Best streaming services: We compare Disney+, Sling TV, HBO Max, and more

Would you rather: Date someone who’s clingy, makes you spend a ton of money on them, and who bosses you around…

OR

Date someone who’s super chill, lets you do your own thing, and always makes sure you’re happy?

The latter, right? Well, get this: The first relationship is with cable, and the second relationship is with streaming services.

Yup, we’re talking about cord-cutting: A favorite term of the past few years that basically means breaking up with your cable company and only paying for the content you want without messing around with a cable box or satellite. Because life with cable is so last decade.

The case for dumping your cable provider

If our dating analogy didn’t convince you that it’s time to break up with your cable provider, allow us to go a little more in-depth about why we can definitively say that moving to literally any streaming service from cable is one of the best things you can do for yourself (unless you have really bad internet in your area, which in that case, sticking with cable might be the better option).

The first thing that would probably deter you from cutting the cord right now is live events. You might think that you’ll be missing out on a lot, like award shows, news events (like debates), sports, and more — but in 2021, that’s not true at all. In fact, pretty much all the big live events can be streamed.

Another area of contention is that of choice. While many cable packages offer the mere illusion of choice with their advertised 100-plus channels and whatnot, you’ll find that these choices aren’t really ones you’d ever want to make. With cable, movie, and TV choices are random, and you basically have to schedule your TV consumption time around when they’re being shown (that’s assuming even find something you’re in the mood to watch after scanning the vast list of “meh” content). Catch something at the wrong time, and you’ll have to enjoy just seeing the ending of that movie you’ve been meaning to check out. 

And to be honest, the bar for network television is pretty much in Hell at this point. All the good stuff is on streaming services. You also can’t really binge-watch stuff on cable — streaming platforms often release entire seasons of TV at once, although some are employing more traditional weekly episode schedules if you find yourself missing those watercooler conversations about what happened on your favorite program that week. Plus, fewer commercials (sometimes no commercials at all, depending on what streaming service you use). 

Finally — perhaps the most important aspect of all — the price. The bottom line is that the price to value ratio for sticking with cable is abysmal. It’s way more expensive than any given streaming service, and can potentially reach into $100-plus-per-month territory faster than you can find something to watch. Some food for thought: You can subscribe to Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu at the same time and still pay less per month than most cable companies will charge you (unless you want to go through the same company you use for your internet, which, let’s be honest, you probably hate them). 

Cable companies also tend to sneak in hidden fees that aren’t included in the initial advertised price, including broadcast fees, DVR fees, and remote fees (yes, you have to pay monthly to use the remote). You’ll almost always pay more than the advertised price, and in many cases, that price increases after your first contract expires. Apparently, cable appreciates in value over time, who knew! 

We’re assuming you’re on the phone with your cable provider right now letting them know you’d like to cancel. First of all: nice. Now, let’s look into those streaming services we’ve been talking up. 

An abundance of options

We’re sure you already have Netflix for binge-watching movies and some TV shows, and it’s an amazing service for that purpose, but that’s obviously not a complete replacement for cable and live television. The reality is that you might have to get more than one service to cover all of your needs. Then again, having every single streaming service isn’t doable for everyone. After cutting the cord, there’s no sense in loading yourself up with streaming subscriptions that total up to more than your cable bill ever was. So, you’ll want to be very deliberate about which ones you end up subscribing to.

The streaming service market has grown exponentially over the past few years with almost too many plans and channel options to pick from, and you’re probably panicking and wondering which streaming service is right for you. As per usual, the answer to that is entirely dependent on what you’re looking for in your streaming service, what your TV-watching habits are, and your content preferences. 

Here’s what you’ll want to take into account when browsing the vast buffet of streaming services you can choose from today:

• Your watching habits and tastes: It’s a simple question. What do you like to watch, and how often? If you’re into prestige television and film and nothing else, you’ll want to look to services like Netflix and HBO Max. More into sports and live events? Check out Sling our YoutTube TV to stay in the loop. Our best advice is to incorporate a mix of the two so you get the best of both worlds, but that might not be sustainable for everyone. 

• Your budget: How much are you able and willing to spend on entertainment? Once you arrive at your number, it’s actually pretty easy to figure with service or services you’ll want to pick up — streaming services are way more upfront about pricing, so you won’t have to deal with hidden fees or anything like that (we’re looking at you cable companies). 

• Device compatibility: Not every streaming service works on every device. Like, HBO Max just came to Roku not long ago, and the period where it wasn’t available was pretty painful for Roku-exclusive households. With that being said, make sure to always check which devices are compatible with your chosen streaming service before signing on the dotted line. Paying your first monthly fee just to find that your device doesn’t offer the service is not something you want to experience. Trust us, we’ve been there. 

• Screen and profile limits: How many people are going to be using your streaming service or services? Just yourself? A whole family? Some platforms have a limit on how many screens or profiles can be connected to one account at the same time, so check that before you go giving everyone your login info.

• Cloud DVR options: Not all live TV streaming platforms have cloud DVR, but it’s worth checking — being able to record and store live events and store them in the cloud is super convenient and might seal the deal for some. (YouTube TV is a great example of this.)

What are the best streaming services?

Well, let’s get to it then. Here are our top picks for the best streaming services you can sign up for, including platforms with live television, as well as ones that are more well-suited to movie buffs.