The best streaming service isn't a one-size-fits-all type of choice anymore. There are hundreds of niche services to choose from nowadays, which means you can find a streamer that's dedicated to showcasing a very specific type of content, from arthouse films and documentaries to horror and sports, and more – and not all are subscription-based either, with the rise of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST).
In this guide, instead of recommending the single best streaming service, we've focused on the six biggest streaming services by global subscription numbers – Disney Plus and Hulu, which we're recommending as a bundled subscription, Apple TV Plus, Max, Netflix, Paramount Plus and Prime Video – to help you choose which one to sign up to this month. Why this month? Because each offers a very mixed library of movies and shows that changes from month-to-month.
Each streamer is constantly adding and removing content as well as announcing new subscription changes, which can range from more ads and price hikes to password crackdowns and UI updates, so we've opted to evaluate each service's offerings on a monthly basis to help you decide whether it's worth keeping your subscription or canceling it for another.
The best streaming service for most people
Reasons to join this month
✅ You love blockbuster franchises: With three familiar movie franchises coming to Netflix in July, there’s plenty to enjoy for Back to the Future, Spider-Man, and Bad Boys fans.
✅ You missed two of TV’s biggest shows: The cult classic mystery show Lost that had everyone on tenterhooks in 2004 is now available, along with the final season of Suits, letting you binge watch the full series.
✅ Your favorite type of movies are thrillers: Netflix’s existing library is rock solid, just look at these five thrillers with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, but there’s also Captain Phillips and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. being added this month.
Reasons to switch this month
❌ You don’t like rom-coms: A Family Affair is seeing dismal reviews, and while there are three better rom-coms to stream with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, Prime Video’s The Idea of You is rated higher and is a better option for romance.
❌ You’d rather skip hyped action movies: Trigger Warning, which also prompted us to recommend three better action flicks with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, is another flop. If you want action movies, check out Max.
❌ You’re looking for a scare: While horror movies like American Psycho, Annabelle and Jigsaw have been added this month, you can find more varied selections elsewhere, such as the Saw movies on Disney Plus.
If you’re considering signing up this month, then you’ll find 39 shows and 55 movies in everything new on Netflix July 2024, which is an increase from the 28 TV shows added in June but it’s also less than the 69 flicks dropped as part of everything new on Netflix in June 2024. Alongside classic family comedies like Uncle Buck and Matilda, you’ll find plenty more Netflix Originals this month too, including Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Cobra Kai season six, The Boyfriend, and more, so if you’re excited to catch these, then it might be worth the $6.99 for this month.
Is Netflix worth subscribing to?
If you’re looking to catch new seasons from hit shows like Bridgerton and Cobra Kai, then July could be a great time to sign-up. But it’s worth keeping in mind that Emily in Paris and The Umbrella Academy will return in August. While there weren't many titles leaving Netflix in July 2024, there are five movies with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes set to see the boot, alongside a couple of recent cancellations, including a hit animation show with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and a new fantasy series from the producers of Dark, so it might be worth holding out for a potential free ad-supported Netflix but who knows when that will arrive.
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Despite raising subscription prices several times over the past decade, introducing more ads by removing its Basic tier in June and clamping down on password-sharing, Netflix remains the most popular streaming service in the world. Its biggest draw? The shed tons of best Netflix movies and best Netflix shows that it has in its catalog, which also happens to be second largest compared to rivals. Although Netflix’s movie library isn’t as big as the 12,000 on Prime Video, there are a lot of highly-rated gems with Reelgood data showing that it had close to 4,000 titles in the US in 2023. It’s the same story with TV shows after it started to scale back investments in production, with its list of close to 2,500 series beaten (only just) by 150 more from Hulu.
But it’s not only about quantity, as it has quality Netflix Originals like Wednesday, Stranger Things, Dahmer: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Show, Bridgerton, and The Queen’s Gambit – all of which make up the five most-watched shows on the service with over 732 million views as of June 23, 2024. What’s unique to Netflix is that the majority of its catalog is made up of originals. Granted, its studios don’t have a seamless track record, with some seeing terrible reviews from critics, but many of its titles have been surefire hits, winning countless awards for shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black and movies like Roma and The Power of the Dog.
The service itself is also seamless. After all, the familiar ‘tudum’ greeting and interface we’ve all come to recognize set the standard for streaming homescreens we know today, and has been copied by many of its rivals. That hasn’t stopped Netflix from continuing to experiment, with plans to test major changes that’ll make finding new movies and shows so much easier. On top of this, you can access high-quality streams in HD, 4K Ultra HD and HDR, which was updated to be Dynamically Optimized in late 2023 to improve brightness and color. Sure, it’s not the cheapest streaming service, but in terms of its value proposition, Netflix is the most well-rounded offering.
