Netflix. Hulu. Amazon. And the winner is…
Chances are you have a tablet, console, smart TV, or smart phone. There is some device shackling you to the interwebs. And if you have one of these devices, chances are you have a subscription to one of, if not all three of, the above listed streaming services. All three are well-known, each with their own exclusive content. But which one delivers the biggest bang for your buck?
Netflix
To start, the most basic plan with Netflix starts at $8.99 a month. This offers access to the entire Netflix library, which includes their original series and films. Daredevil for the win!
Netflix has a few drawbacks, however. Outside of only getting to use Netflix on a single device at a time, the $8.99 plan offers no HD content. In order to get anything better, you’ll need to shell out an extra $4 ($12.99). That’s a 44% increase. This ups the number of streamable devices to two and gives you access to HD and Ultra HD picture. For $15.99 you’ll be able to use Netflix on three devices simultaneously.
Hulu
The breakdown for Hulu is simple. The basic streaming option is the $5.99 plan. This is their most popular choice. The basic package, however, does come with ads. In order to make those go away, you’ll have to pay $11.99 a month (a 50% increase). Also, Hulu can only be used on one device at a time.
The third Hulu streaming option is an add-on called Live TV at $44.99 a month. It is exactly what it sounds like. It’s nice that you can view live television shows, but it seems silly to pay for something you probably already have access to through your basic cable provider.
Amazon Prime
And finally, we come to Amazon. For Amazon Video, you’ll pay $8.99 a month, giving you access to their library of free content, including Prime original shows. Plus you can stream purchased downloaded content from Amazon on Prime Video. Prime can also be viewed on any number of devices, provided you’re generous enough to allow others to use your credentials. There are other, more expensive plans, but those have to do with Amazon online shopping and not video streaming.
As with all streaming services, there are drawbacks to Prime. Amazon boasts a staggering 20,000+ library of content. The only issue is that a lot of their exclusive content consists of things most people in the USA don’t care about (obscure foreign films, antiquated low-budget movies, etc.).
So, who wins the belt?
Rolling Stone published an article naming the 20 best shows made for streaming, comparing Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. Netflix was on top by a landslide, getting 13 out of the 20 total spots. Amazon came in second with five and Hulu in third with two.
Netflix, at $12.99 a month, offers HD and Ultra HD film and television as well as the best exclusive content. Hulu, at $11.99, offers HD and Ultra HD film and television. Amazon, at $8.99 offers a vast amount of HD and Ultra HD content, most of which is irrelevant to the majority of Americans.
If you want the best content for the best price, Netflix is the way to go.
