SolarMovie is one of the most popular movie streaming website on the internet. What makes this site different from others, is that it actually allows people to watch movies without the need to register for an account. Also, advertisements rarely appear on the website making it a top choice for uninterrupted viewing. With its extensive collection of movies and TV series, it sure is a one-stop shop for people who want to watch something online. However, there are times when SolarMovie is inaccessible due to various reasons. For these cases, you can watch from other sites like SolarMovie that offers the same content and video quality. Listed below are some of the best SolarMovie alternatives that you can visit anytime.
Let Me Watch This
The first movie streaming site on our list is Letmewatchthis. This website provides thousands of movies online, where you can choose various genres of films and TV series. Just by signing in, you can enjoy watching your favorite movies and TV shows for free. Moreover, this site’s interface can be navigated easily, so that you can search the newly released movies quickly. Although you can watch videos on this website for free, we can’t avoid some ads appearing when we play the film. Still, this movie site is considered as one of the best alternatives to SolarMovie.PROs
- You can easily see the recently added movies in the main page
- It contains the newly released movies
- You can watch many HD quality movies in this site
CONs
- Requires you to register before you can start watching movies online
Distinctive feature:
- You can choose the quality of the movie from Low to High quality. It can be helpful depending on your internet connection.
MovieWatcher
One of the tools that made in the list of alternatives of SolarMovie is the MovieWatcher. This site keeps on updating new movies and TV series for you to watch. Also, from its homepage, you can easily see all the popular movies and TV shows of the month. Furthermore, you can also see the biography of the most popular actors and actresses of all time. This website can help you to know all the movies of your favorite actor. This great site comes in handy if you are looking for a new film to watch.PROs
- This site has a cool and easy to navigate interface
- Latest movies from cinemas can be watch in this site
- You can see what TV shows aired every day
CONs
- It will redirect you to a 3rd party website to play the video
Distinctive feature:
- This website has a section where you can see the most famous actors/actresses today.
WatchMoviesFree
The next site that serves as SolarMovie is Watchmoviesfree. This movie streaming is well known for its number of HD quality movies. Besides, this website keeps updating the latest movies and TV series frequently. Furthermore, this site lets you see all the movies of your favorite actors/actresses, which can be done by clicking the name of the actor/actress when you watch a film with this site. That reason is enough for this movie site, to be on top of the list when it comes to watching free movies online.PROs
- You can watch movies in HD quality online for free
- It has various popular movies that you can watch
CONs
- Lots of pop-up ads appear when you click something in this page
Distinctive feature:
- You can watch the top rated anime series in Watchmoviesfree.
AllMovie
Another excellent movie streaming site that we have is AllMovie. With this site, you can easily watch all the hottest movies of the year, because you can quickly search the latest movies in theaters, new on DVD, and in the stream within this web page. Moreover, in case you are looking for a new film to watch, this site has a variety of choices that you can choose in Genres, Moods, and Themes, depending on your liking. What makes this tool special is its “Advanced Search” feature, where you only need to check some filters like the genre, the release date, and the ratings of the movie, and it will give you the recommended videos for you to watch. You must try this movie site if you want to keep updated with the film.PROs
- This site sorted the genres of the movies
- You can use the Advanced search to quickly for a movie that you want to watch
CONs
- Need to close the ads first before you can watch movies
Distinctive feature:
- In this site, every movies shows its cast, reviews, awards, and related shows. It can help you to understand the movie that you are about to watch.
TV Box
TV Box got a place on the list because of its sorted library, which means all movies and TV series are all in alphabetically, and in a timely order. TV Box, as its name suggests, has lots of TV series in its database. Also, this streaming site comes with various latest movies and animes. Additionally, this site shows all the upcoming films and TV series. In fact, you can see the most popular films and TV series from some of the famous TV streaming sites like Netflix, HBO, and Fox.PROs
- Completed episodes of the famous TV series are in this site
- You can choose movies and TV shows in its alphabetical directory
CONs
- Its homepage looks old and outdated
Distinctive feature:
- TV Box has a calendar where you can see the date and time of the uploaded videos.
