The 7 Best Streaming TV Services, According to Consumers

Settling in for a night of TV has never been so complicated. There’s plenty of content to watch, but how do you choose from so many different streaming services, each with their own subscription cost and stable of shows and movies?

The American Customer Satisfaction Index recently released data showing consumers’ favorite streaming services. Its ratings are based on email interviews with 22,061 randomly chosen customers participating. Overall, the ACSI measures customer satisfaction with more than 400 companies across 40 industries, reporting scores on a scale of 0 to 100.

The telecommunications survey looked at both streaming apps and live TV apps. Our roundup only includes services that scored above average.

YouTube Premium

This streaming service’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 78 out of 100

YouTube has moved well beyond silly cat videos and the viral “Baby Shark” empire to become a real player in the streaming space. YouTube Premium is the site’s ad-free service and includes access to YouTube Originals, such as the documentary “This Is Paris” about hotel heiress Paris Hilton.

Pricing begins at $11.99 per month for an individual plan.

Paramount+

This streaming service’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 78 out of 100

Paramount+, previously known as CBS All Access, features original programming as well as programs from CBS, Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon, and movies from Paramount Pictures. Star Trek fans know it as the place to boldly go where no one has gone before, as it’s home to various spinoffs of the classic sci-fi show, including the animated show, “Star Trek: Lower Decks.”

The Essential plan, with ads, starts at $4.99 per month while the Premium plan, with no ads and your local CBS live station included, starts at $9.99 per month.

Netflix

This streaming service’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 78 out of 100

Remember when Netflix began as a movies-by-mail service back in 1997? That DVD mail service finally comes to an end in September, but the streaming service is booming, with help from 2021’s surprise South Korean hit, “Squid Game,” and the latest season of hit 1980s horror-drama “Stranger Things.” Some subscribers are upset by the service’s recent crackdown on password sharing, but early signs are that it’s paying off, with more people ponying up for the service.

Netflix starts at $6.99 for a standard plan that includes ads.

Hulu

This streaming service’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 78 out of 100

Hulu was founded in 2007, as a joint venture between News Corporation and NBC Universal, with the Walt Disney Corporation and Providence Equity Partners joining later. It added original content in 2011. Its original shows include “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Only Murders in the Building.” As of May 2023, the service reported 48.2 million U.S. subscribers.

The cheapest plan includes ads, and costs $7.99 per month.

Peacock

This streaming service’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 79 out of 100

Peacock’s name comes from the brightly colored bird that’s long been NBC’s logo. So, it makes sense that this service mostly features shows and movies from NBCUniversal, including “The Office” and the “Jurassic Park” films.

Users can choose the ad-supported, $4.99 Premium tier, or pay $9.99 for Premium Plus and avoid ads. A free, ad-supported tier was shut off for new users as of January.

Hulu + Live TV

This streaming service’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 80 out of 100

Hulu + Live TV is the only live TV app in the survey to score in the top seven, tying for the highest score with Amazon Prime Video, which doesn’t offer live television. Hulu + Live TV itself includes more than 85 live TV channels plus access to the site’s streaming library. Not surprisingly, Hulu + Live TV costs more than the services that don’t offer live programming.

For $69.99 per month, users can subscribe to an ad-supported plan that includes Hulu + Live TV, Disney + and ESPN +.

Amazon Prime Video

This streaming service’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 80 out of 100

It’s been a long time since Amazon was simply known as an online bookstore. Now, it sells everything from colored pencils to computers — and, naturally, it has a streaming service as well. Amazon Prime Video features films and shows produced by Amazon Studios but also hosts content from other providers. One of the most-buzzed-about originals is “Rings of Power,” a series based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, which might be the costliest TV series ever made.

Prime Video is available as part of an Amazon Prime membership, which costs $14.99 per month. You can also choose to subscribe to Prime Video on its own for $8.99 per month.