The best streaming service for movies
Reasons to join this month
✅ You love cult classics: Cult classic movie fans are in for a treat this month as the likes of Gladiator, Taxi Driver, and No Country for Old Men are all coming to Prime Video in July.
✅ You love period dramas: If you’ve already watched My Lady Jane, you can also check out three more highly-rated period dramas on Prime Video to stream next to keep the adventure going.
✅ You missed some of TV’s biggest shows: The critically acclaimed show The Boys season four is out now, as well as hugely popular series The Rings of Power, Fallout, and Reacher if you haven’t watched those already.
Reasons to switch this month
❌ You want some sci-fi action: While Prime Video canceled hit sci-fi series Outer Range, Netflix’s dark superhero series Supacell has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and would be a great alternative.
❌ You’d rather miss out on being scared: Prime Video is home to an array of horror movies and TV shows, including Nanny, which has 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. But if you don’t fancy a scare, then Disney Plus is an ideal choice.
❌ You want quality over quantity: Although Prime Video has some stellar original content, it also has a lot of lower quality movies and TV shows. If you want high-caliber content, then Apple TV Plus is the way to go.
Prime Video is bringing an array of new titles to the streaming service in July 2024, with over 130 new movies landing on the platform on July 1 alone, which is more than the 120 movies that were added as part of everything new on Prime Video in June on the first day. While the hugely popular series The Boys season four is now available to stream, there’s plenty of more Amazon Originals to enjoy with The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, The Tomorrow War, and The Summer I Turned Pretty. From classic flicks to cinematic releases, there’s a diverse range of highly rated movies constantly being added to the service every month, just check out our three movies new to Prime Video with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes and five movies new to Prime Video with 88% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes. So if you’re eager to catch these then it might be worth the $8.99 for this month.
Is Prime Video worth subscribing to?
If you want to catch new episodes from hit shows like The Boys, My Lady Jane and Those About to Die, then July is the month to subscribe to Prime Video. However, there’s also more exciting projects in the works at Amazon Studios to expand its TV content, including an animated cat comedy called Kevin, a prequel Legally Blonde series, a live-action Spider-Man Noir series, Mr and Mrs Smith season two and more. Of course, we also have The Rings of Power season two to look forward to in August, which might be a better time.
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Despite Prime Video introducing ads at the start of 2024 unless you pay an extra $2.99 a month to get rid of them, it still remains as one of the most popular streaming services. While the skippable ads may be off-putting before you start watching something, its substantial best Prime Video movies and best Prime Video shows on their platform allows you to get a lot for your money with tons more titles available than Netflix and Disney Plus. It's no surprise that Prime Video usually prioritizes its movie selection over its TV shows, but Amazon Studios has paid a lot of attention to producing original content in recent years and it’s certainly paid off, with The Boys becoming a cultural phenomenon.
According to JustWatch, Prime Video has over 26,300 movies and more than 2,700 TV shows. The sheer size of its catalog doesn’t outweigh the quality though as its Originals have won 75 awards and has been nominated a staggering 246 times. It’s well known that Amazon tends to focus a lot of their attention on movies and their colossal film library is thanks to them buying MGM Studios in 2022. This factor combined with their other licensing deals allows us to stream the likes of Licorice Pizza, Creed, Skyfall, Casino Royale, and Hotel Rwanda.
Prime Video also gives you the ability to buy and rent content, which has both positives and negatives. Although this allows users to have more choice, the paid content is mixed with free content, which can be frustrating when you search for something to watch, only to find you have to pay for it. This can be changed when you switch to the ‘Free to me’ section, but you can’t make this the default, so it would be easy to forget to select this option every time you scroll through the content mines. Despite its flaws, there’s something for everyone on Prime Video, so there’s a lot of value for your money.
The best streaming service for TV shows
Reasons to join this month
✅ You’re interested in Sharkfest: While Shark Week 2024 is covered by Discovery Plus, Disney Plus and Hulu customers can find some great related content including Attack of the Red Sea Sharks and Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast.
✅ You can’t wait for the next chapter of The Acolyte: Disney Plus is the place to be when it comes to Star Wars, and hit new series The Acolyte has got an 85% Rotten Tomatoes score with fans raving about “the most brutal 15 minutes”.
✅ You love the Alien movie franchise: Hulu is adding Alien: Covenant, Aliens, and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem to its library if you’re in the mood for some sci-fi greats this month. It might ease the pain considering Prime Video cancelled a great sci-fi show recently.
