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Best Streaming Services in UK 2023
Table of Contents
If you’re searching for the top 10 streaming services, you’ve come to the right place. This comprehensive guide provides insights into the best websites that offer a wide variety of content, featuring high-quality pictures to help you decide which movie or show is perfect for you.
However, keep in mind that some streaming services in UK might face geo-restrictions. To access these websites and unlock their amazing content in European countries, consider purchasing a premium VPN like ExpressVPN.
The below table is the answer to what are the best streaming services with valuable information about subscription plans and simultaneous screening. While aiding you in making informed choices while exploring the best streaming services in UK , even with geo-restrictions.
| Streaming Service | Subscription Plans | Simultaneous Screens |
| Amazon Prime Video | £5.99 per month | 3 |
| Apple TV Plus | £4.99 per month | 6 |
| Disney Plus | £7.99 per month | 4 |
| Netflix | £6.99 per month | 1 to 4 |
| NOW TV | £9.99 per month | 2 |
| BritBox | £5.99 per month | 5 |
| Hayu | £4.99 per month | – |
| Channel 4 | Free of cost | – |
| Channel 5 | Free of cost | – |
| BBC iPlayer | Free of cost | – |
Still confused to choose the streaming services according to you? Don`t worry we are here to help you. Here is the complete guide for you
What are the Best Streaming Services in UK 2023?
Below is the list of best streaming services.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is one of the best streaming services because it contains a variety of amazing content and a library. They are also giving a good user experience like the new subscriber can get a free trial for the first 30 days. If you don’t find it interesting then you can also discontinue your membership before the end of the free trial.
You won’t find any better original content anywhere than this channel. Movies, TV series, and creative content are all on the menu. Good Omens, Fleabag, The Boys, Jericho, and The Walking Dead are some of its top programs. Amazon Prime is a no-brainer for online shoppers, offering free two-day shipping, a free Kindle book monthly, and unlimited access to Amazon Music and Prime Video on a yearly subscription.
Despite having a lesser library than its rivals, Amazon Prime Video still lets you buy or rent movies. In contrast to Netflix, it has fewer series and updates its content more slowly.
Specifications
- Starting Price: £5.99 per month or £79 per year
- Live TV: No
- Simultaneous Streams: 3
- Exclusive Originals: Yes
- Resolution Quality: 4k
- Compatible Devices: iPad, iPhone, Fire tablet, Fire T.V., Xfinity X1, Smart T.V.s, Apple T.V., Roku, and Blu-ray players.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Wide variety of content | Not available on all platforms |
| Prime Benefits | App not working properly |
| Amazon original content | Extra charges for some service |
Apple TV Plus
Among the best streaming services in UK is Apple TV. Apple TV Plus offer you a 7-day free trial before the permanent subscription and numerous quality content at a budget-friendly price. The award-winning shows and original content air new seasons to be top on streaming platforms. The service is available on different apple devices like Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, and Mac so you can enjoy your show.
Shrinking, the latest hit Apple TV Plus show starring Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, and Harrison Ford, is receiving acclaim from the minds behind Ted Lasso. However, the recent Apple TV Plus price increase is less than ideal news for subscribers.
Some of the best content that is streaming top on Apple Tv plus is slow horses, bad sisters, Physical, shining girls, and many more. The Velvet Underground, Spirited, Causeway, and The Tragedy of Macbeth are a few of the original shows that will soon be available on Apple TV.
Specifications
- Starting Price: £4.99 per month
- Simultaneous Streams: 6
- Live TV: No
- Exclusive Originals: Yes
- Resolution: 1080p
- Platforms and Devices: Roku, Amazon Fire T.V., Pads, iPhones, AppleTV, Chromecast with Google T.V., Android T.V.s, Panasonic T.V., Sony T.V.s, Samsung T.V.s, Vizio smart T.V.s, Xbox One/Series, web browsers, and Android devices.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Low cost: £4.99 per month | fewer shows than the major rivals |
| Greater emphasis on music documentaries | Both the browser and the app could be improved. |
| Quality content |
Disney Plus
Disney dominates the best streaming services category. In the UK Disney plus is a well-liked platform that has a wide range of movies and TV shows. Disney wields a vast array of properties, including Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, Disney’s animated classics, and The Simpsons.
It also has excellent family-oriented shows The Mandalorian, Ladu and the Tramp, Noella, and Marvel’s Hero Project. They also have parental controls on the website so they can see what their children are watching. While the recent Disney Plus price hike has increased the subscription, a new ad-free plan is now available for those who prefer the current price.
Specification
- Price: £7.99 per month or £79.90 per year
- Live TV: No
- Simultaneous Streams: 4
- Exclusive Originals: 4
- Resolution Quality: 1080p and 4k
- Compatible Devices: Roku, Fire Tablets and Amazon FireTV, Chromecast, Roku, Android, iPad, iOS, Apple T.V., Android T.V., XBOX, PlayStation 4, Sony Android T.V.s, Samsung and L.G. devices, and Chromebooks.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| A lot of widely-read stuff | Unstreamlined content organization |
| Outstanding Disney Plus Originals | Higher costs don’t correspond to the content |
Netflix
The pioneer continues to hold a prominent position on our list of the best streaming services. The most widely used streaming service is Netflix, which has over 220 million users. It is a popular streaming service both in the UK and beyond.
Its television and movie offerings are remarkable, and originals like The Crown, Stranger Things, Orange is the New Black, Lupin, and BoJack Horseman are one of them.
Additionally, Netflix creates its own original films, which are typically of a top notch and well-liked by critics. A superb range of documentaries and stand-up comedy specials are also available on UK Netflix. There is always something new to watch thanks to Netflix’s ongoing content releases.
Most people have Netflix subscriptions because of the large number of titles available. However, given that other outstanding services are offered at reasonable prices, some people wonder if Netflix is worth it given its recent price increase. Netflix introduced a new ad-supported plan at an affordable price point, while it appears that the ad-free Netflix Basic plan is being phased out, as it recently disappeared in Canada.
Specifications
- Starting Price: £6.99 per month
- Live TV: No
- Simultaneous Streams: 1 – 4
- Exclusive Originals: Yes
- Resolution Quality: 4k
- Compatible Devices: Web Browsers, iOS, Android, Chromecast, Apple T.V., Nvidia Shield, Fire T.V., Roku, PS4, XBOX, Smart T.V.s, and assorted set-top boxes.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Improved Features and Interface | costly premium package |
| Excellent Choice | Regular content reorganization Titles are not kept for very long. |
Now TV
Now TV offers numerous titles that have won awards and supports two simultaneous streaming. On the website, you can choose the membership you want and upgrade it at any time to NOW Boost.
With the ad-free NOW Boost package, you can use 3 devices at once to stream video in full HD. It has a lot of live and on-demand entertainment. The UK’s Now TV service offers a 7-day free trial.
Similar to Amazon, Hayu is accessible through NOW and boasts a vast library of over 8000 episodes of popular US reality shows, including Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
You have the option to cancel your subscription at any time on the site. Up to 6 devices can be registered under one account, and you can download series and movies to view them offline. Must-watch titles on this platform include Justice League, Unhinged, and Promising Young Woman. Although the 720p resolution of the content is not the best if you subscribe to NOW BOOST to 1080p for better resolution.
Specification
- Price: £9.99 per month
- Live TV: Yes
- Simultaneous Streams: 2 (NOW Boost allows 3)
- Exclusive Originals: Yes
- Resolution Quality: 480p
- Compatible Devices: Samsung T.V., L.G. T.V., Apple T.V., PS4&5, Roku, Chromecast, iOS, Android, mac, P.C., and Xbox One.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| best American television shows and film’s | simultaneous streams need to be improved. |
| Flexible schedules | Show frequently disappear from the website |
| The user interface for registering numerous devices | streaming by default in 720p |
Britbox
BBC studios and ITV plc introduce a British TV platform called Britbox. It offers shows like The Dry, The Long Call, Sister Boniface Mysteries, and Hotel Portofino. The streaming content of movies and shows differs in different regions like the UK, Canada, and the USA. For classic British boxsets, BritBox is the best streaming service in UK. The best quality of BritBox is that video streaming speed is quick and also has old British shows. They also offer a 7-day free trial and you can cancel your subscription anytime if you want to without any charges.
Specification
- Price: £5.99 per month or £59.99 per year
- Live TV: Yes, only on the browser
- Simultaneous Streams: 5
- Exclusive Originals: Yes
- Resolution Quality: 1080p
- Compatible Devices: Brit T.V. Box, YouView, Amazon Fire T.V., Smart T.V.s, iOS, Android, and PC
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| British television shows from the past | Exclusive limited editions |
| Budget-friendly | Unable to work on consoles |
| Multiple streams |
Hayu
Hayu is a streaming service targeted at fans of reality TV. You can access thousands of movies and hundreds of reality shows using this service. Real Housewives, Top Chef, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and Million Dollar Listings are just a few of the well-known Television shows available on Hayu.
