Complete Streaming
Service Comparison
Every major streaming platform compared side-by-side on price, content, live sports, video quality, and value. Real data, real tests — no paid placements, ever.
Our 2026 Rankings
Ranked by our expert editorial score — accounting for content, price, sports, quality, and overall value.
Side-by-Side Feature Comparison
Every key feature, plan tier, and spec compared. ✓ = included, ✗ = not available, ~ = limited/partial.
| Feature / Service | 📺 Paramount+ ★ 9.2/10 | 🎬 Netflix 8.8/10 | ✨ Disney+ 8.6/10 | 🎭 Max (HBO) 8.5/10 | 🍎 Apple TV+ 8.1/10 | 🦚 Peacock 7.8/10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💲 Pricing Plans | ||||||
| Ad-Supported Tier | $8.99/mo | $7.99/mo | $10.00/mo | $9.99/mo | ✗ No ads tier |
$7.99/mo |
| Ad-Free Tier | $13.99/mo (incl. Showtime) |
$17.99/mo (Standard) |
$16.00/mo | $16.99/mo | $13.99/mo (always ad-free) |
$10.99/mo |
| Annual Plan (best price) | $89.99/yr ≈$7.50/mo |
$95.88/yr | $120/yr | $119.88/yr | $99.99/yr | $79.99/yr |
| Free Trial | ✓ 7 days | ✗ | ~ Select plans | ✗ | ~ New devices | ✗ |
| Student/Bundle Discount | ~ Bundle deals | ~ Student plan | ✓ Bundle w/Hulu | ~ Promo bundles | ✓ Apple One | ~ Promo deals |
| 🎬 Content Library | ||||||
| Total Library Size | 45,000+ episodes | 17,000+ titles | 13,000+ titles | 15,000+ titles | 500+ (originals only) | 15,000+ titles |
| Exclusive Original Series | ✓ Tulsa King, 1923, Lioness | ✓ Stranger Things, Squid Game | ✓ The Bear, Only Murders | ✓ The Last of Us, White Lotus | ✓ Severance, Silo, Slow Horses | ✓ Poker Face, Bupkis |
| Current Season Network TV | ✓ CBS same-day | ✗ | ~ via Hulu merge | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ NBC same-day |
| Movies (new releases) | ~ Paramount films | ✓ Extensive | ✓ Disney/Pixar/Marvel | ✓ Warner Bros | ~ Apple originals | ~ Select titles |
| Kids & Family Content | ✓ Nickelodeon | ✓ Kids profiles | ✓ Best-in-class | ~ Cartoon Network | ✗ | ~ Limited |
| Documentaries / News | ✓ CBS News, Smithsonian | ~ Select docs | ✓ NatGeo | ✓ Discovery, CNN | ~ Apple originals | ✓ NBC News |
| 🏈 Live Sports | ||||||
| NFL Football | ✓ AFC games on CBS | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Flex games |
| UEFA Champions League | ✓ Exclusive US rights | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Premier League Soccer | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Select matches |
| MLS Soccer | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ MLS Season Pass | ✗ |
| NCAA March Madness | ✓ CBS games | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| WWE / Wrestling | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Full WWE library |
| 📺 Streaming Quality & Tech | ||||||
| 4K Ultra HD | ✓ Premium plan | ✓ Premium plan | ✓ Included | ✓ Ultimate plan | ✓ Always | ✗ |
| HDR / Dolby Vision | ~ Select titles | ✓ HDR10, Dolby | ✓ Dolby Vision | ✓ Dolby Vision | ✓ Dolby Vision + Atmos | ✗ |
| Dolby Atmos Audio | ~ Select titles | ✓ Select titles | ~ Select titles | ✓ Select titles | ✓ Extensive | ✗ |
| Offline Downloads | ✓ All plans | ✓ All plans | ✓ All plans | ✓ Ad-free only | ✓ All plans | ✓ Premium only |
| Simultaneous Streams | 3 streams | 2–4 streams | 4 streams | 2–3 streams | Up to 6 | 2–3 streams |
| Supported Devices | All major | All major | All major | All major | Apple + major | All major |
| ⭐ Extras & Unique Features | ||||||
| Showtime / Premium Add-on | ✓ Showtime included ($13.99) | ✗ | ✗ | ~ Add-ons available | ✗ | ✗ |
| Live News Channel | ✓ CBS News 24/7 | ✗ | ✗ | ~ CNN Max (limited) | ✗ | ✓ NBC News Now |
| Multiple User Profiles | ✓ Up to 6 | ✓ Up to 5 | ✓ Up to 7 | ✓ Up to 5 | ✓ Up to 6 | ✓ Up to 5 |
| Cancel Anytime | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Our Overall Score | ★ 9.2 / 10 | 8.8 / 10 | 8.6 / 10 | 8.5 / 10 | 8.1 / 10 | 7.8 / 10 |
All data verified March 2026. Prices and features are subject to change — always confirm with the service directly. Affiliate disclosure.
