Erick Crawler 
While going for the cheapest streaming option typically means settling for ads, there are plenty of lesser-known services out there that have, at least so far, avoided endless price hikes. While trying to cut back on my own streaming costs, I found a decent spread of subscriptions that offer ad-free streaming and have a monthly cost of $10 or less.
I’ll say now that more niche streaming services are exactly that – more niche. While you may not find the scope of a library like Disney+, owned by the company that seemingly owns everything, you can definitely find a reasonably-priced service tailored to the genres and even mediums you enjoy the most.
Ad-Free Streaming Subscriptions You Can Get for Less Than $10/Month
The benefit of these more specific services is that they’ll help you find something new you wouldn’t have otherwise. More importantly, you can tell your friends the silly names of the places you stream random things. At least they’re cheap!
Howdy
Roku’s new streaming app, Howdy, quite literally just launched but is already one of the best options for ad-free streaming on a budget. In my opinion, it seems like a pretty pointed response to all of the recent price hikes. Sure, you might not have the latest Netflix original, but you’ll still get over 10,000 hours of movies to sift through. We’re talking rom-coms, true crime documentaries, and even full series like Weeds.
You can access Howdy through a Roku device, the Roku website, or the Roku app on any of your devices. The one downside? No free trial. Still, Roku makes clear you can cancel at any time without added fees.
Apple TV+
One of the more mainstream options on this list, but quite frankly, one of the only streaming subscriptions that’s kept its ad-free pricing under $10. To that end, Apple TV+ offers one subscription plan: $9.99/month, or $99.99 up front for a full year.
With that, you’ll get access to Apple’s increasingly notable slate of Apple+ original series, including Ted Lasso, Severance, and Silo. You’ll also get to stream Pluribus, an upcoming series from the creator of Breaking Bad. The service isn’t short on films, either, with the likes of Killers of the Flower Moon, Wolfs, The Gorge, and more. For whatever reason, it’s also where you can stream the MLB (in case your looking to watch sports).
discovery+
For the documentary and reality TV-inclined, discovery+ has got you covered. For $9.99 (or $6.99, if you can bear the ads), you’ll get access to pretty much everything Discovery has to offer. We’re talking Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, Naked and Afraid, 90 Day Fiance, and if you’re particularly daring, even the likes of MILF Manor. You’ll also see classic series from HGTV, Food Network, and a personal favorite, TLC.
Shudder
A classic for horror fans, Shudder offers one ad-free plan for $8.99/month or $89.99 for a full year (which saves you about $20 over the monthly charges). As a horror-oriented streaming service, you’ll find pretty much everything from classics like The Ring, Halloween, and The Evil Dead to more recent hits like The Babadook.
Shudder is also the exclusive streaming home to plenty of Shudder originals, which at one point meant a relatively low-budget horror movie (never a bad thing), but has since grown into theatrical releases like Late Night With the Devil. In my experience, Shudder is one of the best spots to find new horror movies, at least in terms of finding things I’d never heard of before.
BritBox
Have a penchant for programming from across the pond? This one’s for you. For $8.99/month, Britbox consolidates plenty of series from the likes of Channel 4 and the BBC for American viewers. You’ll find comedy shows like Would I Lie to You?, crime series like Luther, and, of course, plenty of Downton Abbey. It’s also where you can stream The IT Crowd after it was removed from Netflix as well as the original UK version of The Office. You can check out the full library here.
HiDive
While there are plenty of free anime sites (some more legal than others), HiDive is still a solid and more budget-friendly alternative to the classic anime streamer, Crunchyroll. The service, which starts at $6.99 ad-free, also hosts a decent chunk of seasonal simulcasts.
HiDive is currently where you can watch Made in Abyss and Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, also known as DanMachi. Aside from exclusives, there’s tons of anime to scroll through, including Akame ga Kill!, High School of the Dead, and even movies like Garden of Words.
Frndly TV
Okay, so this one does have ads, but they’re technically commercials, which are par for the course with watching live TV. Frndly TV offers its live TV streaming subscription starting at $8.99/month, which gets you access to around 50 channels, a more modest selection than the likes of something like Hulu + Live TV, but for a fraction of the cost.
These channels include History, A&E, Lifetime, and Me TV. You can read the full list here. The service also recently added the Hallmark channel. Hallmark is also on Peacock, which used to be on the cheaper side of things until their most recent round of price hikes.
What About Free Streaming Services?
Just in case you’re looking for the cheapest possible options, here’s a list of some of the best free streaming sites, which are, naturally, as cheap as it gets. Unfortunately, you’re going to encounter ads here pretty much across the board.
Powered by WPeMatico
