Best Video Streaming Services 2026: Independent Ranking
We rank paid, licensed video streaming services only on verifiable facts: the monthly price of the cheapest plan without ads, whether a cheaper plan with ads exists, whether 4K is offered, how many streams can play at once, whether titles can be downloaded, how long the free trial lasts, and the App Store rating. Prices and plans are those of the United States, our base market: they differ in other countries, so check the service's page for yours. Every fact links to the official page and carries the date we checked it. We do not rate the quality of the catalogue, because it cannot be verified, and paid placements never change the Score.
| # | Company | Who it serves | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | discovery+ | 70 | $11.99 | Yes | No | 4 | Ad plan Downloads |
| 2 | HBO Max | 63 | $18.49 | Yes | Yes | 2 | Ad plan 4K Downloads |
| 3 | Netflix | 60 | $19.99 | Yes | Yes | 2 | Ad plan 4K Downloads |
| 4 | Apple TV | 57 | $14.99 | Not verified | Yes | Not verified | 4K Downloads |
| 5 | STARZ | 57 | $11.99 | No | Not verified | 4 | Downloads |
| 6 | Shudder | 53 | $8.99 | Yes | Not verified | Not verified | Ad plan Downloads |
| 7 | Disney+ | 44 | $21.49 | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Ad plan 4K |
| 8 | AMC+ | 41 | $8.99 | Yes | Not verified | Not verified | Ad plan Downloads |
-
- Cheapest plan without ads, per month (US)
- $11.99
- Cheaper plan with ads
- Yes
- 4K on at least one plan
- No
- Streams at once (cheapest plan without ads)
- 4
Pros
- Highly rated on the App Store
- Several people can watch at the same time
- Has a cheaper plan with ads
- Titles can be downloaded to watch offline
Cons
- No 4K: Full HD at most
Details Visit site ↗ 100% backed by facts
-
- Cheapest plan without ads, per month (US)
- $18.49
- Cheaper plan with ads
- Yes
- 4K on at least one plan
- Yes
- Streams at once (cheapest plan without ads)
- 2
Pros
- Highly rated on the App Store
- 4K is available
- Has a cheaper plan with ads
- Titles can be downloaded to watch offline
Details Visit site ↗ 93% backed by facts
-
- Cheapest plan without ads, per month (US)
- $19.99
- Cheaper plan with ads
- Yes
- 4K on at least one plan
- Yes
- Streams at once (cheapest plan without ads)
- 2
Pros
- Highly rated on the App Store
- 4K is available
- Has a cheaper plan with ads
- Titles can be downloaded to watch offline
Cons
- No free trial
Details Visit site ↗ 100% backed by facts
-
- Cheapest plan without ads, per month (US)
- $14.99
- Cheaper plan with ads
- Not verified
- 4K on at least one plan
- Yes
- Streams at once (cheapest plan without ads)
- Not verified
Pros
- Highly rated on the App Store
- 4K is available
- Titles can be downloaded to watch offline
Details Visit site ↗ 76% backed by facts
-
- Cheapest plan without ads, per month (US)
- $11.99
- Cheaper plan with ads
- No
- 4K on at least one plan
- Not verified
- Streams at once (cheapest plan without ads)
- 4
Pros
- Highly rated on the App Store
- Several people can watch at the same time
- Titles can be downloaded to watch offline
Cons
- No cheaper plan with ads
Details Visit site ↗ 77% backed by facts
-
- Cheapest plan without ads, per month (US)
- $8.99
- Cheaper plan with ads
- Yes
- 4K on at least one plan
- Not verified
- Streams at once (cheapest plan without ads)
- Not verified
Pros
- Low price without ads
- Has a cheaper plan with ads
- Titles can be downloaded to watch offline
Details Visit site ↗ 70% backed by facts
-
- Cheapest plan without ads, per month (US)
- $21.49
- Cheaper plan with ads
- Yes
- 4K on at least one plan
- Yes
- Streams at once (cheapest plan without ads)
- Not verified
Pros
- 4K is available
- Has a cheaper plan with ads
Cons
- High price without ads
Details Visit site ↗ 70% backed by facts
-
- Cheapest plan without ads, per month (US)
- $8.99
- Cheaper plan with ads
- Yes
- 4K on at least one plan
- Not verified
- Streams at once (cheapest plan without ads)
- Not verified
Pros
- Low price without ads
- Has a cheaper plan with ads
- Titles can be downloaded to watch offline
Cons
- Low App Store rating
Details Visit site ↗ 70% backed by facts
Not ranked yet: not enough verified data
These services are known to us, but we haven't verified enough facts to rank them fairly.
