids, but I don’t have children and didn’t check it out.

    Hoopla is smaller, but has different offerings and includes some TV miniseries and episodes as well as smaller selection of movies. It also rotates content. Hoopla, on web and readers has ebooks, audiobooks, comics, music.

  26. Thank you for this! For some reason I could never grasp my head around why a smart tv was better and how it would save me from my cable bill. I don’t have any paid stations with my cable provider but I do take the highest internet speed because everyone in the house streams on either phones or laptops, remote work, and online school and it still runs me about $160/mo!! It sounds as if I may be subscribing to more than I should!! I currently have Netflix that’s offered with my mobile service but I pay the additional couple $’s for multiple users, I also have an AppleTV bundle that came with a 1 year free subscription offer, Disney/ESPN bundle, AmazonPrime w/showtime, and Funimation for Anime.

    1. I’m glad it was helpful! It would definitely be tough to get your money’s worth out of all of those. Sometimes I like to rotate between the different streaming options so I don’t pay as much but still get to watch all the shows I like on each service!

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