Every Streaming Plan — March 2026
Deep-dive into every platform's plans, pricing tiers, and what's actually included — before you commit.
★ Best value: annual Essential plan saves ~$18/yr vs monthly billing.
What's Included
- Live NFL AFC games (CBS) + 2025–26 UEFA Champions League (exclusive US)
- CBS, BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Smithsonian Channel
- Paramount+ Originals: Tulsa King S3, 1923, Lioness S2, Landman
- Showtime on Premium: Yellowjackets, Dexter, Billions, The Affair
- CBS News 24/7 live news stream included
- 3 simultaneous streams · Up to 6 user profiles
- Offline downloads on all plans · Cancel anytime
- 4K HDR on Premium plan only · No Dolby Atmos on ads tier
Note: Netflix no longer offers a free trial. Extra member slots cost $7.99/mo extra.
What's Included
- 17,000+ titles — largest library of any streaming service
- Acclaimed originals: Stranger Things S5, Squid Game S2, Wednesday S2
- 4K HDR + Dolby Vision + Dolby Atmos on Premium plan
- 2–4 simultaneous streams depending on plan · Up to 5 profiles
- Offline downloads on all plans
- Growing live events slate (NFL, WWE, boxing)
- No free trial · Extra member fee for password sharing
- No live sports rights (only occasional events)
Disney+ and Hulu libraries are now fully unified in a single app as of 2025.
What's Included
- Marvel Cinematic Universe: all films + Daredevil Born Again S2, Ironheart
- Star Wars: Andor S2, Skeleton Crew, The Mandalorian S4
- Pixar complete catalog + all Disney animated classics
- National Geographic documentary library
- Hulu originals: The Bear S4, Only Murders in the Building S4
- 4 simultaneous streams · Up to 7 profiles · Dolby Vision 4K
- Sports coverage limited — no live NFL/NBA without Live TV add-on ($82.99+/mo)
HBO originals only available on ad-supported tier in some regions. Check availability.
What's Included
- HBO prestige originals: The Last of Us S2, The White Lotus S3, House of the Dragon
- DC Universe: Superman Legacy, Batman, full DC catalog
- Warner Bros. theatrical films day-and-date on Ultimate
- Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, CNN Max (limited)
- Dolby Vision 4K + Dolby Atmos on Ultimate plan
- 2–3 simultaneous streams · Up to 5 profiles
- Offline downloads only on Ad-Free tier and above
- No free trial · No live sports rights
Free trial with new Apple device purchases. Apple One bundles TV+ with Music, Arcade, and iCloud.
What's Included
- Severance S3, Silo S2, Slow Horses S5, Bad Monkey S2
- Ted Lasso movie (2026), Presumed Innocent S2, Dark Matter
- 4K Dolby Vision + Dolby Atmos on all content — no exceptions
- MLS Season Pass add-on ($14.99/mo or $99/season)
- Up to 6 simultaneous streams · Up to 6 family profiles
- Works on all major devices including Android, Chromecast, Fire TV
- Library is small — approximately 500 titles total (originals only)
- No third-party content whatsoever · Not ideal as sole streaming service
Select plan ($79.99/yr) is strong value. Xfinity/Cox cable subscribers may get it free or discounted.
What's Included
- English Premier League — select live matches and replays
- Exclusive NFL games + Super Bowl pre-show coverage
- Full WWE library including SmackDown live
- NBC same-day content: SNL, The Tonight Show, TODAY
- Poker Face S2, Bupkis, The Thing About Pam
- Bravo, Oxygen, E!, CNBC content
- No 4K streaming on any plan · Ads-heavy even on $7.99 tier
- Live sports access requires Premium or above on some events
Which Service is Right For You?
