Five alternatives to Netflix are compared here, including Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, NOW and Freely. Monthly pricing across these services ranges from £0 to £18.99, with Netflix's own three UK tiers running from around £5.99 with adverts up to £17.99 for its ad-free 4K Premium plan.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED 21 July 2026
- Freely is a free, no-subscription route to BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 content, requiring only a compatible television or streaming device and an aerial.
- Disney+ Standard with adverts is currently one of the cheapest mainstream paid tiers, priced below Netflix's own ad-supported plan in most published comparisons.
- Prime Video comes included with an existing Amazon Prime membership, making it effectively free for households already paying for Prime delivery.
- Apple TV+ runs a single, ad-free tier with no lower-cost ad-supported option, trading catalogue size for a smaller, curated library of Apple originals.
- NOW remains the only no-contract route to Sky's exclusive drama and documentary catalogue, without requiring a Sky TV subscription.
- Every major UK streaming service other than Apple TV+ now offers a lower-cost, ad-supported tier, which has become the standard way to reduce a household's total streaming bill.
Netflix alternatives compared by UK monthly price and core catalogue strength
| Netflix | £5.99 to £17.99/month | Largest volume of originals across genres |
| Disney+ | £4.99 to £10.99/month | Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars catalogue |
| Prime Video | Included with Prime (~£8.99/month) | Bundled with Amazon Prime delivery |
| Apple TV+ | ~£8.99/month, single tier, no ads | Smaller, curated library of Apple originals |
| Freely | Free (device cost only) | BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 content |
KEY FACTS
- Netflix UK: three tiers, from around £5.99 with adverts up to £17.99 for ad-free 4K Premium
- Disney+ UK: Standard with adverts from around £4.99, Premium (no ads) from around £10.99
- Prime Video: included with Amazon Prime membership at around £8.99 a month, or available standalone
- Apple TV+: a single tier at around £8.99 a month, no ad-supported option
- Freely: free once a household has a compatible television or streaming device and a working aerial
What is the cheapest alternative to Netflix
Freely is the cheapest alternative by far, since it carries no subscription fee at all once a household owns a compatible television or streaming device, though it covers only free-to-air content from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 rather than a subscription catalogue.
For households whose viewing leans heavily on BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 programming plus catch-up content, Freely removes the subscription cost entirely, working through a standard aerial connection combined with an internet connection for on-demand and catch-up programming. Beyond Freely, Disney+'s Standard with adverts tier is currently one of the cheapest mainstream paid options, priced below Netflix's own ad-supported entry tier in most published comparisons, at around £4.99 a month. For households already paying for Amazon Prime delivery, Prime Video effectively comes at no additional cost, since it is bundled within the standard Prime membership rather than billed separately. None of these cheaper alternatives replicate Netflix's full catalogue breadth on their own, so the practical saving usually comes from combining one or two lower-cost or already-bundled services rather than expecting a single alternative to replace Netflix entirely. Household sharing rules also differ between these services and are worth checking specifically, since Netflix has enforced stricter limits on sharing outside a single household in recent years, while some rivals remain more flexible about which devices and locations can access an account simultaneously.
How does Disney+ compare with Netflix for families
Disney+ combines the Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic catalogues in a single subscription from around £4.99 a month on its ad-supported tier, considerably cheaper than Netflix's equivalent ad-free tiers while covering a similar family-focused audience.
For households with children, or adults who grew up on these franchises, Disney+'s combined catalogue is difficult to replicate through any single Netflix alternative, since Netflix does not carry Disney, Pixar, Marvel or Star Wars content directly. The Standard with adverts tier, from around £4.99 a month, undercuts Netflix's comparable ad-supported tier while covering the bulk of Disney's back catalogue, and the ad-free Premium tier, from around £10.99 a month, remains cheaper than Netflix's own top-tier 4K Premium plan. Disney+ also carries a broader range of adult-skewing content through its Star-branded section, which extends the catalogue beyond purely family programming. For a household deciding between Netflix and one other major service, Disney+ is generally the strongest single alternative for households with children specifically, given the exclusivity of its franchise content. Disney+ has also expanded its live sports and entertainment programming in some markets, adding a further point of comparison against Netflix's own more limited live content, though the availability of specific live programming varies and should be checked directly for the UK market rather than assumed.
Is Prime Video worth using instead of paying for Netflix separately
Prime Video is included within a standard Amazon Prime membership at around £8.99 a month, which covers streaming as well as Amazon's delivery benefits, making it effectively free for households that already pay for Prime for other reasons.
