TV Streaming Services Head-To-Head
The very best entertainment is now just a few clicks away thanks to the great range of online TV streaming services available in the UK. From Netflix to Apple TV, when it comes to selecting a new streaming service, you really will be spoilt for choice.
With so many subscription services competing for your cash, it's difficult to decide which one to go with. To help you choose, we take a look at both the costs and content available on each one.
Netflix
Price: Plans start at £5.99 per month
Free trial: 7-day trial available
Great for: Netflix Originals (e.g. Stranger Things, Orange is the New Black and Queer Eye)
Netflix is of the biggest subscription-based streaming services in the world. Offering a massive mix of TV shows and films, there are over 148 million users worldwide - and you can take your pick from three different subscription options.
For £5.99 a month, you can sign up to the Basic Plan where you'll be able to stream and download content in standard definition to one device, the £8.99 Standard Plan which offers HD viewing and streaming and downloads to two devices or the Premium Plan, that enables downloads and streaming to four devices and gives you the option to view selected shows in HD and Ultra HD.
Alongside its fantastic variety of TV shows and films from some of the world's biggest producers, Netflix also offers Netflix Originals - exclusive content created and funded by the platform. Many Netflix Originals have been big hits, and can only be enjoyed with a Netflix subscription, including the likes of Stranger Things, Queer Eye, Dark and Narcos.
Now TV
Price: Entertainment Pass for £7.99, Sky Cinema for £11.99, hayu for £3.99 or Kids Pass for £3.99.
Free trial: 7-day trial available
Great for: Movie lovers, or anyone looking for HBO and Sky Atlantic at a reduced subscription fee
Owned by entertainment giants Sky, Now TV is an on-demand streaming service offering a selection of different monthly passes, each of which will give you access to different forms of entertainment.
First up is the Entertainment Pass, which costs £7.99 a month. There are over 300 box sets to choose from, and a selection of Sky TV channels which you'll be able to stream online. Popular shows which Entertainment Pass users can enjoy include The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Watchmen and Silicon Valley.
There's also the Sky Cinema Pass - a hit with movie lovers. For £11.99 a month you'll get access to the latest blockbusters and loads of classics, with content changing frequently so you'll always have something new to watch.
There are two smaller passes too, one for kids and one focused around reality TV - both available at £3.99 a month. The Kids Pass offers Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Nick Jr. and Cartoonito thanks to the Kids Pass, while a hayu subscription offers a selection of reality shows.
Amazon Prime Video
Price: Plans £5.99, or £7.99 per month as part of an Amazon Prime subscription
Free trial: 30-day trial available
Great for: Amazon Originals, free delivery on Amazon shopping
You can access Amazon Prime Video in two ways. The first, is by signing up for a standalone Amazon Prime Video subscription, which costs £5.99 a month. However, you'll also be able to watch content from Amazon Prime Video as part of an Amazon Prime subscription, which costs £7.99 a month (or £79 a year) and also includes perks like free next day delivery when you shop online at Amazon, free Amazon Prime Music, free eBooks and plenty of other bonuses.
Just like Netflix, Amazon Prime has its own exclusive content, including Mr Robot, The Grand Tour, The Marvellous Mrs Maisel and The Man in the High Castle. There's an endless supply of movies - both new and old - and loads of box sets as well. You'll also be able to add specialised content from HBO and STARZPLAY for an additional fee.
Apple TV+
Price: £4.99 per month
Free trial: 7-day trial available
Great for: Exclusive Apple content, including The Morning Show and See.
Apple TV+ is one of the newest streaming services on this list, officially launching on November 1st, 2019. It's not just available to people who own an Apple device either, absolutely anyone can join Apple TV on and watch content online for just £4.99 a month.
With one Apple TV+ subscription, up to six family members can watch shows thanks to Apple's Family Sharing. What sets Apple TV+ apart from other online video streaming services is its completely exclusive content. You'll only be able to find TV shows, films and documentaries created exclusively for Apple TV+, which will never be available to view anywhere else. The service has launched with some impressive shows as well, including The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrell and See featuring Jason Momoa and Sylvia Hoeks.
Brit Box
Available: Now, with Channel 4 content (All 4 and Film 4) to be added in 2020
Free trial: 30-days free
Price: £5.99 per month
BritBox is the go-to streaming service for the best of British TV. Originally created in 2017 for the american market, it's available right now in the UK, with selected content from the BBC and ITV available. Channel 4 content - from both All 4 and Film 4 - will be added in early 2020, completing the service's offering.
The key difference between Britbox and existign services such as iPlayer is that BritBox won't be showing content that's just aired, or is currently airing on live TV. Instead, BritBox will act as the biggest collection of British boxsets to ever exist, with both newer shows and more classic Brit shows. Examples include Love Island, Broadchurch, The Office, Victoria, Absolutely Fabulous and all 627 episodes of Doctor Who. New, exclusive content created for BritBox is set to be created in 2020 too.
Coming soon… Disney+
Availability: 31st March 2020
Free trial: TBC
Price: No UK price announced yet, currently $6.99 per month in the USA or $69.99 a year.
Rumours of a Disney-only streaming service have been circulating for some time, and they've finally been confirmed. Disney+ has already landed in the US, and will be arriving in the UK at the end of March in 2020.
Both TV shows and films from The Walt Disney Company will be available on Disney+, which includes content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox with all 30 seasons of The Simpsons.
As well as favourites like Wall-E, Toy Story and Iron Man, Disney+ will be home to a host of brand-new entertainment. Already confirmed exclusives include a Star Wars series called The Mandalorian, the live-action remake of Lady and the Tramp, a Toy Story spin-off called Forky Asks a Question, a new National Geographic show with Jeff Goldblum, a Monsters Inc series called Monsters at Work and a Lizzie McGuire sequel with Hilary Duff.
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