The Best Streaming Services In Australia: A Complete Guide

Don’t get it twisted: subjectivity and taste have nothing to do with it. When it comes to the best streaming services in Australia, there is definitely a hierarchy.

Since the official launch of Netflix Australia on March 24th, 2015, several major players — both domestic and international — have entered the scene to give the crimson N a run for its market-leading money.

RELATED: After All That, We’ve Simply Reinvented Cable Television

And suffice it to say, despite being the most prolific platform with possibly the largest content library, Netflix no longer occupies the throne. At least not in this sunburnt nation of ours.

From Disney+ to Binge, here’s where every streaming service worth a damn in Australia ranks relative to one another.

Check it out below.

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BH Approved: The Best Overall Streaming Service(s) In Australia Right Now

Disney+

Launched: 2019
Compatible Devices: Samsung, LG, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets, Apple TV, Android TV, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Google Chromecast
Subscription Cost: $13.99 per month or $139.99 annually
Free Trial: N/A
Simultaneous Streams: 4

When it comes to value for money and quality of content catalogue, Disney+ (or Disney Plus) is the undisputed king.

Initially, the platform seemed like a niche family-friendly offering: the kind that wouldn’t appeal to adults beyond parents and the friendless, emotionally-stunted goobers who film themselves crying at Disneyland.

But we’re here to tell you now that that’s most certainly not the case.

That’s because we often forget everything The Walt Disney Company owns. From Star Wars to Marvel, 20th Century to Star, ESPN to National Graphic, Hulu to FX, and everything else in between…it’s perhaps the most compelling case for anti-competition practices and allowing monopolies to occur. I joke, for the most part.

Effectively, this means you have loads of entertainment for just $13.99 per month in 4K definition (no subscription tiers, no intrusive ads).

Every Disney/Pixar film ever released. The Simpsons, Futurama, Bob’s Burgers, King of the Hill, Family Guy, American Dad. All of James Cameron‘s greatest flicks. All of Nicolas Cage‘s greatest flicks. As well as critically-acclaimed mature content including It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Atlanta, and The Bear.

Side note: Disney+ is also where some killer upcoming properties from FX, including the long-awaited Shogun adaptation starring Cosmo Jarvis and Hiroyuki Sanada, are headed.

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Binge

Launched: 2020
Compatible Devices: Android, Windows, iOS, Telstra TV, PlayStation, Xbox, Google Chromecast, Smart TVs
Subscription Cost: $10 per month (HD; one device) | $18 a month (HD, 4K; two devices) | $22 (HD, 4K; four devices)
Free Trial: 7-day
Simultaneous Streams: 1-4 (depending on plan)

Coming in at a close second to Disney+ (AKA Disney Plus) — and clearly impressive enough to warrant being categorised above the rest — is Foxtel/Streamotion’s Binge.

While the user experience and stream compression engine still leaves something to be desired, as does the confounding absence of offline downloads on its device app, the reason why it shines has everything to do with its library.

Until HBO Max (which has since rebranded to “Max”) hits Aussie shores, Binge remains one of the most convenient and affordable avenues for accessing sweet, sweet HBO content. Much-hyped classics like Game of Thrones and The Sopranos, new-wave properties like Euphoria and The White Lotus…it’s all here.

And as a subsidiary of Foxtel, there’s plenty to browse. Including a few select live channels that come at no extra charge, e.g. Bloomberg, CNN, History, WWE, Universal TV, BBC Earth, etc. Let’s just hope that multi-million-dollar pact between ol’ Rupert and HBO remains in place.

Once it sorts out an app worthy of its library, it could very well be a closer contender for the top spot against Disney+.

Also Read

• What’s New On Binge?
• The Best Movies On Binge
• The Best Shows On Binge

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The Best Streaming Services In Australia (2024)

And the rest…

Netflix Australia

Launched: 2015
Compatible Devices: Apple, Windows, Android, Roku, Telstra TV, PlayStation, Xbox, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Smart TVs
Subscription Cost: $6.99 per month (HD with ads; two devices) | $16.99 per month (HD; two devices); $22.99 per month (4K+ HDR streaming, six devices).
Free Trial: N/A
Simultaneous Streams: 2-4 (depending on plan)

It was among the first. At the time of this writing, it’s still the biggest and most dominant in terms of cultural ubiquity and subscribers. And there’s no denying its impact upon the landscape of modern entertainment (it once posed an existential threat to the traditional theatrical release model).

But it’s clear that Netflix has sustained a major drop in quality.

