The best all-round cable replacement: broad channels, unlimited DVR and reliable apps.
Good Unlimited cloud DVR and Strong local-channel coverage
Watch out Price has climbed over time
Read the full YouTube TV review →
Visit official siteOpens YouTube TV’s official site
The cheapest way into live sports and news, with a build-your-own channel approach.
Good Lowest starting price of the major services and Add-ons let you customize your lineup
Watch out Limited local (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX) coverage
Read the full Sling TV review →
Visit official siteOpens Sling TV’s official site
The sports fan's pick, with the deepest lineup and the most simultaneous streams.
Good Strong sports and local coverage and Up to 10 simultaneous streams
Watch out Higher starting price
Visit official siteOpens FuboTV’s official site
The most cable-like service, and the strongest for regional sports networks.
Good Carries regional sports networks and Unlimited in-home streams
Watch out Highest starting price of the group
Read the full DirecTV Stream review →
Visit official siteOpens DirecTV Stream’s official site
The cheapest live TV anywhere, built around family and lifestyle channels.
Good Cheapest live TV available and Family-friendly focus
Watch out Small, niche lineup
Read the full Frndly TV review →
Visit official siteOpens Frndly TV’s official site
Unbeatable value for entertainment and lifestyle channels if you can skip sports.
Good Very low price and Unlimited cloud DVR
Watch out No sports networks
Visit official siteOpens Philo’s official site
The best free option: hundreds of ad-supported live channels plus on-demand, no signup.
Good Completely free and No account required
Watch out Ad-supported
The on-demand benchmark: the widest mix of originals and licensed shows, now with a cheaper ad tier.
Good Largest slate of originals and Cheaper ad-supported tier
Watch out No live TV
Read the full Netflix review →
Visit official siteOpens Netflix’s official site
Unbeatable for family content, and bundles with Hulu and ESPN+ for extra value.
Good Best for families and Bundles with Hulu and ESPN+
Watch out No live TV
Read the full Disney+ review →
Visit official siteOpens Disney+’s official site
| Service | Our score | From /mo | Free trial | Streams | Cloud DVR | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sling TV | 8.6 | $40 | None (occasional promos) | 1 (Orange) / 3 (Blue) | 50 hours included | you want the cheapest route into live sports and news and don't rely on local broadcast channels everywhere |
| FuboTV | 9.0 | $80 | 7 days | Up to 10 at home | Unlimited (varies by plan) | you want a sports-heavy lineup with a high channel count and lots of simultaneous streams |
| YouTube TV | 9.3 | $83 | Varies | 3 | Unlimited | you want a broad, mainstream lineup with unlimited DVR and reliable local channels in most areas |
| Hulu + Live TV | 9.0 | $83 | Varies | 2 (unlimited add-on) | Unlimited | you want live TV bundled with a huge on-demand library plus Disney+ and ESPN+ |
| DirecTV Stream | 8.7 | $87 | 5 days | Unlimited at home | Unlimited | you want a cable-like experience with regional sports networks and unlimited in-home streams |
| Philo | 8.4 | $28 | 7 days | 3 | Unlimited (1 year) | you mostly watch entertainment and lifestyle channels and want to pay as little as possible |
| Frndly TV | 8.2 | $8 | 7 days | 2 to 4 (by plan) | Available on higher tiers | you want family-friendly and lifestyle channels like Hallmark and The Weather Channel for a rock-bottom price |
| Vidgo | 7.6 | $60 | Varies | 3 | Limited | you want English or Spanish-language entertainment plus some sports without a contract |
| Xfinity NOW TV | 7.4 | $20 | Varies | 2 | 20 hours | you want a cheap live-TV starter bundle that also includes Peacock Premium |
Prices are starting monthly prices seen at last review and exclude taxes/fees. Always confirm the current price and channel lineup on the provider’s site.
The cheapest way into live sports and news, with a build-your-own channel approach.
Good Lowest starting price of the major services and Add-ons let you customize your lineup
Watch out Limited local (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX) coverage
Read the full Sling TV review →
Visit official siteOpens Sling TV’s official site
The sports fan's pick, with the deepest lineup and the most simultaneous streams.
Good Strong sports and local coverage and Up to 10 simultaneous streams
Watch out Higher starting price
Visit official siteOpens FuboTV’s official site
The best all-round cable replacement: broad channels, unlimited DVR and reliable apps.
Good Unlimited cloud DVR and Strong local-channel coverage
Watch out Price has climbed over time
Read the full YouTube TV review →
Visit official siteOpens YouTube TV’s official site
Live TV plus a huge on-demand library and the Disney bundle in one subscription.
Good Includes Disney+ and ESPN+ and Massive on-demand catalog
Watch out Only two streams by default
Read the full Hulu + Live TV review →
Visit official siteOpens Hulu + Live TV’s official site
The most cable-like service, and the strongest for regional sports networks.