Reasons to switch this month
❌ You want fantasy shows: Disney and Hulu aren't the best places for fantasy in July. Instead, Max is streaming episodes of House of the Dragon season two, while Prime Video is gearing up for season two of The Rings of Power in August.
❌ You’re in the mood for iconic movies: Prime Video has the best offering of big movies including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Lawrence Of Arabia, and Trainspotting. Check out everything that’s coming to Prime Video in July 2024 for more titles.
❌ You want to be scared: Horror isn’t a big focus for Hulu and Disney Plus this month. Over on Netflix, American Psycho, The Nun, Jigsaw and Annabelle have been added to its library, which also includes Mike Flanagan shows like The Haunting of Hill House .
Comedies seem to be a big focus for Disney Plus and Hulu this month, with movies like Step Brothers, Super Troopers and Sex Tape all joining the library. So if you’re in need of a laugh, you might want to hang on to both subscriptions.There’s a big focus on game shows too as US audiences can catch the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire season 23 premiere as well as the season 10 debut of Celebrity Family Feud, alongside a Decades of Laughs special for the original Family Feud. If you love Disney Parks and want to get an inside look into them, EPCOT Becoming: Inside the Transformation focuses on the Florida park, giving us a behind-the-scenes peek at EPCOT’s recent makeover. There’s bad news for movie fans though as five Wes Anderson movies have been kicked off the streamer.
Is Disney Plus and Hulu worth subscribing to?
In July, Hulu and Disney Plus’ main focus appears to be Star Wars and comedy, so if these categories interest you, it’s certainly worth sticking around to get your money’s worth. The Bear is one of the major FX programs nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 2024 Emmys and has attracted large viewership figures alongside Star Wars: The Acolyte and Shōgun – if you're after similar shows, here are three more series to keep the adventure going. Over on Hulu, historical and musical dramas are coming to the platform as part of a batch of new movies and shows, including Bohemian Rhapsody, Ford v Ferrari, and The Monk and the Gun – check out everything new on Hulu in July 2024 for the full list. We've also spotted five thriller movies with over 92% on Rotten Tomatoes coming to the service this month, alongside the return of originals like The Serpent Queen, and these three similar shows with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Together, Disney Plus and Hulu are a great way for customers to watch every Disney live-action movie remake alongside other modern and old classics from Disney as well as every Pixar movie ranked best to worst. It's the streaming service duo that lets you watch the Star Wars movies in order and every Marvel Phase 4 movie and show, with the rest of Marvel's library, as well as Hulu Originals like The Handmaid’s Tale and Only Murders in the Building. This way, you get the benefits of both streaming services, which includes different genres, channels and titles, to offer more variety than simply signing up for one.
There’s access to the best Disney Plus movies like some of its most-watched movies Elemental, The Little Mermaid, and Taylor Swift The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version), and best Disney Plus shows, including its most-watched originals like The Mandalorian, which is rumored to be getting a season four, WandaVision and Loki, which released season two in October 2023. On top of that you get access to all the best Hulu movies and best Hulu shows, which are updated every month with new additions and some titles removed. In fact, Reelgood data shows that in 2023 Hulu had the second-biggest library of TV shows at 2,656 – and grouped with Disney Plus' 576 the duo completely dwarf Netflix's 2,495 in comparison.
For sports lovers, there’s also the choice of a bundle that has an optional third add-on for ESPN Plus where you can watch live games, highlights, and documentaries all focused around sport, making it a well-rounded package. But there are some changes occurring at the House of the Mouse's streaming services. From announcing a price hike that went into effect at the start of 2024 alongside its password sharing crackdown in June 2024, it's mirroring a lot of Netflix's tactics so much so there are rumors it could soon make big Netflix-style changes to keep you glued to its shows.
The best streaming service for quality content
Reasons to join this month
✅ Your favorite movie is one made by A24: The indie powerhouse has a deal with Max to stream all of its new movies exclusively for a limited time, which means that its queer slasher Love Lies Bleeding landed on the platform on July 19.
✅ You adore Elizabeth Taylor: Among the mammoth list of new movies being added to Max in July are three classics from Hollywood's golden age with the arrivals of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Cleopatra (1963), and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).
✅ You love thrillers: If you like David Fincher classics, M Night Shyamalan mysteries and director Rose Glass, who made her movie debut in 2019 with psychological horror Saint Maud, then these five new nail-biting movies on Max with over 75% on Rotten Tomatoes are for you.
Reasons to switch this month
❌ You don't like superhero animations, surrealist comedies and fantasy epics: If those don't sound like your cup of tea then these three new shows on Max with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes definitely won't be.
