Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Emma Munbodh

Best Netflix alternatives and free ways to watch your favourite TV shows in the UK

Streaming services have become increasingly important to the way we Brits consume our television content - the world is heading digital, after all.

The most popular of them all is Netflix, which has over 10 million subscribers in the UK.

Last year the TV streaming company increased the price of its standard package to £8.99 a month, and its premium package to £12.

So if you're looking to shop around for a cheaper deal there are plenty of other alternative platforms and services, such as iPlayer and Amazon Prime.

Most streaming services out there offer ways to watch on a par with Netflix, some free and some paid for.

We've drawn out a handy list of the best services, from BBC iPlayer to Disney+ and Sky Go below.

Best paid for Netflix alternatives

(Getty)
  1. Amazon Prime Video: £79 a year or 7.99 a month. Full Prime package also includes free one-hour/one-day delivery on Amazon items, access to thousands of e-books, films, TV shows (including Top Gear) and songs though Amazon's extensive media library. See our Amazon Prime FAQ to discover more.

  2. NOW TV: Passes start from £3.99 a month or you can invest in a one off box for around £20. The box will turn your TV into a smart device using its USB plug-in. Users can then purchase 24-hour and 30-day Sky passes ad hoc for football matches, movies and entertainment contract free.

  3. YouTube Premium: £11.99 a month. YouTube Premium gives you access to TV shows, series, films and music ad-free and you can also access offline from a number of platforms. It's also contract free and you can watch without any obligations and under no time constraints.

  4. Sky TV: Sky's Original TV bundle starts at £25 a month  - and the deal includes its new Sky Q, next generation box. The package includes catch up TV, Sky+ and Sky Go, as well as usual suspects Sky Atlantic, itv Encore and even Netflix. Find out more about the Sky TV Original Package here.

  5. Disney+: £5.99 a month or £59 a year. Includes access to Disney's huge back catalogue of films, series and box sets as well as content from PixarStar Wars, Marvel and National Geographic.

Best free Netflix alternatives

  1. Vimeo: You're unlikely to find anything you've ever heard of at Vimeo, but it's worth diving into for indie and independent films like Thunder Road and A Fighting Chance. Check out their staff picks for inspiration.

  2. YouTube: At 800 million unique visitors per month, with roughly 72 hours of content being uploaded each minute, YouTube is by far the most used video-sharing platform on the web. Get yourself a Google account and you can watch (and upload) TV shows and video content on its platform for free.

  3. SkyGo: If you (or mum and dad) have a Sky account, you can actually log-in on any desktop, mobile or tablet on the go and watch or catch up on TV shows (included in your plan) for free. Ideal for students, all you need is your membership login details to get watching.

  4. iPlayer: BBC iPlayer has a vast movie library available at your fingertips online. It's also great for documentaries. The service's video library covers just about every genre - including Sherlock and Killing Eve. You will need a TV Licence to watch it, though.

  5. ITV Player and All 4: You'll need log-in details to access these services, but again, they're free to watch. Both feature a long list of films, documentaries, dramas and reality TV shows like Derry Girls and Love Island.

How much does Netflix cost?

  • 'Basic' membership: £5.99/month: One screen at a time; includes standard definition (SD) streaming only.

  • Standard' membership: £8.99/month. Stream to two screens simultaneously; includes HD streaming.

  • 'Premium' membership: £11.99/month. Stream to four screens at a time; includes streaming at 4K resolution.

 
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.