15 Top Alternatives to Cable TV (So You Can Finally Cut The Cord)

Expensive cable packages can seriously deplete your budget and financial goals. Thankfully, there are several great streaming services that are excellent alternatives to cable TV.

Basic packages can be affordable. However, once you start adding in all of the bells and whistles, things get costly. Are you ready to reduce expenses and help your budget by cutting the cord to cable TV?

Top Cable TV Alternatives

Here are some of the best alternatives to Cable TV if you’re ready to cut the cord. Many of these streaming services offer a wider selection of viewing choices than traditional TV. However, they’re also much more affordable.

1. Sling TV

Sling TV is a great alternative to cable because it requires no rental equipment and does not charge installation fees. You can stream shows from your TV, tablet, phone, or computer.

Another nice thing about Sling TV is that it offers customers several viewing options. For instance, there is the Sling Orange package.

It currently costs $20 for the first month and $40 thereafter. They offer 30+ channels. The package includes ESPN1, 2, and 3, HGTV, and one of my personal favorites: the Food Network.

They also offer the Sling Blue package. It currently provides over 45 channels and costs just $20 for the first month and $40 a month thereafter.

Blue offers different channels than the Orange package. Some inclusions are Fox Sports and NBC Sports Network, Bravo, AMC, Cartoon Network, and the History Channel. However, some channels are the same.

Note: Local channels are only available in select markets with Sling TV.

Learn More: Sling TV Review

2. Philo

Philo is a streaming service that offers over 60 channels for just $25 per month. It also offers unlimited DVR and no contracts.

Some of the channels Philo offers include:

A&E and AMC
BET and Comedy Central
The Hallmark Channel
MTV, MTV Classic, and MTV Live
HGTV and The Cooking Channel

And dozens of others. You can add on movie channels like Starz for an additional monthly charge. This streaming service offers a 7-day free trial, and you can cancel anytime.

If you are evaluating multiple streaming services, Philo’s trial can help you determine if this is one of the best alternatives to cable.

Learn More: Philo Review

3. Hulu

Hulu’s streaming service packages are most similar to Netflix’s (which we’ll talk about next). But it also has some cool features you won’t find with Netflix.

Hulu’s basic $9.99 per month package lets you view all the movies in the library. You can also watch complete episodes of many popular TV shows. For $1 more, you can add Disney+.

One downside of Hulu’s $9.99 package is that you’ll view your shows with commercials. However, for $18.99 monthly, you can view TV episodes commercial-free. The smaller package includes current TV shows, classic favorites, kids’ shows, Hulu originals, and more.

Hulu also offers its Hulu With Live TV package. This package includes everything Hulu Basic includes. The cost? $77 per month, which is a little closer to the cable TV package price.

This is a live TV streaming service that allows you to stream over 50 of the top live and on-demand TV channels. This package includes sports channels, news, and entertainment.

It includes popular cable channels such as:

The History Channel
HGTV
The Golf Channel
ESPN1, 2, and ESPN News
Fox News and Fox Sports 1 and 2
FX, FMX, and FXX
The National Geographic channel
Oxygen
Disney and Disney Junior

Relevant article: Hulu VS Hulu Plus: Which is Better?

4. Paramount Plus

Paramount Plus is a streaming service that offers over 30,000 TV shows and movies. You can find selections from popular cable channels such as Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Paramount Pictures, exclusive series shows, and more.

As of this writing, Paramount Plus offers the Essential and Premium plans. The Essential Plan costs $5.99 per month, or you can pay $71.99 per year. Note that the Essential Plan does not include any CBS local channels.

However, you can watch NFL football aired on CBS via a separate live feed. Paramount Plus’ Premium Plan costs $11.99 per month or $143.89 per year. This commercial-free plan includes CBS local channels.

Note that the Premium plan will air commercials when you’re watching a live TV stream.

5. Netflix

Netflix is one of the more popular streaming services available as an alternative to cable TV. They offer three packages starting at $6.99 per month: $6.99 for the Basic plan, $15.49 for the Standard plan, and $22.99 for the Premium plan.

Netflix currently offers over 10,000 movies and TV shows to viewers. But the real draw for many seems to be its original TV series offerings. The company boasts of the more popular exclusive TV series, such as The Good Place, House of Cards, and Orange Is the New Black.

They’re also backing the Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot released this year. We’ve been subscribing to Netflix for about three years now, and we’ve been reasonably satisfied with our time there.