❌ You don't like horror movies: With the full Saw movie collection arriving on Max in July, you might want to give it a skip as that will mean you miss out on watching almost 10 movies on the platform – if you're about getting your absolute money's worth.
❌ You're not a Game of Thrones fan: It'll be all dragons in July on Max with the return of House of the Dragon season two. As we said in our review, it's "a bloody and blazingly brilliant return to form", making it well worth a watch.
Is Max worth subscribing to?
If you love Elizabeth Taylor, indie movies and horror, then yes absolutely. These are all part of everything new on Max in July 2024, which is getting Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Love Lies Bleeding, and the Saw franchise just to name a few. Other big new Max movies include Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, The Sixth Sense, Black Adam, Girl, Interrupted, Chinatown, Signs and the original Twister, making the service ideal for anyone going to see the sequel in the cinemas.
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As the home to HBO Originals, Max is the best streaming service to catch award-winning shows like modern phenomenons Game of Thrones, Succession, The White Lotus, The Last of Us, and now iconic series' of The Sopranos, The Wire, and Sex and the City. Our list of best Max shows is ever-growing with new monthly additions, which means there are hundreds of hours worth of content to stream on the app. Indeed, the service has made a name for itself for offering quality originals, which is why we named it the best streaming service of 2023.
This quality value for money extends to its movie catalog too, which admittedly doesn't have as many original productions but it does include classic and modern Hollywood films – just look at our picks of the best Max movies to get an idea of the types of critically rated films you can watch on the service. While it has less movies than TV shows (based on Reelgood data from 2023), that list is expanding. In late 2023, Max made a deal with A24 to get the exclusive streaming rights for its theatrical releases for a limited time as well as over 100 of its movies added to its platform, making it a haven for indie film lovers.
Max is one of the youngest streaming services around, having launched in May 2023 after Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) merged HBO Max (its original streaming service launched in 2020) with Discovery. But that hasn't stopped it rolling out two price rises in the space of a year – the first time it raised prices for its ad-free service was in early 2023 followed by another shock subscription increase in June 2024. There are other options to sign up to the service though, with it joining Disney Plus and Hulu in a bundle that will be available sometime in mid-2024. Max is also slowly expanding outside of the US and started being rolled out in Europe in May 2024 but those in the UK will have to wait a bit longer still.
The best streaming service for originals
Reasons to join this month
✅ You love sci-fi: Apple TV Plus has become a sci-fi utopia with its epic line-up of critically acclaimed shows such as Severance, Silo, Foundation, and For All Mankind – and July is a great time to join with the debut of Sunny.
✅ You want a thrill: Natalie Portman’s thriller series Lady in the Lake has arrived on Apple's streaming service in July as well as new episodes from its most-watched drama Presumed Innocent.
✅ You love book adaptations: Apple TV Plus is home to many highly-rated book-to-screen adaptations that have scored over 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, including Drops of God, Pachinko, and Lessons in Chemistry.
Reasons to switch this month
❌ You’re a horror fan: The streamer lacks when it comes to horror content. We’d suggest looking elsewhere in July. As one example, you can watch the Saw movies on Disney Plus.
❌ You love anime: While there’s a selection of animation movies and TV shows to enjoy on Apple TV Plus, with the most recent addition being WondLa, Netflix is ideal for some of the best anime.
❌ You’re a hopeless romantic: Apple TV Plus isn’t a trailblazer when it comes to romance, but Prime Video’s The Idea of You and The Summer I Turned Pretty are great alternatives.
Apple TV Plus continues to deliver some great original content with six new movies and shows being added in July 2024 – and there’s four new shows we can’t wait to watch from that list including Sunny, Women in Blue, Me, and Lady in the Lake. There’s even more where that came from in our three new Apple TV Plus shows with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. If you want high-quality content for $8.99 then Apple TV Plus might be worth your investment this month.
Is Apple TV Plus worth subscribing to?
There's plenty of new Apple Originals content added to the platform every single month, such as the highly-anticipated thriller series Lady in the Lake and dark comedy Sunny all available in July. However, there's more in the works with Severance season two, Foundation season three and Apple TV Plus’ most-watched drama Presumed Innocent is getting a second season. Critically acclaimed drama series Pachinko season two is arriving on the streamer in August if you'd rather subscribe then.
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Apple TV Plus remains one of the best streaming services due to its original and high-quality content, which you can check out in our best Apple TV shows and best Apple TV Plus movies. The streamer has produced some of TV’s biggest shows, such as Ted Lasso and Severance, and while it might not have a huge content library like Prime Video does, it prioritizes outstanding original material, with the likes of Lessons in Chemistry and Trying becoming huge successes for the platform.