IMDb
IMDb is probably recognizable website on the list. The website is an institution when it comes to everything that concerns the film industry. The site is not a video streaming site, but is packed with vast amounts of movie related content. Movie trailers and news articles are available on the site anytime and anywhere. The site is know for its fair moving rating system, where it rates movies according to their standards, which gives people an idea about the film. For many people, there is nothing more credible than a movie review from IMDb. This site deserves to be on the list of the best SolarMovie alternatives because it is able to provide quality movie reviews and recommendations to users.PROs
- IMDb is trustworthy when it comes to ratings
- You can watch newly released movies
CONs
- Some of the latest movies are still in CAM quality
Distinctive feature:
- Since IMDb is a movie rating site, you can put ratings on the movies you have watched.
MovieWeb
Another site that is not a movie streaming site, but is on the list of great SolarMovie alternative is MovieWeb. Despite being included in the list, the site is more of a movie news and blog site that contains information and news about movies being released. The site also gives a comprehensive review on films that are currently being shown and gives their visitors recommendations on what to watch. Movie trailers are also available here, though you must be logged-in to have full access to their contents. Be that as it may, this site still deserves the title of a great SolarMovie alternative.PROs
- The news of the movies can be read in this site
- You can watch the trailers of all the movies from this site
CONs
- It doesn’t play any movies in this site
Distinctive feature:
- MovieWeb is a website where you can read the artciles and news of all the most popular, and latest movies online.
Yes Movies
Yes Movies is another site that provides satisfaction when it comes to movies viewing. Always loaded with the latest movies and TV shows, people are sure to find what they want anytime. The site runs on ads, so it is imperative that advertisements are frequent on the site. The downside is that, whenever you click something on the page, an advertisement will open on a new tab which can be annoying sometimes. Other than that, the site don’t have any other drawback as the movies within its library are all in high-definition. The site is easy to navigate, thanks to its clear and organized buttons and sections, saving time and effort especially when looking for a film to watch.PROs
- It updates the latest movie of the month
- Most of the movies are in HD quality
CONs
- You need to deal with the ads first before you can start watching movies
Distinctive feature:
- YesMovie allows you to instantly see the description of the updated episodes of a particular TV show on its main page. You can see that section from the rightmost part of the web page.
YTS
YTS or formerly known Yify is home to HD quality movies for years now. As a matter of fact, there is no movie streamer who haven’t heard or visited its website. The site has been taken down many times now, and came back with a different domain name, and now it only supports online movie downloads. YTS has a wide collection of films, from the latest release, to classic movies as old as 50 years old. That is the reason why many users still use YTS to get the movie that they want, because they are sure of the quality.PROs
- You can download movies via torrent in its highest quality
- Almost all of the movies from past to present are in this site
CONs
- Ads are appearing evertime you choose a movie
Distinctive feature:
- YTS is a torrent site where you can easily find, and download the movie via torrent. With that, you can pause your download in a torrent when needed.
HouseMovie
HouseMovie is a movie site that offers similar content as with other movie hosting website. The difference is that HouseMovie is most of the time ahead of its competitors when it comes to updating their library. People would often notice that there are movies which have not premiered yet, but the site already have them on their database. That is one reason why it makes a great alternative to SolarMovie. Not only that, you can be rest assured that you only get the highest movie quality as possible because the site indicates the video quality beforehand.PROs
- Coming soon movies are shown in this website
- All the newest movies of the month can be watch in this website
CONs
- Some of the movies are temporary unavailable due to unknown reason
Distinctive feature:
- HouseMovie has an article section where you can check the latest news from a particular movie. It also shows you various news that helps you to look for new movies to watch.
Rainierland
Rainierland is a lesser know site movie sharing site. However, it does not fall behind in-terms of movie collection, because it is always being updated from time to time. The movies here are all high-quality and most are in high-definition, so people are sure that they will be able to watch only the best movies the site can offer. Also, the site have TV shows to add more selections to their content, which is great for people who loves to binge-watch their favorite series. This truly is a great site like SolarMovie and it has proven to be for many years now.PROs
- You can choose the quality of the movie that you are about to watch
- Latest release dates are shown in this site
CONs
- Need to get rid of the ads to start streaming the movie
Distinctive feature:
- Rainierland has an alphabetical list where you can search for new movies to watch.