Yes, as far as user experience goes, it remains the greatest. Playback quality is to be commended, with ridiculously smooth transitions and impressive adaptive bitrate streaming. Why it’s no longer #1, however, has everything to do with the actual content on offer.

The good stuff gets cancelled or removed from the library entirely. More often than not, what you actually want to stream is MIA. Meanwhile, absolute garbage is afforded far too long of a lifespan (with plenty more pumped out from Netflix’s unsleeping content factory).

Throw in the crackdown on password sharing and introduction of ads — two reneges from CEO Reed Hastings — as well as the regular price hikes, and you can begin to understand why Netflix isn’t the game-changing offer it was all those years ago.

Also Read

• What’s New On Netflix Australia?
• The Best Movies On Netflix Australia
• The Best Shows On Netflix Australia
• The Best Documentaries On Netflix Australia
• The Best Horror Movies On Netflix Australia

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Amazon Prime Video

Launched: 2018
Compatible Devices: Apple, Android, Windows, Roku, PlayStation, Xbox, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Smart TVs
Subscription Cost: $9.99 per month or $79 annually
Free Trial: 30-day
Simultaneous Streams: 3

There really isn’t much to say about Amazon Prime Video.

It’s an extremely solid streaming service bundled in with convenient e-commerce delivery; and from the James Bond franchise to The Boys universe to the Jacks (Ryan & Reacher) to Anthony Bourdain‘s Parts Unknown, the content itself is among the most in-demand.

All it needs is, I suppose, more content; and a cleaner navigation hub to elevate itself to the standard of an elite-level platform, on par with the likes of Disney+.

Although I will say being able to rent/buy titles missing from the streaming library is pretty damn handy. Let’s not sleep on VOD.

Also Read

• What’s New On Amazon Prime Video?
• The Best Movies On Amazon Prime Video
• The Best Shows On Amazon Prime Video

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Stan

Launched: 2015
Compatible Devices: Apple, Android, Windows, Telstra TV, PlayStation, Xbox, Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Smart TVs
Subscription Cost: $10 per month (standard definition; one device) | $16 per month (HD, 4K; three devices) | $21 per month (HD, 4K; four devices) | +$15 per month for Stan Sport (HD, 4K, ad-free; simultaneous streams according to base plan)
Free Trial: 30-day
Simultaneous Streams: 1-4 (depending on plan)

For the longest time — and arguably still to this day in terms of the platform itself — Stan was the closest thing to a domestic competitor for Netflix.

And it’s still fairly solid when you consider it’s the home to such popular shows as Yellowstone, Billions, Fargo, The Great, Gangs of London, and The Lazarus Project.

But as rival streaming services have acquired AAA properties (i.e. Amazon purchasing MGM) or simply launched in Australia to claim what belongs to them (i.e. Disney+), the strength of Stan’s complete offering has obviously taken several hits.

The key standout feature Stan’s got going for itself is live sport. Although it’ll cost ya: and pretty much an entirely separate streaming service’s price tag at that.

Also Read

• What’s New On Stan?
• The Best Shows On Stan

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Foxtel Now (Formerly Foxtel Play)

Launched: 2013
Compatible Devices: iOS, Android, Windows, Android TV, PlayStation 4, Chromecast, Telstra TV
Subscription Cost: $25 per month (base pack) | +$29 per month (sports extra) | +$10 per month (drama extra) | $104 $59 (All Packs)
Free Trial: N/A
Simultaneous Streams: 4

Why anyone would opt for the more expensive Foxtel Now when you can essentially access all the same content via its far more modern younger sibling, Binge, is a complete mystery to me.

It more closely resembles your traditional cable TV experience with — get this — no 4K or offline viewing. In 2023, no amount of live channels can really make up for that.

The stratification of bundle packages depending on what you want to view, while convenient for some, is rather annoying, in our opinion. Our view on the matter? Set a single (reasonable) monthly price and give us everything.

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Apple TV+

Launched: 2019
Compatible Devices: Apple, Samsung Smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation
Subscription Cost: $12.99 per month
Free Trial: 7-day
Simultaneous Streams: 6

Apple TV+ is yet another streaming service in Australia that’s good, teetering on the precipice of great.

With a quality-over-quantity focus, it’s already produced cracking originals like Foundation, See, Hijack, Silo, Ted Lasso, Mythic Quest, Drops of God, CODA, Tragedy of Macbeth, Killers of the Flower Moon; with exciting new releases such as Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, Joseph Kosinski’s Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, Argylle, as well as Band of Brothers follow-up series Masters of the Air on the way.