Stop guessing. Here's our expert recommendation by use case — based on real testing and honest analysis.
You want to watch live NFL games, Champions League, or college sports without paying for a full cable package. One service covers it all at a fraction of the cost.
You need age-appropriate content for children, robust parental controls, and enough variety that adults don't feel left out. Disney+ is the clear answer.
You want the widest possible library — thousands of movies, bingeworthy series, and a constant stream of new originals dropping every week.
You want the best-reviewed, most talked-about dramas and limited series. The type of show that wins every award and gets everyone talking.
You want the absolute best value for money — quality content at the lowest possible price per show. One service gives you the most for under $9/mo.
You're in the Apple ecosystem and want seamless integration, the absolute best video quality on every device, and zero ads — ever.
Our Expert Verdicts by Category
Across 10 key categories, here's where each service wins outright in March 2026.
🎯 Best Deal Right Now: Paramount+ Annual Plan
The Paramount+ Essential annual plan at $89.99/year works out to just $7.50/month — giving you live NFL, UEFA Champions League, CBS network TV, and Paramount+ originals for less than a movie ticket. New subscribers get a 7-day free trial.
Common Questions
Everything you need to know before choosing a streaming service in 2026.
Paramount+ leads for live sports value in 2026 — it's the only service that includes both live NFL AFC games (via CBS) and the exclusive US broadcasting rights to the UEFA Champions League. For English Premier League specifically, Peacock is the go-to. For MLS soccer, Apple TV+ holds the Season Pass. If you want all major sports in one place, a live TV service like FuboTV ($82.99+/mo) is the only complete option.
Paramount+ Essential starts at $8.99/month vs Netflix's ad-supported tier at $7.99/month — making Netflix slightly cheaper at entry level. However, Paramount+'s annual plan ($89.99/yr ≈ $7.50/mo) undercuts Netflix's annual equivalent. Critically, Paramount+ includes live NFL and Champions League soccer in its base price — content that has no equivalent on Netflix at any price point. For pure content-per-dollar value, Paramount+ wins.
Yes — 4K streaming is available on Paramount+ Premium ($13.99/mo) and is not available on the Essential/ad-supported plan. For the best picture quality across all content, Apple TV+ streams everything in 4K Dolby Vision with Dolby Atmos audio by default, making it the gold standard for video quality despite its smaller library.
As of March 2026, Paramount+ offers the most accessible free trial — 7 days for new subscribers with full access. Apple TV+ offers a free trial tied to new Apple device purchases (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV). Disney+ occasionally runs promotional trials on select plans. Netflix, Max, and Hulu no longer offer standard free trials to new subscribers.
The average US household now pays for 4.2 streaming services, spending roughly $67/month. Our recommendation for most households: start with Paramount+ ($8.99–$13.99/mo) as your sports and entertainment anchor, then add Netflix ($7.99/mo with ads) for variety. That gives you live sports, network TV, CBS originals, and the world's largest library for under $23/month combined — compared to $150–$250/month for a full cable package.
For AFC conference games on CBS, Paramount+ is essential — it streams all CBS NFL broadcasts live, including playoff games and the Super Bowl on AFC years. Peacock carries select NBC flex games. Amazon Prime Video holds exclusive Thursday Night Football rights. YouTube TV and FuboTV offer all-network NFL coverage but at significantly higher prices ($65–$100+/month). For the most NFL per dollar, Paramount+ is the clear winner.
Yes — as of late 2025, Disney+ and Hulu have been fully merged into a single unified app and library. Subscribers to Disney+ ($10.00–$16.00/mo) get access to both the Disney+, Hulu, and Star libraries in one place. This makes Disney+ significantly more valuable than it was previously, adding thousands of current-season TV shows from ABC and FX, plus Hulu originals like The Bear and Only Murders in the Building.
Ready to Pick Your
Perfect Service?
Our #1 pick — Paramount+ — starts at $8.99/month and includes live NFL, exclusive Champions League, CBS, and a 7-day free trial. No commitment needed.
We earn commissions via affiliate links — full disclosure · disclaimer
StreamingFixPro is not affiliated with or endorsed by any streaming service on this site.