Everybody knows that Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, and a handful of other streaming services are incredibly popular. But, as their prices continue to increase while shows are often cancelled, many people are looking for other cost-effective options that offer a wide variety of content. That’s where your more niche and underrated streaming services come into play. From services that only show niche, genre-specific content to accessible, free-with-ads platforms, there are plenty more to choose from than just the most popular few. Here are seven underrated streaming services that you will love.
Pluto TV
Pluto TV is a free streaming platform supported by ads. It’s the YouTube of movies/TV that even features live TV (a foreign concept to Gen Alpha, no doubt), Pluto has a catalogue of thousands of movies and shows. Honestly, in a world where we can watch so much on demand, there is something nostalgic and comforting about live TV and being forced to watch whatever is on.
If you’re patient enough to sit through a few ads, the service being free really does make everything worth it in the end. Paramount owns Pluto, so the content on the service tends to skew towards the properties they own, like Nickelodeon and CBS.
Kanopy
Kanopy is the “intellectual’s streaming service,” so to speak, claiming its catalogue focuses on “thoughtful entertainment.” The service is free of ads, and you can either log in using a library card or through a university as an educator or student.
As huge supporters of public libraries, we think this is a great way to keep libraries active and at the forefront of people’s minds. “Everyone from film scholars to casual viewers will discover remarkable and enriching films on Kanopy,” reads the company’s About Us page. Allowing viewers to have free access to over 30,000 insightful pieces of cinema and impactful documentaries is what we desperately need.
Tubi
Tubi is FOX’s version of Pluto. It is a free streaming service that runs on ads. Tubi also features both streamable and live TV options. The service also features “Tubi Originals,” like Blood, Sweat and Cheer and Sidelined: The QB and Me, among others.
Not only is it free, but Tubi does not require an account to stream. The San Francisco Chronicle said it “might be” the best streaming service, noting its over 100 million monthly users and comparing the high commercial duration on cable TV to Tubi’s much lower ad duration.
Shudder
This is one of those very specific, niche services. Shudder specializes in horror. It caters to fans of every subgenre and puts out plenty of original content too, like Late Night with the Devil. Shudder is owned by AMC and contains shows, movies, and even podcasts. Like other services on the list, it features both streamable content and live program blocks.
In addition to tons of original content, the platform also collects plenty of other horror, from classics like Halloween and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to newer, renowned productions like Speak No Evil.
Plex
Plex is special because it is not only a streaming service but also has its own built-in version of Letterboxd. It also allows users to completely customize their own libraries by providing a media server for personal files like home movies and self-produced music. The platform is free, ad-supported, and independent of studios.
You can stream just about anything on Plex, with TV and movies on the traditional platform and a special app for music called Plexamp.
The Criterion Channel
This streaming service’s niche lies in cinema, from classics to thought-provoking contemporary films. At $10.99 a month or $99.99 a year, this service is tailored for cinephiles. It offers access to collections with thoughtfully designed covers—”Rock Biopics That Don’t Suck” and “Murderous Melodramas,” for example—and truly has something for every mood and niche.
Like plenty of the other services mentioned, Criterion Channel also has a live broadcast 24/7 accessible for members. Whether you’re looking for a very specific French film from the 1940s or you just want to scroll through the extensive lists, if you’re a film lover, you will want to get this underrated streaming service.
Roku
How could we ever forget the channel iconic for its loading screen? Called Roku City, the screensaver became popular for how cozy it looked with its magenta-and-orange color scheme. People made social content about wanting to “move to Roku City.” As for the streaming service itself, Roku is a free, ad-supported platform.
Offering over 500 live channels alongside free, ad-supported movies and TV, Roku’s library is expansive. Along with this, Roku is also a hardware platform with branded TVs and streaming sticks able to plugged into any other TV.
As you can see, there are plenty of alternatives to Netflix and HBO Max, after all, and plenty of them are free and specially curated just for you.
Ella R. Dunn writers about all things geeky for Nerdist.
This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!
The post 7 Underrated Streaming Services That You’ll Love appeared first on Nerdist.
0 Comments