Akin to Amazon Prime Video, the VOD access to titles missing from the immediate streaming library is handy. Although the more preferable option would be for Apple TV+ to simply expand its catalogue. Which sounds like it’s already underway with the tech giant’s increased investment in all things film + TV.

In light of Apple’s $2.5 billion “gamble” on Major League Soccer, expect plenty of football and Lionel Messi-centric content over the next few years.

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Paramount Plus

Launched: 2021
Compatible Devices: PC, Mac, Apple TV, iOS, Android, Android TV, Chromecast, Fetch TV, Telstra TV
Subscription Cost: $12.99 per month
Free Trial: 7-day
Simultaneous Streams: 2

As the youngest of the big dawg streamers in Australia, Paramount Plus obviously has some catching up to do.

Bolstered by the Taylor Sheridan Universe (Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Special Ops: Lioness), all things Tom Cruise, and all things South Park, in the two years since launch, it’s been steadily growing… at the cost of roughly $500 million.

Here in Australia, there has been an active push for local content. Standouts include crime drama series The Last King of the Cross and the deliciously satirical Betoota Advocate Presents.

Only time will tell whether Paramount Plus will shape up to be a genuine contender in the fight to become the best streaming service in Australia.

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Other Streaming Services In Australia

Aside from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Stan, Binge, Foxtel Now, Apple TV+, Disney+, and Paramount Plus, here are the other streaming services available in Australia — ranging from the free (i.e. SBS On Demand) to the niche (i.e. horror-only platform Shudder).

SBS On Demand

Completely free, extremely accessible, and home to banging content like ZeroZeroZero. Throw in its catalogue of foreign films (particularly from the martial arts genre), and you’ve got a stacked service you’d be a fool not to take full advantage of.

Kayo Sports

Kayo Sports is the place to stream sports. But at a starting cost of $25 per month, it’s quite expensive. Although it more than makes up that value by hosting a generous amount of sporting content across 50+ sports (live and on-demand).

Shudder

The market for a horror-only streaming service might be small, especially considering Netflix already does a pretty good job at producing original horror content. But Shudder has been an impressive entrant into the Australian market and has more than a few off-kilter originals up its own spooky sleeve. Whether you’re more into supernatural scares or a straight-up gore fest, all this can be accessed for just $6.99 per month.

DocPlay

A documentary-specific streaming service for $7.99 per month. Not bad. In fact, DocPlay is quite a worthwhile streaming service if all you watch are documentaries. The only downside is that, aside from the stellar range it features, there are no originals or exclusives to speak of. If you wanted to watch Blackfish or Jiro Dreams of Sushi, you could quite easily track them down for free elsewhere.

Hayu

Trash TV and brain rot for $6.99 per month. Even if you were an insatiable little fiend for Keeping Up With The Kardashians or The Real Housewives of WhoGivesAFuckistan, you could simply sign up to Binge and get a much better deal/holistic offering.

Crunchyroll

If Attack On Titan, Dragonball Z, and Demon Slayer excite you more than a taut HBO drama ever could, Crunchyroll is for you. The service costs at least $10.99 per month, and has mind-boggling variety of anime content with scope that’s hard to beat. But it only offers TV shows, meaning you won’t find films like Spirited Away or Your Name on here (both are on Netflix FYI).

MUBI

Mubi is all about curation, at $12.99 per month. It’s one for the bona fide film buffs among us: those who frequent festivals and hold fierce opinions about aspect ratios, French New Wave, Federico Fellini, Wong Kar-Wai, and so on.

Only a handful of films are featured in any given month, rotated out just as quickly with a new lineup of suggestions (obviously picked by other cinephiles), complemented by a stable of classics.

Britbox

British TV and cinema. $8.99 per month. No original or exclusive content.

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Best Streaming Services In Australia — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most popular streaming service in Australia?

The most popular streaming service in Australia (and the entire world) is still Netflix. This is followed by Amazon Prime Video, Stan, and Disney+.

What streaming service is the best in Australia?

For our money, Disney+ is the best streaming service in Australia. From Star Wars to Marvel, 20th Century to Star, ESPN to National Graphic, Hulu to FX, and everything else in between… Effectively, it’s hella entertainment for just $13.99 per month in 4K definition (no subscription tiers, no intrusive ads).

Is Disney Plus better than Binge?

While Disney+’s platform is far better built for navigation and streaming (and actually allows for offline downloading), the content libraries are comparable. Both reign supreme in Australia.