Prime Video's positioning differs from every other alternative on this list because it is not sold primarily as a standalone streaming subscription: the core Amazon Prime membership, at around £8.99 a month or a discounted annual rate, bundles free next-day delivery, Prime Video streaming and several smaller perks together. For a household already paying for Prime delivery, the video service comes at no additional marginal cost, which makes it one of the strongest value propositions on this list purely on a cost basis. Prime Video's original content library is inconsistent in quality compared with Netflix's larger volume of originals, though certain individual series have performed strongly. Where Prime Video particularly stands out is its film rental and purchase storefront, alongside an add-on channel system that lets a subscriber bolt on services such as Paramount+ or discovery+ for a small additional monthly fee within the same Prime Video app. Prime Video's add-on channel system also lets a subscriber cancel an individual bolted-on channel at any time without affecting the underlying Prime membership itself, giving more granular control over monthly spend than committing to each additional service as an entirely separate subscription elsewhere.
What does Apple TV+ offer for its single-tier price
Apple TV+ runs a single, ad-free tier at around £8.99 a month with no lower-cost ad-supported option, trading a much smaller catalogue for every title streaming in 4K Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos on compatible hardware.
Apple's approach to streaming differs from every other service compared here: rather than building a large licensed content library, Apple TV+ carries only its own original productions and a small number of curated films, all streaming in consistently high technical quality on supported devices. The single-tier pricing, with no advertising option and no separate 4K upgrade fee, keeps the offer simple, but the trade-off is catalogue size: subscribers tend to use Apple TV+ for a specific run of episodes tied to its own original productions rather than as an always-on general viewing service the way Netflix or Prime Video are typically used. For households that already own Apple hardware, an Apple One bundle combining Apple TV+ with Apple Music and other Apple services can offer better combined value than subscribing to each individually, though this depends on how many of the bundled services a household would otherwise pay for separately. Apple TV+ content is also accessible without an Apple device specifically, since the app is available on many smart televisions, games consoles and streaming sticks, though the highest-quality 4K Dolby Vision playback experience is generally strongest on Apple's own hardware or comparably specified compatible television sets.
How does NOW compare for accessing Sky's catalogue without a contract
NOW remains the only no-contract route to Sky's exclusive drama and documentary catalogue, including HBO's output distributed through Sky in the UK, without requiring a Sky TV subscription or satellite dish.
For anyone specifically wanting Sky's exclusive content, including HBO's prestige drama output distributed through Sky in the UK market, NOW is the only route that avoids a Sky TV contract entirely. Membership can be taken out and cancelled on a rolling basis, useful for households wanting to subscribe for a specific season of a show rather than committing long-term. Pricing sits above the cheapest Netflix alternative tiers but remains considerably below a full Sky TV contract including its wider channel bundle. Combined with Netflix or Disney+ on a rotating basis, rather than all three running simultaneously year-round, many households manage to access the majority of what they specifically want to watch while keeping total monthly streaming spend well below the cost of subscribing to every major service at once. Anyone comparing pay-TV options more broadly, including a full Sky TV contract, can find a fuller breakdown in a dedicated comparison of Sky TV alternatives. Anyone assembling a rotating combination of two or three services rather than subscribing to everything simultaneously should track renewal dates carefully, since forgetting to cancel a service after finishing the specific programme it was subscribed for is one of the most common ways household streaming spend creeps upward over time.
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DISCLAIMER
This article is editorial information, not financial advice. Kael Tripton Ltd is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Figures were correct at the last review date shown above; verify current rates and rules with the primary sources listed below before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Can you watch Disney content on Netflix
No. Netflix does not carry Disney, Pixar, Marvel or Star Wars content, which is exclusive to Disney+, so a household specifically wanting that catalogue needs a separate Disney+ subscription rather than relying on Netflix alone.
Do you get Prime Video for free with Amazon Prime
Prime Video is included within a standard Amazon Prime membership at around £8.99 a month rather than billed as a separate service, so a household already paying for Prime delivery gets Prime Video streaming at no additional marginal cost.
Can you get Apple TV+ on a cheaper ad-supported plan
No. Apple TV+ currently runs a single, ad-free tier at around £8.99 a month with no lower-cost, ad-supported option, unlike Netflix, Disney+ and most other major streaming services compared here.
Do you need a Sky TV subscription to watch Sky's shows
No. NOW provides access to Sky's exclusive drama and documentary catalogue, including HBO's output distributed through Sky in the UK, on a no-contract basis without requiring a full Sky TV subscription or satellite dish installation.
Is Freely a genuine free alternative to a streaming subscription
For free-to-air content specifically, yes. Freely carries no ongoing subscription cost once a household owns a compatible television or streaming device, though it covers BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 content rather than the subscription catalogues carried by Netflix, Disney+ or Prime Video.
SOURCES
- Netflix official UK pricing – accessed 21 July 2026
- Disney+ official UK pricing – accessed 21 July 2026
- Freely service information – accessed 21 July 2026