They have a decent selection of movies and TV shows in a wide range of genres, so they will keep you entertained if you decide to cut the cable TV cord. If I had anything negative to say about Netflix, it would be that the movie choices are pretty average. They don’t offer many super exciting choices.

6. Peacock

When it comes to cable alternatives, Peacock TV is NBC’s answer to the streaming craze. Basic Peacock is free when you sign up with your email—they don’t even ask for a credit card!

With Peacock’s streaming service, you can access streaming movies from major Hollywood studios such as DreamWorks and Universal. You can also watch thousands of episodes of current and classic TV shows.

They’ve got kids’ shows, too, such as Where’s Waldo? and Curious George. Sports and News lineups round out your viewing options.

Peacock Premium is an upgraded plan offered by NBC. For $5.99 per month, you get access to even more content and limited ads. Peacock Premium Plus costs an additional $6 per month and allows you to watch ad-free.

7. YouTube TV

You’ve likely watched hundreds of videos on YouTube absolutely free of charge. However, YouTube also has YouTube TV, one of the most popular live TV streaming services that offers premium viewing.

YouTube TV is one of the best cable alternatives. It offers 85+ channels of sports, entertainment, news, and more.

For $50.99 for the first three months, then $72.99 thereafter, you can watch live streaming of channels such as:

NFL Network
Comedy Central
AFC
The Food Network
TNT
BET
Cartoon Network

Like cable, YouTube TV allows you to record and save shows for up to nine months for your viewing pleasure. YouTube TV is straightforward to use and access, allowing all family members to enjoy.

8. Prime Video

Prime Video is a free streaming service when you purchase Amazon Prime. What’s better is that Amazon Prime is only $139 a year. For non-prime members, you can pay $8.99 every month for just Prime Video.

You’re probably better off getting the entire Prime package. This is because it comes with a host of benefits such as free two-day shipping.

Some categories include:

Popular movies
Various sporting shows
Amazon original shows
Popular TV shows
Documentaries
Kids’ TV and movies
Classic movies
Exercise and fitness shows and movies

The streaming service also offers other genres such as Faith and Family movies and Award Winning Short Films. The Amazon Instant Video streaming service is currently boasting over 18,000 movies and 2,000 TV shows.

That’s a hefty offering compared to Netflix’s combined 10,000 available movies and TV shows. Amazon Prime is one of the best cable TV alternatives. Additionally, during football season, Prime will show football games on Thursday night.

Bonus: If you take advantage of Amazon Instant Video by purchasing Amazon Prime, you’ll get other benefits. For example, you’ll get on-demand, ad-free music streaming.

9. Disney+

With Disney+, you can stream everything related to Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. Disney+ also offers exclusive movies, series, and documentaries.

The Duo Basic costs $10.99 per month and includes Disney+ and Hulu with Ads. It costs $19.99 per month if you want both services but don’t want to watch commercials. One cool thing about Disney+ is that it lets you download titles and keeps them downloaded for as long as you’re an active member.

The streaming service also grants unlimited downloads for up to ten devices as long as your devices have space. You can stream up to four devices at a time while using Disney+.

Disney+ is compatible with several devices, including Apple and Android phones, Amazon Fire TV, and Sony PlayStation 5.

10. fuboTV

fuboTV offers cable channel options without the cable TV price. The streaming giant calls itself “the perfect mix of sports and entertainment.” fuboTV has three plans to choose from. The fuboTV Pro package offers 124 channels plus hundreds of sporting events and costs just $74.99 per month.

Fubo has four packages:

Pro ($74.99 per month) – Includes 169 channels
Elite ($84.99 per month) – Includes 244 channels, plus extra News and Fubo channels
Ultimate ($99.99 per month) – Includes 287 channels, plus extra News and Fubo channels, Showtime, and Sports Plus
Latino ($24.99 per month) – 58 channels

11. ESPN+

If you’re a sports fan, you might want to sign up for ESPN+. EPSN+ offers live sports viewing and ESPN originals.

With ESPN+, you can watch football, baseball, golf, basketball, soccer, tennis, combat, and more. ESPN+ is priced at $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year.

Sporadic bundle offerings can get you streaming on Hulu, Disney, or other partners for a slightly higher monthly premium. This is the perfect cable TV alternative for the avid sports fans in your house.

12. DirecTV

DirecTV is a pioneer in satellite TV, but now offers streaming services. For $69.99 per month (The Entertainment Package), you can access many offerings from DirecTV. You can choose live viewing of up to 160 channels from over 80,000 streaming titles.