- Acorn TV (54% backed by facts)
- BritBox (site closed to automated checks, )
- Crunchyroll (20% backed by facts)
- Curiosity Stream (61% backed by facts)
- Dropout (63% backed by facts)
- HIDIVE (50% backed by facts)
- Hulu (20% backed by facts)
- MGM+ (site closed to automated checks, )
- MUBI (59% backed by facts)
- Nebula (20% backed by facts)
- Paramount+ (20% backed by facts)
- Peacock (20% backed by facts)
- Prime Video (site closed to automated checks, )
- The Criterion Channel (site closed to automated checks, )
- Viki (site closed to automated checks, )
Sites marked as closed refuse automated reading (403 error, captcha or a robots.txt ban). We don't bypass such protection, so we can't verify their facts and they are not ranked. This says nothing about their quality. A company can send links to its official pages to [email protected].
How we calculate the Score
35%
Price
The regular US monthly price of the cheapest plan without ads, not a promotion, a bundle or an annual plan: $5 or less scores 100, $25 or more scores 0 (weight 3). Whether a separate cheaper plan with ads exists (weight 1).
30%
Viewing
How many streams can play at the same time on the cheapest plan without ads (1 scores 0, 4 or more scores 100) and whether 4K is offered on at least one plan. Both count equally. 4K is often sold only on a dearer plan: see the service's notes.
15%
Flexibility
Whether titles can be downloaded to watch offline, and how long the free trial lasts for a new subscriber (no trial scores 0, 14 days or more scores 100). Both count equally.
20%
Reputation
Average App Store (US) rating of the official app, from the official iTunes Lookup API: 3 stars scores 0, 5 stars scores 100, discounted when there are few ratings (full value at 5,000,000 ratings).
How to choose a video streaming service
Start with what you want to watch
A low price is worth nothing if the shows you want are elsewhere. Make a short list of series and films, and find out which services carry them in your country.
Compare the plan you will really use
The headline price is often the plan with ads, or a promotion for the first months. Look at the regular monthly price of the plan you need, and at the price it renews at.
Check how many people will watch at once
On many services the cheapest plan allows two streams or fewer. Count the people in your household who watch at the same time, and check whether sharing outside the household is allowed.
See which plan includes 4K
4K is often reserved for the most expensive plan, and it needs a compatible screen and a fast connection. On a phone or an older TV you may not need to pay for it.
Use the trial and cancel in time
Paid subscriptions usually renew automatically. If you start a trial, note the date it ends. You can also subscribe for a month to watch one series and then cancel.
Frequently asked questions
Which video streaming service is the best right now?
The service ranked first has the highest Score under our open methodology. It does not mean it has the shows you want: we do not rate catalogues. Use the ranking to compare price and terms among the services whose content interests you.
Why are the prices in US dollars?
Streaming prices differ from country to country, and some services work in only a few. We needed one market to compare like with like, so all prices and plans are those of the United States, taken from official pages. We do not convert them. In your country the price, plans and availability may be different.
Why don't you rate the catalogue?
Whether a catalogue is good is a matter of taste, and its size changes by country and by month. No official page lets us verify it for every service, so it is not in the Score. Everything we score can be checked by following the link next to the fact.
Why is a well-known service outside the ranking?
A service enters the ranking only when enough of its facts are confirmed on official pages. Some sites open only from inside the United States, some show their text only in a browser, and some refuse automated checks. We do not work around that: the service stays below the ranking until we can confirm the facts.
Which plan do you compare?
The cheapest plan without ads at its regular monthly price. Introductory offers, annual prepayment and bundles are not counted. The number of streams is taken from that same plan. 4K counts if at least one plan has it, and the notes say when it costs more.
How do you rank streaming services?
On facts from official pages, each with a link and check date, combined by a fixed, public formula. We do not score content or ease of use by hand, so the ranking is reproducible and cannot be bought.