Download Movies with Video Keeper
Watching movies online is great and all. However, there are times when the internet is not working, therefore you won’t be able to reach the sites mentioned above. That is why it is still best practice to download the movies instead. This way, you will be able to watch your favorite movies, even without the use of internet and you can take them anywhere with you. For that matter, there is no best tool to use that Acethinker Video Keeper. The tool is able to download movies from the sites mentioned above, with just a few clicks. In order to learn how to use the tool, follow the steps below.Step1 Get the installer of Video Keeper
To install the tool, click one of the buttons below and get the installer. Once download is complete, run the installer and follow on-screen instructions.Try it for Free
Free Download
OS X 10.10
Secure Download
Step2 Launch Video Keeper and start download
Once installation is thru, you can proceed to launch the tool and reach the main interface. To start the download process, click the “Enable Detector” button and go to the “Detect” tab.Step3 Play the movie
To download a movie, use the built-in browser of the tool and go to your preferred movie hosting site. Next, select the movie you want and click the play button. A notification will appear informing you that the download has started once done.Step4 Check the download progress
Go back to the “Download” tab, and from there you will see the progress of the download process. Wait for the download to finish as it may take some time depending on the internet speed.Step5 Watch the completed video
Once the download is finished, it will transferred to the “Completed” section where you can watch it directly using the media player of the tool.Conclusion
SolarMovies is indeed a wonderful movie streaming site. However, the primary requirement in order to use it is being connected to the internet. Also, it is a known fact that the internet connectivity is not always available. Now all the other sites mentioned above works the same, they just need to have internet connectivity. However, there are other ways to watch your favorite movies even offline. Using Acethinker Video Keeper, you will be able to download movies from your favorite movie sharing sites. Using its breakthrough “Detect” function, the tool is a cut above the rest and can get any video from almost any website. With its robust downloading capabilities, Video Keeper is sure to get the video that want, effortlessly.The Best Alternatives to Cable: Video Streaming Services
Streaming services started as an add-on to DVD and digital download offerings with a trickle of second-run movies and TV shows. They were supplements to the programs you watched on their first (and second) runs on cable TV. But speedier internet connections and an abundance of video streaming devices have accelerated the decline of traditional cable. More and more viewers are cutting the cord entirely in favor of dedicated streaming alternatives.
Entertainment and tech giants are not blind to the threat, however, and the media landscape is rapidly changing. Consolidation and curation (that is, owning the most media properties and serving the best content) seem to be the overarching goals of the players involved.
For instance, AT&T's (which operates live TV service DirecTV Now) purchase of WarnerMedia and all of its subsidiaries (including CNN, Crunchyroll, the CW, DC Comics, and HBO) has now cleared its last legal hurdle. Disney purchased 21st Century Fox and is launching its own video streaming service, called Disney+, later this year. Disney also now has full operational control of Hulu. Viacom owns the free, ad-supported Pluto TV service. On the tech side, Apple recently overhauled the Apple TV app and unveiled Apple TV+, its forthcoming premium video streaming service.
As mentioned, a video streaming service's success largely depends on what its library offers. That's why so many services are investing heavily in developing high-quality original content. Consider, for example, Netflix's Stranger Things, Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, all of which are Emmy-winning shows. Although these services compete more on their original offerings than their resold broadcast content and post-theater-run movies, several platforms have also saved popular shows from the grave. Without these hooks, standalone video streaming services would likely be unable to compete with existing entertainment behemoths.
Apart from on-demand video streaming services, complete cable-replacement services with live broadcasts are becoming increasingly viable and attractive options. Some of the best services, for example, such as fubo, Hulu, Sling TV, and YouTube TV, offer robust channel collections with excellent DVR functionality. Even DirecTV Now and PS Vue are more practical now, as they no longer require specific hardware to use.
Smaller and sometimes cheaper options also exist with a more limited focus. For example, Philo primarily offers entertainment content, while ESPN+ is best suited for sports fans. Crackle, Pluto TV, Mubi, and various anime-streaming sites attract certain audiences as well. Although it is not what typically comes to mind, Vimeo also offers a small selection of indie films and video projects via its On Demand section. Plex is yet another option for streaming your local media content as well as a platform for free over-the-air cable (provided you have the right hardware). If you want to watch people play games, Twitch is your best bet.
You should use a virtual private network (VPN) for all your internet-related tasks, but VPNs are particularly useful for streaming services since they can sometimes grant access to region-locked content. For example, if you connect to a VPN server in the UK from a device in the US, you may be able to watch free content from BBC TV. That said, streaming services are cracking down on VPN usage, so we recommend signing up for a trial to test your network setup before fully committing to a service. Make sure to check out our guide on how to unblock Netflix with a VPN as a starting point.
