Streaming should be easy: You pick a service — say, Hulu Live or YouTube TV — enter your credit card info, and set up an app on one of the supported devices. But the world of cord cutting has recently become increasingly crowded and complicated.
Blame it on everyone's desire to create the next Game of Thrones: Companies want to produce original series that not only suck you in, they require you to get a subscription to their streaming service. Want to watch The Handmaid's Tale? You'll need Hulu Live. Can't wait for season two of Big Little Lies? You'd better make sure your plan includes HBO Now.
To help you sort through the seemingly endless options for getting your fix of the most binge-worthy shows and live TV, we've put together a guide to the various streaming services available. From the cost of each, to the devices you can watch them on, and how many people can stream at once (i.e. share the bill), here's what you need to know before signing up.
Unfortunately, for most people, no one service will have everything that you want, causing what should be a cost-cutting move to start adding up. As you go through, it's worth keeping in mind that you'll probably want to create a streaming cocktail — a mix of services that meet your various viewing needs — for optimal results.
We'll continue to update this piece as new services, including offerings from Disney and DC Comics, are released.
Cost: Starting at $5.99 per month
Premium channel add-ons: None
Who can sign up: Anyone
Devices you can watch with: Apple TV, Roku, Xbox, Google Chromecast, Fire TV, PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, and online
Number of people who can stream at once: Up to two
Commercial situation: You can opt for a limited commercial plan ($5.99 per month) or a commercial free plan ($9.99 per month), though it's important to note that live TV still includes commercials.
Why choose it? You really want access to CBS original series, such as Big Brother or The Good Fight, or you plan to watch a lot of NFL come football season.
Cost: $14.99 per month
Premium channel add-ons: None
Who can sign up: Anyone
Devices you can watch with: Apple TV, Roku, Samsung TVs, Fire TV Stick, iOS, Android, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and online
Number of people who can stream at once: Up to three
Commercial situation: No ads
Why choose it? You can't live without Westworld, Big Little Lies, and Game of Thrones and aren't planning to get HBO as an add-on to another streaming service.
Cost: $5.99 per month
Premium channel add-ons: None
Who can sign up: Xfinity or Cox Contour subscribers
Devices you can watch with: Apple TV, Roku, Xfinity set-top box, iOS, Android
Number of people who can stream at once: Up to two
Commercial situation: You can watch new episodes live and commercial-free
Why choose it? You hate commercials with a passion and want to watch (and re-watch) episodes of FX shows both old and new ( American Horror Story, Atlanta, The Americans, Nip/Tuck, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and more).
Cost: Starting at $20 per month
Premium channel add-ons: HBO ($15 per month), Showtime ($10 per month), Starz ($9 per month), Epix ($5 per month)
Who can sign up: Anyone
Devices you can watch with: Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Samsung TV, LG TVs, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, LeEco, AirTV Player, Xiaomi, Xbox One, iOS, Android, and online
Number of people who can stream at once: One person for Sling Orange ($20 per month); three people for Sling Blue ($25 per month); four people for Sling Orange and Sling Blue ($40 per month)
Commercial Situation: No special breaks here — you'll have to deal with the ads.
Why choose it? You don't need all of the channels included with DirecTV Now, YouTube TV, and Hulu Live, and want a smaller list of some basics — including HGTV, CNN, and Lifetime — for less
Cost: Starting at $35 per month
Premium channel add-ons: HBO ($5 per month), Cinemax ($5 per month), Showtime ($8 per month), Starz ($8 per month)
Who can sign up: Anyone
Devices you can watch with: Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Google Chromecast, iOS, Android, and online
Number of people who can stream at once: Up to two
Commercial Situation: No special breaks here — you'll have to deal with the ads.
Why choose it? The list of 60-plus channels you get with the $35 "live a little" package are ones you want to watch live on a regular basis and you want the HBO add-on at a good price.
Cost: $39.99 per month
Premium channel add-ons: HBO ($4.99 per month for the first six months, then $14.99 per month), Cinemax ($9.99 per month), Showtime ($8.99 per month)
Who can sign up: Anyone
Devices you can watch with: Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, iOS, select Samsung TVs, and online
Number of people who can stream at once: Up to two
Commercial Situation: No special breaks here — you'll have to deal with the ads for live content. However, you will be able to watch shows in Hulu's streaming library with limited commercials.
Why choose it? You want access to both live TV and Hulu's extensive library of shows, and you're into The Handmaid's Tale, a Hulu original.
Cost: $40 per month
Premium channel add-ons: Showtime ($11 per month), Fox Soccer Plus ($15 per month), Shudder ($5 per month), Sundance Now ($7 per month)
Who can sign up: Anyone
Devices you can watch with: Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, Xbox One, Samsung TVs, LG TVs, Google Chromecast, iOS, Android, and online
Number of people who can stream at once: Up to three
Commercial Situation: No special breaks here — you'll have to deal with the ads.
Why choose it? You have a lot of roommates who want to share the membership (up to six people can have an account), and you plan to record a lot to watch while traveling (there are no storage limits).
Cost: Starting at $7.99 per month
Premium channel add-ons: None
Who can sign up: Anyone
Devices you can watch with: Smart TVs, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Google Chromecast, Nexus Player, game consoles, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, iOS, Android, online
Number of people who can stream at once: One for the basic plan ($7.99 per month); two for the standard plan ($10.99 per month); four the premium plan ($13.99 per month)
Commercial Situation: No ads
Why choose it? This is a given — you want the constantly growing and seemingly endless catalog of original shows, from reboots such as Queer Eye to award winning series such as The Crown.
Cost: $12.99 per month
Premium channel add-ons: HBO ($14.99 per month), Stars ($8.99 per month), Cinemax ($9.99 per month), CBS All Access ($9.99 per month), Masterpiece ($5.99 per month), Showtime ($8.99 per month), Hallmark Movies Now ($5.99 per month), Tribeca Shortlist ($4.99 per month), Lifetime Movie Club ($3.99 per month), History Vault ($4.99 per month), Strand Releasing ($4.99 per month), IndieFlix Shorts ($2.99 per month), Best Westerns Ever ($1.99 per month), Acorn TV ($4.99 per month), BritBox ($6.99 per month), Sundance Now ($6.99 per month)
Who can sign up: Anyone
Devices you can watch with: Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Roku, Apple TV, smart TVs, game consoles, Fire tablet, iOS, Android
Number of people who can stream at once: Up to three
Commercial Situation: No ads
Why choose it? You're a fan of Amazon originals, such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Man In The High Castle, and want a larger selection of movies than the ones you're finding on Netflix.
Cost: Starting at $39.99 per month
Premium channel add-ons: HBO ($15 per month), Cinemax ($15 per month), Showtime ($10.99 per month), Cinemax ($15 per month), Fox Soccer Plus ($14.99 per month)
Who can sign up: Anyone — you don't need to own a PlayStation to be a member
Devices you can watch with: Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Droid TV, Playstation 4, Playstation 3, iOS, Android, and online
Number of people who can stream at once: Up to five
Commercial Situation: No special breaks here — you'll have to deal with the ads.
Why choose it? You watch a lot of sports — the $10 per month Sports pack includes all the niche channels you probably didn't even know existed.
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