Choose from popular cable channels such as:

A&E
FXM and FXX
Game Show Network
Hallmark Channel
Golf Channel

And a long list of sports channels. If you sign up right now, you can get discounted prices and cash bonuses. DirecTV offers three other packages as well, which offer a larger viewing selection, but the prices are steeper, and you could pay as much as $150 a month.

13. Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is a cable TV alternative for those who enjoy Apple Originals. The Apple Originals collection is limited to several dozen shows.

A far cry from Netflix and Hulu’s thousands of selections. However, Apple promises a new series of shows every month. In its newest venture, Apple TV+ is offering live streaming of Friday night MLB baseball.

Apple TV+ is an affordable luxury, available for $9.99 per month ad-free. It can be watched on any Apple device. Apple TV+ comes with a free 7-day trial. When you buy a new Apple device, look for specials for three-month free trials.

14. Frndly TV

Frndly TV claims they offer some of the most affordable live TV programming, and at only $6.99/month, we can’t argue.

It offers 40+ LIVE streaming channels and many on-demand services and DVR services. Some of the most popular channels include:

A&E
Hallmark Channel
The HISTORY channel
The Weather Channel
Outdoor channel
Sportsman Channel
QVC
Many more

There are 1,000+ on-demand movies and shows, plus the LIVE streaming options. You can watch Frndly TV on most devices, including FireTV, Roku, Android TV, Apple TV, and IOS mobile apps.

Frndly TV also offers unlimited DVR hours and 72-hour lookback, giving you 72 hours to watch a show after it’s aired. With the premium plan, you can keep any shows you record for nine months and multiple movies and shows at once.

It offers three services:

Basic – $6.99/month – Live and on-demand TV, and watch on a single TV
Classic – $8.99/month – HD TV, watch on two screens simultaneously, unlimited DVR, recordings stay for three months
Premium – $10.99/month – Watch on four screens at once, have unlimited DVR, and keep recordings for nine months

15. HD Antenna

Along with the streaming options mentioned above, there are other cable TV alternatives. You might be amazed at how many channels you can view without a cable package by simply hooking up an HD antenna in your home.

Using a site called Antenna Web, I looked up our rural area address. I discovered that we could access up to 55 channels if we installed an HD antenna at least 30 feet above the ground. For free!

Then I checked an urban zip code in our state. Antenna Web said installing an HD antenna would give them 73 channels!

Not everyone can install an HD antenna 30 feet above their house or apartment. However, even lower-level apartment TV viewers can add several channels to their viewing choices by using other types of high-definition antennas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions when it comes to alternatives to cable.

What is the correct antenna to use?

When you shop for antennas, you’ll find three descriptions: directional, multi-directional, or omnidirectional. A directional antenna works best if all of the broadcasting stations near you are near each other.

Most of the time indoor models work fine as long as you meet one criterion. Your home must be located within twenty miles of broadcasting stations.

If you are further away than that, an outdoor antenna would be best. An outdoor antenna will likely give you the best viewing results even if you’re close to stations.

What is the cheapest way to watch TV?

The least expensive way to watch TV is at your local library (100% free). After the cost of hardware installation, your next best option is a digital antenna. Other minimal-cost options are inexpensive streaming services.

Depending on the sports season and what you’re currently binge-watching, you can mix and match subscriptions to keep costs down.

Is there a substitute for cable TV?

Yes, there are options. Streaming devices and sticks offer viable cable TV alternatives. Roku, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV are the most popular.

Compare prices and offers to see what works best for your shows and needs. HD Antennas are a great option as well.

Summary

There are many alternatives to cable TV if you want to watch your favorite shows or movies without having a cable or satellite package. Consider checking out your favorite TV stations online at their channel websites or browsing YouTube. You may find episodes and movies they broadcast for free or a small fee online.

Or for a more substantial viewing menu, consider signing up for one of the streaming services mentioned above. Most of them come with a free trial, anywhere from seven days to thirty days long. And many don’t require you to sign a contract. You can stop or start the service as you please. Free trials are a great start to finding alternatives to cable TV.

We’ve been using streaming services like Netflix and Hulu for nearly six years now. They fit our viewing needs, and we have no desire to go back to paying for a cable TV or satellite package.

Are you considering canceling your cable TV subscription to find cheaper ways to watch your favorite shows and movies? If so, there is a good chance that one of the best cable TV alternatives mentioned above will be right for you.

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