If you want to cut the cord, here's our rundown of what you can expect from the most popular services. You shouldn't fall into the trap of paying more for video streaming services than you did for cable, so make sure to only sign up for those that offer the content you actually want to watch. If we missed your favorite option, make sure to let us know in the comments.
Best Video Streaming Services Featured in This Roundup:
Netflix
$8.99 per month
Netflix is the standard-bearer of streaming. It hosts an impressive selection of content at all times, with new titles exchanged for older ones monthly. And then there's Netflix constantly growing library of premier original programming, which currently outclasses every other streaming service. Netflix's impressive catalog includes shows such as Altered Carbon, Black Mirror, Bojack Horseman, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,The Crown, Lost in Space, Mindhunters, Narcos, Orange is the New Black, Santa Clarita Diet, and Stranger Things. Netflix is expected to spend somewhere in the range of $15 billion on original content this year, so it will likely retain its advantage for the foreseeable future. Netflix also currently offers the most high-quality movies of any streaming service, eclipsing competitors such as Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO.
Netflix recently raised the price of each of its subscription plans. For $8.99 per month (up from $7.99), you can stream unlimited standard-definition content on a single device. The Standard tier, which now costs $12.99 per month (up from $10.99), unlocks HD content and supports streaming on two devices simultaneously. The top-of-the-line Premium plan costs $15.99 per month (up from $13.99). This tier gives you four concurrent streams and access to 4K content where available. You can download Netflix on a variety of devices, from your PC and tablet to the Chromecast and game consoles.
Alongside Amazon Prime Video, Netflix is one of the few streaming services that supports both offline downloads and 4K streaming. And yes, Netflix's DVD mailing service still exists if you want newer releases, though streaming is clearly its primary focus going forward.
YouTube TV
$49.99 per month
YouTube TV offers an excellent selection of live sports and news channels, as well as many popular entertainment options. A few of the top networks available include ABC, AMC, CBS, CNN, ESPN, FX, and NBC. It recently added content from the Discovery network too, with channels such as Animal Planet, Food Network, HGTV, and Travel Channel. If YouTube TV's library of over 70 channels still doesn't meet your needs, you can also add other packages, such as NBA League Pass, Showtime, and Starz to your subscription. The service also now claims to cover over 98 percent of households in the US.
With YouTube TV, you get unlimited cloud DVR storage. The service will keep your recordings for nine months and you can stream your content from anywhere in the US. One YouTube TV membership supports up to six accounts, so you can share with family or roommates, though note that you can only stream from three accounts simultaneously.
YouTube TV's apps look and work great across a variety of platforms. Its capable search tools and solid streaming performance in our testing establish it as one of the best cable replacement services for general audiences. Make sure that the service is available in your location before you consider it as an option.
Hulu
$5.99 per month; $44.99 for live TV service
Hulu impresses as one of the best all-in-one options for cord cutters, given its diverse set of streaming options. In addition to quality original programming, a strong library of classic shows, and a good selection of anime series and movies, Hulu now offers a robust live TV option (more than 60 channels of news, sports, and entertainment programming). Still, Hulu trails some top competitors, given its limited HD and 4K selections. Hulu subscribers also cannot currently download content for offline viewing (an ad-supported solution is supposedly in the works.) However, unlike Netflix and Amazon, which typically get new TV series months or even a year after their TV debuts, Hulu gets some content almost immediately after airing on TV thanks to its big studio backers.
Hulu's basic on-demand streaming plan now only costs $5.99 per month, but the ad-free version will run you $11.99 per month. The Hulu + Live TV plan costs $44.99 per month and combines Hulu's live TV service with the ad-supported streaming plan. For $50.99, you get the ad-free version of Hulu's on-demand service along with the Live TV functionality. Premium Spotify subscribers can now get Hulu's ad-supported streaming plan for free, too.
You can add Enhanced Cloud DVR (increases the available DVR storage to 200 hours from 50) or the Unlimited Screens package (allows an unlimited number of concurrent device streams in your home and up to three outside of it) to your plan for $14.99 per month each or $19.99 for both. If you want even more options, you can add HBO or Showtime for $14.99 and $8.99 per month, respectively.
Hulu supports an impressive range of gadgets, but you can only stream to one device at a time with the basic accounts. Make sure to check out Hulu's latest redesign across all of its platforms; it features elegant navigation menus and a glossy aesthetic, though the new layout admittedly makes it more of a pain to discover content.