Good Carries regional sports networks and Unlimited in-home streams
Watch out Highest starting price of the group
Read the full DirecTV Stream review →
Visit official siteOpens DirecTV Stream’s official site
Unbeatable value for entertainment and lifestyle channels if you can skip sports.
Good Very low price and Unlimited cloud DVR
Watch out No sports networks
Visit official siteOpens Philo’s official site
The cheapest live TV anywhere, built around family and lifestyle channels.
Good Cheapest live TV available and Family-friendly focus
Watch out Small, niche lineup
Read the full Frndly TV review →
Visit official siteOpens Frndly TV’s official site
A contract-free pick with strong English and Spanish-language entertainment.
Good Good Spanish-language options and No contract
Watch out Weaker DVR than rivals
Visit official siteOpens Vidgo’s official site
A cheap starter bundle that throws in Peacock Premium.
Good Low price and Includes Peacock Premium
Watch out Small channel lineup
Read the full Xfinity NOW TV review →
Visit official siteOpens Xfinity NOW TV’s official site
Free, ad-supported services are a great way to cut costs or supplement a paid plan. They carry ads and lack premium cable networks, but the selection is broad.
The best free option: hundreds of ad-supported live channels plus on-demand, no signup.
Good Completely free and No account required
Watch out Ad-supported
A huge grid of free live channels that feels the most like traditional channel-surfing.
Good Large free channel grid and No signup
Watch out Ad breaks
The best free on-demand library, with a growing set of live news and sports channels.
Good Big free on-demand library and Some live channels
Watch out Ad-supported
A solid free live-and-on-demand service, widely built into Xumo-powered TVs.
Good Free live and on-demand and No account needed
Watch out Ads
Free live channels and movies that work well beyond Roku devices, including the web and phones.
Good Free live and on-demand and Works beyond Roku devices
Watch out Ad-supported
On-demand services aren’t live-TV replacements, but most cord-cutters add one for movies and originals.
An affordable add-on for NBC shows, Premier League and select live sports.
Good Affordable and Carries some live sports
Watch out Not a full live-TV replacement
Read the full Peacock review →
Visit official siteOpens Peacock’s official site
A budget add-on with real sports value from NFL on CBS and Champions League.
Good Affordable and Live CBS sports and shows
Watch out Not a live-TV replacement
Read the full Paramount+ review →
Visit official siteOpens Paramount+’s official site
The premium home of HBO and Max originals, best added on top of a live service.
Good Premium HBO originals and Deep film catalog
Watch out Not a live-TV service by default
Visit official siteOpens Max’s official site
The on-demand benchmark: the widest mix of originals and licensed shows, now with a cheaper ad tier.
Good Largest slate of originals and Cheaper ad-supported tier
Watch out No live TV
Read the full Netflix review →
Visit official siteOpens Netflix’s official site
Unbeatable for family content, and bundles with Hulu and ESPN+ for extra value.
Good Best for families and Bundles with Hulu and ESPN+
Watch out No live TV
Read the full Disney+ review →
Visit official siteOpens Disney+’s official site
Great value if you have Prime, with a big catalog and add-on channels in one app.
Good Included with Prime and Large catalog
Watch out Ads unless you pay more
Read the full Prime Video review →
Visit official siteOpens Prime Video’s official site
A small but high-quality slate of originals; best value inside the Apple ecosystem.
Good High-quality originals and Great value
Watch out Small catalog
Read the full Apple TV+ review →
Visit official siteOpens Apple TV+’s official site
A movie- and original-focused add-on, often available within other apps.
Good Strong movie lineup and Mature originals
Watch out No general live TV
Visit official siteOpens Starz’s official site
Not sure which channels you need? Use the channel finder to shortlist services that carry them.
We rank each service on the factors that shape your everyday experience, not marketing claims:
We only feature licensed services, and we re-check prices and lineups on a regular schedule. Prices are starting prices seen at our last review — always confirm the current price and channel lineup on the provider’s site.
These do the comparison work for you:
YouTube TV is our best overall pick for its broad channel lineup, unlimited cloud DVR and reliable apps. The best choice for you depends on your channels and budget: Sling TV is the best value, FuboTV is best for sports, and Frndly TV is the cheapest.
Sling Freestream leads the free options with 400+ ad-supported channels plus on-demand and no signup. Pluto TV is a strong alternative with a cable-style channel grid. Free services carry ads and lack premium cable networks.
We compare each service on the channels most households watch, sports coverage, cloud DVR, simultaneous streams, device support, reliability and price, and we re-check the details regularly. We only feature licensed services, and we re-check the details regularly.
Several paid services offer free trials, though length and availability change. Use a trial to confirm the channel lineup and app on your own TV before committing, and start with our channel finder to shortlist services that carry your channels.
Start with the channel finder to shortlist services that carry your channels, then pick your winner.