While Netflix seems to have a monopoly when it comes to streaming service, there are other worthy sites to try. These sites offer free trials, which spans two weeks to one month. With Disney buying Warner Brothers, and looking to start its own service in 2019 (and actually taking some movies off Netflix) it’s going to be interesting to see if Netflix’s monopoly remains.
Tip: if you are not interested in which streaming services are out there, but simply want to check if a movie is streamable online, try Couchpop – they filter all movie & tv show providers for by title, genre and so much more.
Acorn.tv
Acorn.tv features British TV fare. Like Netflix, it features original movies and TV series as well. Acorn.tv is available on Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TVs, Roku, and select Samsung smart TVs and Blu-ray players. You can also use your Apple gadgets using Google Chrome. The monthly subscription fee is USD 5 or USD 50 per year. Subscription can also be bought via Amazon Prime.
Mubi.com
Mubi.com has come a long way from being just a social network for movie buffs. It has evolved into providing the best collection of films over time. It also changed the way it featured movies. Unlike Netflix that indexes all the movies in its database, Mubi.com features 30 movie titles at a time, with 1 new movie added each day. The films, once featured, are only available for 30 days. The subscription fee is USD 6 per month and is available in the US. Movies from Mubi can be streamed on an iOS or Android phone, a PC or a Mac, Apple TV, Roku, Playstation game consoles, and select Samsung smart TVs.
Crunchyroll.com
If you love your Anime and other Asian films and programs you can get your fix from Crunchyroll.com. The free version gives access to limited content with standard definition on select devices. Enroll in the USD 7 per month plan gets you a plethora of content which are ad-free plus they are “fresh off the shelves.” Upgrade to the USD 12 per month plan and be able to access exclusive content, free shipping when you buy from their online shop, and VIP access to meet-and-greet during conventions. How cool is that! Content from Crunchyroll can be viewed using Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku streaming boxes, Nintendo, Xbox, and Playstation game consoles, and Android, iOS, and Windows devices.
Fandor.com
Fandor is for cineastes, not just your average movie buffs. They focus on indie films for the hard-core movie fans. Gain access to a wide variety of obscure films, from silent-film classics to B-horror movies. Regular subscription is USD 10 per month or USD 90 for the whole year. Or get it at USD 4 per month from Amazon. You can use a Mac or PC, Apple TV, Chromecast, or Roku streaming players, or select Android, iOS, and Kindle smartphones.