Disney now controls Hulu and is set to launch Disney+ later this year, so we can't predict Hulu's future. Will Disney+ absorb Hulu's on-demand library and maintain the existing cable-replacement service? Maybe Disney will just shutter the Hulu branding for good. Regardless of what happens, Disney clearly sees Hulu as a major part of its video streaming strategy.
Sling TV
$25 per month
Sling TV is probably as close to the traditional TV experience as you can get online. For $25 per month, Sling TV offers live access to channels like AMC, TBS, The Food Network, CNN, TNT, and more.
As you add more services, though, Sling TV can add up. There's the basic Sling Orange plan with support for one stream at $25 per month, Sling Blue with support for three simultaneous streams for $25, or both with support for four simultaneous streams at $40.
Why would you want both? Some channels on Sling Orange are not available on Sling Blue and vice versa. The Disney Channel, for example, is only on Sling Orange, while Fox Sports is only on Blue.
Sling also offers extra add-ons for $5 per month each. A Comedy extra adds MTV, Spike, Logo, and more, while a Kids extra offers channels like Teen Nick and Disney Junior—none of which are available via Sling Orange or Blue.
Another $5 extra is cloud DVR, which supports up to 50 hours of content. You can record multiple programs simultaneously and watch on Amazon, Android, Apple TV, Roku, and Xbox One devices. Cloud DVR is not currently supported for Disney and ESPN or on-demand channels like Newsy and Local Now.
Amazon Prime Video
$8.99 per month
Amazon offers access to its video content in one of two ways: a standalone Amazon Video subscription or an Amazon Prime subscription. An Amazon Video subscription costs $8.99 per month and only includes access to Amazon's streaming video library. An Amazon Prime account, which includes Prime Video content and a ton of other shipping and shopping perks, costs $12.99 per month (or $119 per year). Amazon refers to its video streaming service as Amazon Prime Video in most of its support documentation.
In recent years, Amazon has focused on curating a wide range of original shows, such as Bosch, Catastrophe, Electric Dreams, Homecoming, The Man in the High Castle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, One Mississippi, Patriot, Red Oaks, Sneaky Pete, The Grand Tour, The Tick, and Transparent. Many of these shows are excellent and on par with Netflix's offerings, though the latter has a much deeper content library. Prime Video also hosts top shows from other networks, including HBO, at no additional cost, though you can add a Prime Channel subscription to your account for full access to the libraries of HBO, Starz, Showtime, CBS All Access, and Cinemax.
Amazon's video library also includes tons of popular movies available for streaming at no additional cost. Users have the option to purchase or rent movies and TV shows as well, similar to Apple's iTunes, Google's Play Movies and TV Shows, and Microsoft Store's Movies and TV section.
Prime Video is notable in that it supports 4K and HDR streaming as well as downloads for offline viewing. Amazon's video service works on a web browser, as well as Android and iOS devices, Fire devices (TV, TV Cube, TV Stick, phones, and tablets), game consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, and Wii), Smart TVs, and set-top boxes (Apple TV 4K, Roku, Google TV, TiVo, and Nvidia Shield), though it does not natively support Chromecast devices. With Prime Video, you can stream up to three titles at the same time from the same account, but it limits you to streaming the same title to two devices simultaneously.
DirecTV Now
$50 per month
The DirecTV Now streaming service offers dozens of channels of live TV without installing a satellite dish or running cables. The service features excellent picture quality and plenty of connectivity options, and subscriptions start at $50 per month.
DirecTV Now offers five main plans (up from four), ranging from the $50-per month Plus plan (40 channels) to the $135-per-month Ultimate package (125 channels). Prices for the service have significantly increased across the board recently, in some cases nearly doubling.
HBO is now included in DirecTV Now's base plan, while Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz can each be added for $11 per month. DirecTV Now also offers 20 hours of DVR storage for free and supports simultaneous streaming on up to three devices.
fuboTV
$54.99 per month
fuboTV is a great option for any cord-cutting sports fans. This 'sports-first, but not sports-only' service offers extensive live sports and entertainment content for all your devices. Whether you want to watch NFL games on Sunday, catch up an MLB game that aired during the day, or even stream a movie on-demand, fuboTV has you covered.