Hayu also offers its standalone subscription, and you can try it out with a complimentary one-month free trial.
Additionally, there are a number of real crime television shows, including Below Deck, Vanderpump Rules, Buried in the Backyard, Ice Cold Blood, and Snapped. Hayu is an excellent alternative if you enjoy reality television and all the excitement.
Specification
- Price: £4.99 per month
- Live TV: No
- Simultaneous Streams: No
- Exclusive Originals: No
- Resolution: 1080p
- Compatible Devices: iOS, Apple TV, Fetch devices, as well as Telstra T.V., Android T.V.s,
- Amazon Fire T.V., Xbox, Samsung T.V.s, L.G. T.V.s, and Roku
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| 7 days free trail | No reality shows |
| No commercials and cheap streaming | No simultaneously steaming |
| Offline downloads |
Channel 4
If you want to stream old classic shows, All 4 is the place to go. With all the on-demand video content available for free, it is the best free streaming service in the UK.
The majority of the movies have adverts but are free to watch. Therefore, you must pay for Channel 4 if you don’t want to see advertisements. It provides material from Walter Presents, All 4, E4, Channel 4, and Channel 4.
The majority of streaming platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows, and Smart TV, offer access to the All 4 app. Moreover, the LG TV’s built-in browser makes it simple to download and watch Channel 4. Combining it with BBC iPlayer is a smart choice because you may access a wide range of content without spending any money.
Specification
- Starting Price: Free of charge
- Live TV: No
- Simultaneous Streams: –
- Exclusive Originals: No
- Resolution Quality: 720p
- Compatible Devices: iOS, Android, Roku, Apple T.V., Samsung TV, YouView, Smart T.V., BT TV Box, Fire T.V., Sky Q, Xbox, PlayStation, P.C.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Excellent content | Streaming is interrupted by advertisement |
| The video can be downloaded for free | |
| Quality content |
Channel 5
Channel 5 is among the on-demand streaming services in UK in which different trendy shows that are on-demand are streaming and it is free to access. It is also called My5 where you can watch on-demand shows like Friends, The Walking Dead, and The X Files. You are required to register to get access to diverse media content. The channel 5 family includes Channel 5, 5Star, 5USA, 5SELECT, and 5ACTION and it will be all free. The compatibility of channel 5 is amazing because it is accessible to any device.
Specifications
- Starting Price: Free of charge
- Live TV: Yes
- Simultaneous Streams: –
- Exclusive Originals: Yes
- Resolution Quality: 480p
- Compatible Devices: Freesat, Freeview, Roku boxes and streaming sticks, Amazon Fire T.V. sticks, iOS (Apple) and Android smartphones and tablets, Android T.V.s, Apple T.V.s, PS4, Sony Android T.V.s, Samsung T.V.s, and Blu-ray players.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Free subscription | Geo blocked |
| On-demand videos and movies | No HD option |
| Live TV | Outage is frequent |
BBC iPlayer
If you are looking for all the content in one website like movies, on-demand TV shows, documentaries, and live events then BBC iPlayer is the best option for you. They are offering services free of charge but if you’re traveling outside the UK you can use VPN to access the content.
BBC iPlayer focuses on the original content like news, and sports coverage without the advertisement. Some of the events you can watch on it are Worldcup, the Olympics and much more. You can watch BBC iPlayer on a wide range of devices, including Windows 10 devices, Android 5.0 and higher, iOS 7 and higher, and Amazon Fire with Fire OS 5 or higher. On BBC iPlayer, shows are typically removed from the service shortly after broadcasting, but they often return as box sets at a later time.
Specifications
- Starting Price: Free of charge with a BBC account
- Live TV: Yes
- Simultaneous Streams: Unlimited. Requires no account.
- Exclusive Originals: Yes
- Resolution Quality: 720p
- Compatible Devices: P.C. (Windows 10 and above), BlackBerry 10, Amazon Fire, Android 5.0 and above, iOS 7 and above, selected Smart T.V.s, etc.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Free with BBC account | Covers only BBC programs |
| Wide range of content and live events | No HD option |
Wrap Up
In conclusion, for those in the UK seeking the best streaming services, this guide offers a comprehensive overview of top-notch options. Discover a wide array of content with high-quality pictures, allowing you to make informed decisions on your preferred movies and shows. Although some streaming services may face geo-restrictions, utilizing a premium VPN like ExpressVPN can unlock access to incredible content in European countries. Explore the best streaming services in UK, find your favorites, and elevate your entertainment experience with ease.