The streamer has become the go-to destination for sci-fi TV shows with series like Dark Matter, Foundation, and Severance, and has also made a name for itself with its top-tier comedy content like Shrinking and, of course, Ted Lasso. Apple TV Plus continues to expand its comedy library with buddy cop movie Wolfs and murder-mystery comedy Bad Monkey from Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence that is bound to bring in a large audience. Meanwhile, we are also looking forward to Severance season two and Foundation season three arriving on the streaming service.
While Apple TV Plus hiked its prices dramatically in 2023, the streamer offers a number of free trials for you to test out their stellar content and is ad-free for the price of $8.99 a month. Although this could be about to change after we reported that Apple has recruited a number of ad execs and had also been rumored to be testing a new AI-powered tool for optimizing App Store ads.
Another positive is that you also have the option to share a single subscription with up to five people, so your friends and family can enjoy the service while watching in 4K HDR video with immersive Spatial Audio that gives you a proper cinematic experience. While Apple TV Plus might not be a replacement for other streaming services when it comes to quantity, in terms of quality they hit them out of the park for $8.99.
The best streaming service for classics
Reasons to join this month
✅ You're a Trekkie: Paramount Plus is home to all the major Star Trek movies and TV shows, and July has seen another major batch of favorites added, such as Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Generations, and Star Trek: Insurrection.
✅ You want to catch new Paramount Originals: The most recent new addition to the platform is a drama called Memory by the award-winning Mexican writer and director Michel Franco that already has 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.
✅ You want to celebrate SpongeBob SquarePants: To mark the 25th anniversary of the Nickelodeon cartoon, Paramount Plus is premiering the second season of the spin-off series Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years in July.
Reasons to switch this month
❌ You're an existing Paramount Plus subscriber: With the streamer set to raise prices in August, now is a good time to dodge those higher fees if you've been considering switching up your subscriptions.
❌ You don't like reality TV: The likes of Big Brother and RuPaul's Drag Race are returning with brand new seasons throughout July, and there's plenty others to look forward to including Help! I'm in a Secret Relationship, and Basketball Wives.
❌ You're a Yellowstone fan: Part two of season five isn't going to be released until November 10, so there's still some time before you'll be able to stream the cowboy drama on Paramount Plus.
July is a good month for new Paramount Plus Originals coming to the platform, with the drama Memory, cartoon series Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, reality shows Big Brother and RuPaul's Drag Race, and two new docuseries – I'm not Broken and Mafia Spies – premiering throughout the month. However, there's also been a lot of change at the service. From announcing an incoming price hike to finally agreeing to merge with long-time partner Skydance, the company is set to embark on a new chapter that will likely mean some changes to its streaming service.
Is Paramount Plus worth subscribing to?
Paramount Plus doesn't switch up its library as often as rivals but it's still adding new movies and shows each month, and July is no different with a new original called Memory, alongside series Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, Big Brother, RuPaul's Drag Race, and two new docuseries – I'm not Broken and Mafia Spies. If these are enough to draw you in then you won't be disappointed as it's also adding a load of great classics, including these four movies with over 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and five shows with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Paramount Plus has been a streaming service in flux. With the exception of Netflix, it is one of the oldest streamers around, having launched back in 2014 as CBS All Access (it was later rebranded to Paramount Plus in 2021), and has scaled its offering quickly, attracting more than 60 million subscribers thanks to the success of Star Trek and Yellowstone. It's existing original content like this that mostly makes up the best Paramount Plus shows and movies, and that means it's a bit limited in terms of its catalog, especially since it started removing multiple shows from its platform at the start of 2024 to help keep its business lean.
That cost-cutting approach, which has seen it raise subscription prices two years in a row since 2022 and combine its Showtime platform with Paramount Plus to condense spending (Showtime stopped streaming in April 2024), could be set to change though, after it merged with its longtime partner on blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick and Star Trek Into Darkness, Skydance in July 2024. While nothing is certain about what could change, it is likely that we'll see a fresh approach outlined, despite Paramount's chair Shari Redstone declaring at the time that content would remain king.
While our pick of the best Paramount Plus movies makes for an impressive list, it doesn't have the biggest range in the industry. In the US, it has the second smallest movie catalog (only Apple TV Plus has less) at 803 titles, based on Reelgood data from 2023, which is half as many as it had in 2022. The number of series available, on the other hand, has largely stayed the same and was at 752 in 2023, and includes originals like Tulsa King, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Castaways, Special Ops: Lioness, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, and Mayors of Kingstown, which you can stream in 4K and Dolby Atmos with its premium plan.