Its base subscription plan, simply called fubo, does cost $54.99 per month, but it grants you access to 85+ television channels. For the national sports events, there's NBC, CBS, FOX, NFL Network and NBA.TV. For international sports, you get channels from the beIN network and Univision. And if you're ever not in the mood for sports, fuboTV offers a wide variety of entertainment channels such as AMC, BBC America, CNBC, The Food Network, FX, National Geographic, SYFY, and USA, to name just a few. fuboTV recently added Viacom channels to its base plan, including BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and VH1. You not only get to watch live events and programs from these channels, but also a ton of on-demand shows and movies.
fuboTV offers some cheaper plans aimed at international markets, including fubo Latino for $17.99 per month and fubo Portugues for $19.99 per month. You can also supplement any base plans with add-on content, including the Sports Plus ($8.99 per month) and Adventure Plus ($4.99 per month) options. fubo Extra, which includes 90+ channels to watch, costs $49.99 per month.
To top it all off, fuboTV offers excellent DVR capabilities and Lookback, a feature that lets you watch anything you may have missed up to 72 hours after it first aired. fuboTV also recently introduced Startover, which enables viewers to watch currently airing events from the beginning no matter when they tune in. Enjoy solid streaming performance via its web interface or dedicated apps for Android, iOS, Apple TV, Roku, and Fire OS devices.
PlayStation Vue
$44.99 per month
Sony's PlayStation Vue live-streaming service is an excellent option for anyone who wants to get rid of their cable bill, not just PlayStation owners. The basic Core plan starts at $44.99 per month offers a good range of news and entertainment channels, but it is a little light on sports coverage. More expensive packages expand on this coverage and are worth a look for fans of movies, sports, and other premium content providers, such as HBO and Showtime. You can augment any tier with add-ons, such as the Sports Pack or Español Pack. PlayStation Plus subscribers get discounts on some of these packages.
PlayStation Vue's DVR functionality is top-notch. For channels that allow recording, users can record an unlimited number of episodes of up to 500 shows for up to 28 days. Since the service supports up to five simultaneous streams at once, we also like that you can set up profiles for each user. This helps PlayStation Vue better tune its recommendations. We do wish it offered parental control options though.
In addition to the PlayStation 3 and 4, you can use the service on a variety of devices, such as your web browser, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, and iOS or Android devices—provided you have internet access. PS Vue's mobile apps are notable in that they are highly customizable. PlayStation Vue's streaming performance was excellent across all the platforms we tested.
CBS All Access
$5.99 per month
While it might seem rather limiting to pay for on-demand access to just one broadcast TV channel, CBS does have a popular lineup of TV shows, and CBS All Access is the only place you can watch The Good Wife spin-off The Good Fight, Star Trek: Discovery, and The Twilight Zone reboot. You can also watch NFL games that are broadcast in your local market, including Thursday Night Football on CBS (though you can't watch on a mobile phone because of a deal Verizon has with the NFL).
For $5.99 per month, you can tap into 8,500 episodes; stay up to date with shows currently on the air or catch up with old favorites like The Twilight Zone, Taxi, and every Star Trek you could hope for. New episodes are available the next day, and it supports live TV streams in over 200 markets.
Like Hulu, the $5.99 plan includes commercials, but you can ditch the ads with CBS All Access Commercial Free for $9.99 per month (with the exception of live TV and select shows). TV classics are ad-free on both plans.
Watch on your mobile device (iOS, Android), PC, or Android TV, or stream to your TV via Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, Xbox 360, or Xbox One. CBS All Access now allows you to download shows for offline viewing on mobile devices.
ESPN+
$4.99 per month
ESPN+ offers a respectable lineup of live and on-demand sports programming for only $4.99 per month (or $49.99 per year). It's not a replacement for ESPN's regular channels, but it might be just enough for cord-cutting sports fans. With the service, you can watch a selection of live sports events on a daily basis, including many from the MLB, NHL, MLS, PGA Tour, and various college sports leagues. Unfortunately, neither ESPN's Monday Night Football nor its live NBA coverage are part of this subscription.
You can also dive into ESPN's on-demand archive of premier shows such as 30 for 30,E:60, and SC Featured. It doesn't, however, include flagship ESPN shows, such as Around the Horn, First Take, NFL Live, Outside the Lines, Pardon the Interruption, SportsCenter, and SportsNation.
ESPN+ is available via the web or via the ESPN app on Android and iOS. App performance is solid, and you won't have any trouble streaming from your mobile devices. Chromecast, FireTV, tvOS, and Roku users can also join in on the fun and take advantage of ESPN+'s generous support for up to five concurrent streams.
