4 Premium Streaming Services Cheaper Than Netflix That Are Actually Worth It

Since 2010, when Netflix first launched its streaming-only subscription plan in the U.S., there have been several price hikes over the years, with an increase almost every alternate year in the last decade. This has resulted in Netflix going from a cheap cable alternative to an expensive premium streamer, which, combined with the cheapest ad-free plan going away, has forced many to look for alternatives to stream free movies and TV shows, or services that are more affordable.

If you are in the same boat and looking for premium streaming services that are cheaper than Netflix, you are in luck. Thanks to the proliferation of video streamers over the last several years, there are many streaming services that deliver high-quality, popular movies and TV shows. We have selected four such services that cost less than Netflix per month (even without ads), are available on all major platforms, have a reasonable catalog, and appeal to a wide audience.

AMC — the home to "Mad Men," "The Walking Dead", and various TV shows based on Anne Rice books — offers a pretty good streaming bundle in the form of AMC+, which can be your Netflix alternative. It costs only $10 a month (or $7 if you are okay with ads) or $96 annually, and gives you full access to AMC content, several BBC America shows, Shudder (great for horror content), and Sundance Now (for indie movies). Additionally, you can watch six live TV channels and download content for offline viewing.

In terms of specifics, AMC+ has over 1,400 movies and TV shows, including "Sherlock," "Dark Winds," "Luthor," "The Graham Norton Show," "Hell on Wheels," and more. The AMC+ app is available on all major smart TV platforms, mobile devices, and desktops, and this single app includes access to all the included content with the subscription. Keep in mind, all content on AMC+ is either 1080p or 720p; there's no 4K content.

At $8 a month or $62 annually, Amazon-owned MGM+ is another solid streaming service that offers tons of premium TV shows and movies that you can enjoy. Previously known as EPIX, MGM+ has over 2,200 movies and TV shows, including some content sprinkled in from Amazon Prime Video to keep things interesting. Some of the popular and recent content you can find on MGM+ includes "The Running Man," "The Naked Gun," "From," "Interstellar," "Stargate SG-1," "The Matrix franchise," "Fargo," and "Titanic."

Besides the on-demand content, you can also stream four live channels: MGM+, MGM+ Hits, MGM+ Marquee, and MGM+ Drive-in, which primarily carry movies from MGM's catalog. Unlike many of the streaming services that use ads to subsidize their base plan, you won't get any ads on MGM+, regardless of the subscription tier. It has official apps for all major platforms, including smart TVs, mobile devices, and gaming consoles. Most of the MGM+ content streams in 1080p, but you can watch select original series in 4K.

Apple TV is an excellent Netflix alternative if you value quality over quantity. If you're confused — no, we're not talking about the hardware. The Cupertino giant recently rebranded its streaming service, Apple TV+, to Apple TV. It has the smallest catalog among our recommendations at just over 300 titles, because it only includes original content. However, many of its movies and TV shows are award-winning, such as "Severance," "Pluribus," "Ted Lasso," "F1," "Slow Horses," "The Studio," "Lessons in Chemistry," and "Coda." Other popular titles include "Silo," "Foundation," "For All Mankind," "Dark Matter," and "The Invasion."

Besides its impressive content, Apple TV has no advertisements, streams everything in 4K HDR, and has official apps for most platforms, including smart TVs. This also means it's not particularly cheap (although more affordable than Netflix) at $13 a month. However, if you're into other Apple services, such as iCloud, Apple Music, and Apple Arcade, you can opt for an Apple One subscription to reduce your overall subscription cost.

From Taylor Sheridan's Sheridanverse to the "Star Trek" franchise, Paramount+ has tons of exciting and popular content that you can enjoy for just $14 a month (or $9 with ads). You can also save a bit of money with annual plans. It gives you access to over 40,000 episodes of TV and movies, and you can stream the service on three devices simultaneously. Some of the most popular content on Paramount+ includes originals such as "Landman," "Tulsa King," "1923," and "Mobland," as well as "NCIS," "Tracker," and "Twin Peaks."

Another highlight of Paramount+ is its deal with MGM+, which allows it to carry movies and some older shows from the latter's catalog. For example, as of January 2026, you can watch "The Running Man," "The Naked Gun," "Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning," "Sonic 3," and more, which are otherwise part of MGM+'s catalog. You also get Showtime content, such as "Yellowjackets," "Billions," and the new "Dexter: Resurrection," as part of your Paramount+ subscription, along with live sports, including NFL on CBS, UCL, and every UFC fight. Paramount+ has official apps for all major platforms, and besides 1080p content, it has 4K HDR streams for select titles.

While choosing premium streaming services that cost less than Netflix, we rounded up major video streamers that have a lower monthly subscription charge than Netflix but still carry a sizeable catalog, including acclaimed and popular content, as per the data available on their websites and JustWatch. We skipped niche streaming services as they don't cater to a wide range of viewers. We also considered our own experience with different streaming platforms, general viewer sentiment, feedback shared on Reddit, and the opinions of experts.