Article updated on August 15, 2024 at 7:40 AM PDT
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement
Yes, subscription fatigue is real, but it's a fact of modern life that to get the content you want, you'll need to subscribe to a service. Or two, or four, or twenty, depending on how much stuff you want and how much you can afford to shell out every month. So the next question becomes: What are the best services to subscribe to?
We've got you. Below you'll find all of our favorite services for TV, movies, music and gaming. We've also listed our favorite VPNs, which are specialized services that can protect your privacy and unlock streaming content that's blocked because of your location.
As always, our expert editors have tested and compared everything on this list hands-on to arrive at our top recommendations. Only the best of the best earn the Editors' Choice, and we'll explain exactly why we love this stuff -- and why you will too.
– David Katzmaier, Senior Director of Content
Editorial Director -- Personal Tech
Streaming services for TV and movies
In 2024 you'll find plenty of choices in streaming services that deliver new (and familiar) TV shows and movies, but three rise to the top. One is our favorite service overall, another offers a massive collection of family- and fan-friendly content and our final pick is a must-have for anime enthusiasts. All offer discounts (or even free content) if you're willing to put up with ads, and you can always pay more for ad-free and premium features.
Netflix
★ Multi-year award winner
Who is it best for?
Viewers looking for new content to watch every week, whether it’s a nostalgic TV series from the past, a Netflix original production or licensed titles owned by outside networks like HBO, USA or NBC.
Our favorite thing
It’s hard to beat Netflix’s extensive catalog with content that spans multiple age groups, genres and geographical regions. Its diverse library keeps feeding audiences with originals like Squid Game, Bridgerton, Baby Reindeer, Arcane, Wednesday and Supacell. But its lineup of pre-school content, reality shows, and international titles consistently offers variety, and thanks to deals with studios such as Sony and Warner Bros., subscribers also get newer theatrical releases like Godzilla Minus One or Aquaman 2, and HBO faves like Warrior and Sex and the City.
Why we love it
In addition to offering video games, live events and a vast assortment of content, Netflix’s interface is one of the most reliably user-friendly experiences in the game. From search to watch list reminders to its recommendation engine, it’s smooth and intuitive. We like that you can delete titles from your Continue Watching row, sift through the dedicated sections for new and upcoming releases or use the hidden codes feature. While we’re not exactly fans of streaming service price hikes, Netflix provides plenty of new – and old – stuff to watch for anyone in your household.
– Kourtnee Jackson, Senior Editor
Read our full review.
Disney Plus
★ Multi-year award winner
Who is it best for?
Families with kids, or for fans of Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and Disney.
Our favorite thing
Disney Plus is a one-stop shop for Disney-owned brands that includes classic movies from the Disney vault, Marvel blockbusters and original TV shows, Star Wars franchise titles, concert films and now, a slice of Hulu content.
Why we love it
Bundling Disney Plus with Hulu makes it affordable, and the addition of more mature content is a bonus for an app that’s generally catered to a family-friendly audience. Streaming Disney and Pixar animated titles along with exclusive originals, Abbott Elementary, The Bear or Luke Cage in one location is convenient. Like Netflix, Disney Plus has a well-designed interface, and the hubs make it easy for kids and adult to use. Parental controls come in handy when you want to create customizable profiles by age or content rating, and like other streamers, there’s a selection of fun avatars to choose from.
– Kourtnee Jackson, Senior Editor
Read our full review.
Crunchyroll
Who is it best for?
Longtime anime fans or newcomers who want access to simulcasts or its large catalog of popular titles.
Our favorite thing
While you can watch some ad-supported content with a free account, Crunchyroll’s premium subscriptions allow you to stream its full, massive anime lineup without ads, including originals, movies and new episode simulcasts from Japan.
Why we love it
Crunchyroll’s selection is huge and the ability to watch new episodes from Japan is the main draw. The service is relatively affordable and is available in more than 200 countries. You can stream titles in their original Japanese format or choose from subtitled versions in roughly 10 different languages. Depending on your subscription type, members can get added perks like Crunchyroll Game Vault access, merch discounts or access to the platform’s lineup of music videos and concerts. Watch new or old anime content all day, every day, and because Crunchyroll keeps an organized, up-to-date simulcast calendar, you know what’s coming each season, month, or week
– Kourtnee Jackson, Senior Editor
Read our full review.
Live TV streaming for cord cutters
Ready to finally cut the cable TV cord? Still interested in the option to watch dozens of your favorite channels, including local news, sports and live events? Our two picks below deliver cable TV channels without the cable box, extra fees or hassle of long-term contracts. One is our best overall choice (and includes a sweet bundle) while the other is our top pick for budget subscribers.
Hulu + Live TV
★ Multi-year award winner
Who's it best for
This live TV streaming service includes dozens of popular channels, an intuitive interface and users can cancel at any time. If you're looking for a true cable TV replacement then Hulu Plus Live TV is the ultimate streaming service.
Our favorite thing
In addition to live TV, Hulu has an unmatched library featuring both original programming and the history of TV itself. If you want to watch it, even if it's a show that aired a single season in 1967, it's most likely to be here.
Why we love it
There's no extra gear to worry about including rental set top boxes which can break down. No technicians to schedule. To watch Hulu Plus Live TV you just need an internet connection and your TV remote. It’s cable TV without the hassle, and with apps for every platform it lets you watch wherever you are.
– Ty Pendlebury, Editor
Read our full review.
Sling
★ Multi-year award winner
Who is it best for?
Serious cord cutters who are looking to save some money will love Sling TV. As the most affordable service, it does involve a little more DIY than its more deluxe competitors. Namely, it doesn’t include the broadcast channels -- ABC, NBC, CBS et al -- but you can buy a separate tuner box and it integrates with your service’s program guide.
Our favorite thing
The carriage fees that broadcast channels charge to cable TV and streaming services is one of the reasons user fees keep increasing. By Sling TV getting rid of broadcast channels, you’re not paying for network shows you never watch. You can then add an antenna to your TV and watch OTA for free!
Why we love it
When you’re already forking out money for video and music streaming, why spend up to $100 on live TV as well? Sling TV, especially the Blue stream, offers most of the popular channels and costs half that of YouTube TV and Hulu.
– Ty Pendlebury, Editor
Read our full review.
Music and gaming services
Just like TV shows and movies, music and gaming are also available via a subscription. And if you're a heavy listener of tunes, or an avid gamer on Xbox or Apple phones, the services below rise above the pack.
Spotify
★ Multi-year award winner
Who is it best for?
Spotify draws the longest bow when it comes to audio entertainment, and is better for it. Its huge catalog of music is supplemented by podcasts and audiobooks which means it’s suitable for almost anyone looking for a high-value subscription service.
Our favorite thing
Spotify has always had the best features, including excellent social sharing and collaboration add-ons. The yearly Wrapped continues to dictate to other services how they should roundup their users’ listening habits.
Why we love it
If you had to tally up the individual costs of the features you get from a Spotify subscription you’d be looking at over $30. For just $12 a month you’re getting a lot. It may not have the high resolution streaming of its competitors, but most people aren’t fussed by the differences. The best value music service is right here.
– Ty Pendlebury, Editor
Read our full review.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
★ Multi-year award winner
Who is it best for?
Xbox and PC gamers who move through games fast or are always looking for something new.
Our favorite thing
Game Pass Ultimate is a gamer’s version of Netflix, and it gives you access to over 500 games including series like Halo and Dead Space, as well as games like Diablo 4. We especially like that, it gives you Day 1 releases at no extra charge.
Why we love it
One year of Game Pass Ultimate will cost you $240. That sounds like a lot, but that covers the price of three new AAA games, which can be $70 upon release. So when Doom: The Dark Ages, Gears of War: E-Day and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 they will likely cost $210 combined, and that doesn’t include access to online multiplayer. Plus, with Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft will likely add games from Activision Blizzard’s back catalog to the service. So if you plan on playing a lot of games, you’ll save money with this service in the long run, and who doesn’t like saving money?
– Zachary McAuliffe, Writer
Read our full review.
Apple Arcade
★ Multi-year award winner
Who is it best for?
Gamers with an iPhone looking for a fun mobile gaming experience, or parents who want to introduce their children to gaming.
Our favorite thing
Apple Arcade’s strength lies in its mobile game catalog and the frequency it adds new games. It offers subscribers over 200 games now without any additional in-game fees, and the service adds new games every month.
Why we love it
Apple Arcade costs $7 a month, and you can share your subscription with up to five other people. That means you and some friends can split the subscription fee and you’ll always have others to game with, or you can play games with your children at no extra charge. So you can play NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition against your friends, or Hello Kitty Island Adventure with your kids. Being able to game on your iPhone is great if you have a commute, and many games can be played on iPad or Macbook once you get home.
– Zachary McAuliffe, Writer
Read our full review.
VPN (Virtual Private Network) services
A virtual private network isn't for everyone, but if you're interested in protecting your privacy online, or opening up streaming options that would be otherwise blocked because of your location (at home or while traveling), a subscription to one is worth considering. Our favorites below include our top overall pick along with a more-affordable option.
ExpressVPN
★ Multi-year award winner
Who is it best for?
Anyone looking for the smoothest VPN experience for just about any online activity.
Our favorite thing
If there’s a VPN that’s best prepared for the future, it’s ExpressVPN. While most VPNs are working on addressing current online privacy challenges, ExpressVPN’s post-quantum protection has got you covered well into the future by raising encryption standards to guard against decryption from quantum computers.
Why we love it
ExpressVPN is our top VPN pick overall and one of the best across many of our VPN best lists for a reason: It’s a really good VPN for pretty much any use case. ExpressVPN is exceptional for unblocking international streaming content, but we also appreciate its unrivaled commitment to privacy and transparency. Its TrustedServer technology sets the bar for how a VPN server network should protect user privacy, and its 18 independent audits to-date go well above and beyond what other VPNs have published. If you want to stream movies and shows from around the world, enhance your online gaming experience, protect your privacy while traveling, evade online censorship or just hide your internet activity from your internet service provider, ExpressVPN is ridiculously easy to use and connects in a snap to a wide selection of 105 different countries.
– Attila Tomaschek, Writer
Read our full review.
Surfshark
Who is it best for?
Anyone looking for a premium VPN experience at a great price (as long as you get the yearly or two-year plan).
Our favorite thing
Surfshark’s Nexus Network technology allows the provider to deliver some innovative privacy features you won’t find with most other VPNs. Through the power of the Nexus Network, you’ll be able to double-VPN through any two servers of your choosing with Dynamic Multihop and automatically change up your IP address every few minutes with IP Rotator.
Why we love it
Besides sporting a pretty cool name, Surfshark is a top-notch VPN with an impressive feature set at a price that’s easy on the wallet. With Surfshark, you’ll get all of the privacy protections you’d get from a premium VPN provider like a kill switch, DNS leak protection, obfuscation and a RAM-only server infrastructure. But you’ll also get access to some really helpful tools that you won’t find elsewhere, like the Nexus Network suite of features and Surfshark’s Alternative ID, which lets you generate a fake alias, complete with a full name, date of birth, home address and an email address that automatically forwards messages to your real email address. Use it to keep your true identity private when registering online accounts. Surfshark is also quite fast, great for streaming international content and allows for unlimited simultaneous connections. Good luck finding another VPN that offers these kinds of premium features for $60 per year.
– Attila Tomaschek, Writer
Read our full review.
Methodology / How we made this list
The CNET Editors' Choice badge represents the strongest recommendation of a product or service evaluated by CNET experts. The award distinguishes the products and services that have made a lasting impression on CNET's editorial team.
To earn an Editors' Choice distinction, a product or service must be a top pick in its category, score a minimum benchmark when rated, or be selected by a CNET expert based on hands-on testing of the product and its competition. Awarded by our experienced editors, enhanced by lab testing in dedicated facilities, and more selective than a Best List inclusion or a positive review, readers can know that Editors' Choice Award recipients are the best of the best.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
See your brand here? Learn more about licensing a CNET award.