HBO Now
$14.99 per month
HBO Now delivers an impressive catalog of new on-air original content, including Westworld and Game of Thrones, in addition to beloved older series such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Deadwood, Girls, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, and The Wire. On top of that, HBO's on-demand streaming service includes a collection of popular movies across a wide range of genres including action, comedy, drama, family, horror/sci-fi, Latino, romance, and suspense. That said, HBO Now works best in conjunction with another streaming service that offers a live TV component or a larger and more diverse content library. In fact, many other streaming services offer HBO Now as an add-on, which helps streamline the billing and account management process.
In testing, all of HBO Now's apps look modern and streaming performance is excellent across the board. In addition to the web, HBO Now is available on Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, iOS, PS4, Roku, and the Xbox One, just to name a few. Still, HBO's service costs more than many competitors without being as technically advanced. For example, HBO Now does not feature any 4K or HDR content, nor does it let subscribers watch shows offline. These omissions are not deal breakers, though, and HBO Now could still be a valuable addition to your streaming lineup based on the quality of its content alone.
Philo
$20 per month
Philo is an affordable video streaming service that offers a good mix of live and on-demand content. For just $20 per month, you get 58 channels, including AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BET, Cooking Chanel, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, SCI, and the Travel Channel. Philo's less expensive $16-per-month plan will soon be unavailable to new subscribers. Philo focuses on entertainment and lifestyle content, so consumers who primarily want to watch news and sports should look elsewhere.
Philo takes a novel approach in a few different areas. For example, although Philo's sign in process is not a true two-factor authentication set up, it is very convenient. Users sign in with their phone number and a six-digit verification code sent via text, which is easier than typing in an email and password. Furthermore, Philo allows users to save the entire available catalog of a show for on-demand viewing, instead of just a single episode. Philo keeps saved shows for 30 days but does not impose any storage limits. Philo also plans to integrate social features, such as synchronized streaming, in future updates.
Despite some layout issues on the web and its lack of a dedicated Android app, Philo is still highly usable and performs well on the platforms we tested it on. Both live and saved content stream without any lag. Philo allows up to three concurrent streams.
Showtime
$10.99 per month
Showtime's original programming includes current titles such as Black Monday, Billions, Homeland, Kidding, The Chi, Shameless, and Ray Donovan. It also boasts a library of slightly older shows including Dexter, House of Lies, Penny Dreadful, and Twin Peaks: The Return. In addition, Showtime offers live streams of Showtime East and Showtime West, as well as a decent selection of movies. Most people will find something worthwhile to watch on Showtime, but whether the subscription is worth it, in the long run, depends on the quality of content it offers going forward.
Showtime is one of the more expensive standalone options we've tested at $10.99 per month, but know that you can get a deal on pricing if you bundle it with CBS All Access. You can also add in on to other video streaming services, such as Hulu, Prime Video, and YouTube TV. Subscribers can access Showtime on Android and iOS devices; Roku devices; Oculus Go and the Xbox One; and via a web browser.
Showtime's extra capabilities are about average for the category. For example, you can download content for offline viewing with the Android or iOS app, but the service limits the resolution to a disappointing 720p. Showtime also supports ratings-based restrictions for shows and movies, but it doesn't let you create separate profiles, which makes these rules more difficult to manage on a per-user basis.
Starz
$8.99 per month
If you are a big fan of Starz shows, such as America to Me, American Gods, Boss, Counterpart, Liberty City, Outlander, and Survivor's Remorse, you should consider subscribing to its dedicated video streaming service. Note that Starz's original shows are generally not as numerous, popular, or prestigious as those available on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or HBO Now.
That said, Starz is a great destination for films. As of the time of our last review, the service hosts over 1,200 streaming-ready titles. These entries are not obscure either; popular movies such as 2012, 27 Dresses, Independence Day, Juno, Jumanji, RV, Spiderman: Homecoming, Surf's Up, The Social Network, and Up are just a few examples.
Starz costs $8.99 per month, which is reasonable, but only if you don't already subscribe to several other video streaming services already. For the cost, Starz does allow users to stream on up to four devices simultaneously, which is convenient for households. Parents should take some time to configure parental controls for individual profiles as to prevent kids from stumbling upon inappropriate content.
Starz also lets users download shows and movies on mobile devices for offline viewing, which is a great feature to have for frequent travelers or anyone who doesn't want to rack up exorbitant data costs while roaming. The service does not, however, support 4K or HDR content, which Netflix and Amazon Prime do.