12 Streaming TV Services That Cost $20 a Month

Woman watching streaming video on her laptop — Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock.com

TV lovers have more budget-friendly options these days than they may realize.

A growing number of streaming services offer TV channels and shows for much less than traditional pay-TV providers generally charge. Some streaming services — including several of the following — even offer live TV.

If you find the many options overwhelming, start by considering the following services, as they all start at $20 per month or less.

1. Disney+

Boasting “an unprecedented collection of the world’s most beloved movies and TV series,” Disney+ is home to all things Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.

The service costs $7.99 monthly (or $79.99 annually). For a better deal, you can bundle Disney+ with Hulu, as we detail in the next section.

To learn more: Visit DisneyPlus.com.

2. Hulu

This longstanding streaming service boasts thousands of TV shows and movies.

Hulu also offers a dirt-cheap plan for folks who don’t need live TV.

Hulu’s under-$20 options include:

Hulu (ad-supported): This plan gives you access to Hulu’s library of TV episodes and movies, including Hulu Originals. It’s only $6.99 per month after a free trial.
Hulu (no ads): This plan gives you the same access to Hulu’s library but without ads. It costs $12.99 per month after a free trial.
Hulu (ad-supported), Disney+ and ESPN+ bundle: This plan gives you access to three different streaming services for $13.99 per month.
Hulu (no ads), Disney+ and ESPN+ bundle: This plan gives you access to three different streaming services for $19.99 per month.

Of course, there’s always a way to pay more. Hulu’s live TV plans start at $69.99 per month.

To learn more: Visit Hulu.com.

3. Netflix

Despite several price hikes in recent years, Netflix remains relatively cheap.

Of course, Netflix doesn’t offer a live-TV option as its competitor Hulu does. But Netflix is the only service of the two that can say all of its plans cost well under $20 per month.

Netflix’s plans all offer unlimited access to the service’s library of movies and TV shows. The main differences besides price are the highest available video quality and resolution, and the number of screens that your household can watch from at the same time. Their costs are:

Basic: “Good” video quality, 480p resolution, one screen, $9.99 per month
Standard: “Better” video quality, 1080p resolution, two screens, $15.49 per month
Premium: “Best” video quality, 4K+HDR resolution, four screens, $19.99 per month

To learn more: Visit Netflix.com.

4. Paramount+

CBS All Access recently was rebranded and expanded, becoming Paramount+. It now offers more than 30,000 episodes and movies, including originals and live sports and news.

Both of the Paramount+ plans cost well under $20, with the main difference between the two being ads and price:

Limited Commercials: $4.99 per month (or $49.99 per year) after a free trial
Commercial Free: $9.99 per month (or $99.99 per year) after a free trial

You can also bundle Paramount+ with Showtime for $11.99 per month with ads, or $14.99 per month without.

To learn more: Visit ParamountPlus.com.

5. Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video on a TV — Juan Ci / Shutterstock.com

Amazon’s streaming service, Prime Video, doesn’t offer live TV or the largest library, with hundreds of TV shows and movies, including Amazon Originals. But it’s included with an Amazon Prime membership and easily costs less than $20 per month regardless of whether you have Amazon Prime:

If you have Amazon Prime, access to Prime Video is included in the $14.99-per-month (or $139-per-year) cost of your membership.
If you don’t have Amazon Prime, you can subscribe to Prime Video as a standalone service for $8.99 per month.

To learn more: Visit Amazon's Prime Video webpage.

Other options

Peacock streaming TV service — monticello / Shutterstock.com

While the above options are among the major players in streaming TV, they are by no means the only ones costing less than $20 a month.

In fact, some of the other streaming options out there cost as little as $4.99 per month (and one even has a free option), so you might be able to sign up for more than one and still limit your total monthly cost to 20 bucks. Examples include: