Streaming has become a total mess and it only gets more frustrating by the day. I write about streaming services for a living, and even I have grown immensely frustrated with this sector of the entertainment world that once felt so exciting. Streaming was introduced as a way to cut costs while having access to even more entertainment you love, but it has become a spiraling enterprise that exists solely to take as much money from subscribers as possible. The costs continue going up, the quality of the movies and shows on the services continues to decline, and most major services are doing everything they can to force ads on you.
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We’ve all quickly realized that streaming, as a concept, was never designed to actually do what it advertised. How often have you been frustrated by Netflix cancelling a great show that it never even bothered to advertise? How many times as the streaming giant (along with most of its peers) raised prices while making it harder to share your account with family? Streaming, spearheaded by Netflix, is actively failing us, but there are a couple of services out there actually trying to do things right and give subscribers a product they can enjoy.
If you’re getting frustrated with the streaming status quo, I’d like to offer you some fantastic alternatives. Obviously owning your own physical media and finding affordable cable are the best alternatives to streaming, but there are still services worth giving your money and time to. Below is a list of four awesome streaming services you might not know about. All of them deliver a better product than Netflix and its biggest rivals, and each of them is substantially cheaper. If you’re looking for better out of your streaming experience, these services are where you need to start.
4. The Criterion Channel
Even if you haven’t heard of the Criterion Channel as a streaming service, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with the Criterion name. Criterion is a company dedicated to preserving film and furthering film education, best known for its Criterion Collection physical media label (and the Criterion Closet videos that have become insanely popular).
Like the Collection itself, the Criterion Channel is all about high quality film, as well as features that dig deeper into the films it houses on the service. What you’re getting with this service is access to some of the greatest film options available on streaming right now. Every month brings new, curated collections to the Criterion lineup, giving subscribers suggestions from other actual human beings. Current collections in October include the works of John Woo, the best films of John Carpenter, and a lineup of body horror shockers.
The Criterion Collection has a different kind of film lineup than Netflix or other major services, focusing exclusively on great film from throughout history and around the world. There are contemporary titles on there, but don’t expect to find Marvel blockbusters or IP cash-grabs on the roster. This is the premiere service for film fans everywhere.
COST: The Criterion Channel costs $10.99 for a monthly subscription or $99.99 for an annual subscription. There are no ads at all on Criterion and the service often runs discounted signup promotions and/or free trials.
3. Dropout.TV
Full disclosure: Dropout has become my personal favorite streaming service over the last year or so, and it’s the reason I wanted to write this piece in the first place. Dropout.TV accounts for probably 80-85% of what I stream (I mostly watch movies on physical discs). When I signed up for Dropout initially, I didn’t have any idea I was going to fall so hard for the incredible culture and hilarious personalities over there.
If you aren’t familiar, Dropout is the new iteration of CollegeHumor, having gone through a brand change after Sam Reich took over as CEO. It’s a service dedicated largely to improvisational and sketch comedy, along with some of the most popular D&D actual play this side of Critical Role.
D&D fans have Dimension 20, the actual play series mostly GM’d by Brennan Lee Mulligan, who is coincidentally now running Critical Role’s highly anticipated Campaign 4. He’s considered by many to be the best Game Master around, and it only takes a few minutes of any Dimension 20 episode to see why.
All of the shows on Dropout are comedy-oriented, and Game Changer has emerged as the streamer’s flagship series. Hosted by Reich, the series is essentially a game show where the players have no idea what the game actually is when they show up to play. It’s a constantly evolving series that manages to surprise you with every single episode. Some are as simple as trying to come in second place instead of first, while some have gone so far as to lock players in an impromptu escape room before they ever even arrived on the set. Almost as great as Game Changer is Make Some Noise, a spinoff of the game show that is basically a modern take on Who’s Line Is it Anyway?
Perhaps the best thing about Dropout, and a big reason why I have talked about it to anyone who will listen, is the culture that Reich, Mulligan, and everyone else over there have built over the years. This is an inclusive space that wants nothing more than to bring you joy and laughter. The people appearing on these shows are friends who genuinely care about one another, and that creates a feeling of comfort, warmth, and acceptance for the viewers. Game Changer, Make Some Noise, and all of these titles succeed in creating the feeling of kicking back with old pals and trying to make each other laugh.
And it’s not run by some tech mogul or massive media conglomerate, so the goal of Dropout has never been to bleed subscribers dry with increasing prices and decreasing quality. In fact, since Dropout.TV launched, the price has only increased a single time, going up one dollar per month. And prior to that increase, Dropout spent a whole month telling people the change was coming, and guaranteeing the previous price point to anyone who was already subscribed. They’re as transparent as they come over there, which is insanely refreshing in the world of streaming.
COST: Following that single price increase, Dropout.TV costs just $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. Like Criterion (and unlike Netflix), there are no ads on Dropout at all. There’s always a free trial option if you haven’t subscribed before and I can’t recommend it enough. For my money, Dropout.TV is the best streaming subscription there is. Period.
2. Kanopy
I’ve written about Kanopy at length before, but it’s a service that still feels like it should get a lot more attention than it does. This is a service that has a movie library that can almost stack up against Criterion’s, but costs absolutely nothing to watch.
Kanopy is a completely free streaming option that is loaded with great movies and TV shows. Unlike other free services, Kanopy doesn’t come with ads — it’s free because it’s linked to the public library. So if you were wondering what the “catch” is, it’s that you need a library card to use Kanopy. As long as you’ve got access to a library, this is simply a free service with awesome movies and shows to watch.
The trick with Kanopy is that it’s not a service where you can literally stream as much as you want. Depending on your local library, you get a number of “tickets” each month to spend on movie and TV rentals. You use your tickets to check out a movie for a couple of days and then it’s returned. At the start of every month, your tickets reset. For example, I get 30 tickets at the start of a month, and most titles cost about three tickets. So you can watch around 10 movies each month.
Some current titles available on Kanopy include Anora, There Will Be Blood, Terrifier 3, Scary Movie, Donnie Darko, and Presence.
Similar to Kanopy is a service called Hoopla, which is also free and also utilizes the local library. Hoopla also contains music and books in addition to film and TV, but I focused on Kanopy because it has the stronger movie library of the two.
COST: As we already talked about, Kanopy is completely free to use. The only thing you need is a library card.
1. Shudder
Of all the streaming services included in this list, Shudder is probably the most popular. If you’re a horror fan, there’s a good chance you have at least heard of Shudder, though I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you were already subscribers.
Shudder is an all-horror streaming service that hosts what is easily the genre’s strongest lineup on any platform. It has a constantly rotating roster of horror classics, but has also become known over the years for its investment in original shows and movies (many of the latter still get physical releases, which is increasingly rare for streaming services).
The service succeeds in creating community for horror fans, especially through what has always been its strongest original: The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs. The regular series brings back the classic Friday night movie programs that were a staple of TV and helps viewers bond over the wacky and terrifying films it showcases. Each edition of The Last Drive-in is a brand new adventure and you’ll be surprised by just how much you end up learning from its storied host.
COST: Shudder costs $8.99 per month if you pay monthly, while the annual subscription costs $89.99 each year. There is always a free trial for new subscribers and Shudder doesn’t include any ads.
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