Those seeking last-minute Christmas presents for TV and movie fans should look no further than this comprehensive streaming services gift guide. The ever-swelling ranks of streaming service options mean it can be difficult to select the right plan in 2021, with the offered content on each platform varying greatly between providers. In particular, platform-exclusive titles can present the biggest challenge for prospective streaming shoppers, with many popular film and TV releases this year linked solely to streaming platforms' personal production companies.
This year has seen several new platforms establish a foothold within the streaming market. The Peacock service is one such example, already boasting a large portfolio of originals, sitcom favorites, and live sports despite only being launched in July 2020. This is just one of many last-minute Christmas present options, however, with Netflix, Apple, Disney+, Amazon, Paramount+, Shudder, and HBO Max all offering a phenomenal array of content that continues to grow by the day.
So which streaming service gift subscription is the right option to pick? Often this decision comes down to which specific content is offered on which service and selecting a price and plan that best fits the recipient's needs. To help you choose, here's a complete streaming service gift guide detailing each platform's best content, extras, and pricing this festive season.
Apple TV+
First launched in late 2019, Apple's own video platform has made waves in the streaming world with a number of award-winning Apple TV+ originals, with the beloved Ted Lasso season 2 taking home a whopping seven Emmys this awards season. Other notable Apple TV+ originals to date include The Morning Show, Mythic Quest, Invasion, Servant, and See. Apple TV+ is available on a wide array of smart TVs and streaming devices while offering superb connectivity across all Apple products.
What You Get - A glut of award-winning series, compelling dramas, groundbreaking documentaries, kid-friendly entertainment, and comedy alongside high-quality Apple TV+ originals.
What It Costs - A monthly Apple TV+ subscription is $4.99 per month after a free seven-day trial or $14.95 per month as part of a 5-service Apple One bundle. Apple also offers Apple TV+ free for three months with the purchase of an Apple device or free with an Apple Music Student Plan.
Netflix
First launched in 1997 as a DVD-by-mail rental service, Netflix's streaming catalog has since become synonymous with the idea of a modern video platform. Netflix has been consistently churning out quality, compelling original series and movies, with 2021 alone seeing the release of groundbreaking shows such as Squid Game, The Chair, and Clickbait. The recently released Red Notice has also broken the platform's own all-time streaming record, with the Ryan Reynolds-led espionage comedy logging a mammoth 328.8 million viewing hours since its release.
What You Get - Netflix offers an eye-watering 3,600+ movies and more than 1,800 TV shows available to its subscribers, including a host of original content dating back to 2012.
What It Costs - Netflix has three subscription plans to choose from, all of which grant instant access to every title available on the platform. The Basic plan costs $8.99 per month and gives SD video quality limited to one stream. The Standard plan costs $13.99 a month and unlocks HD video quality for up to two simultaneous streams. The Premium plan costs $17.99 per month and unlocks 4K Ultra HD where applicable for up to four simultaneous streams.
Disney+
Whereas other streaming platforms offer a wide array of genres, Disney+ is a more specialized service geared towards providing unparalleled access to content from a select number of studios. Disney+ houses exclusive content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and more, with many of its titles unavailable anywhere else. Disney+ includes brand new Marvel series in the form of Hawkeye, Loki, and WandaVison, as well as being the official home of all Star Wars universe content, The Simpsons, and a glut of other beloved franchises.
What You Get - Unlimited entertainment from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, as well other franchises exclusive to Disney+.
What It Costs - Disney+ costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year, with either payment model granting all available Disney+ perks. Disney+ also offers a bundle option with ESPN and Disney's Hulu, which grants access to live TV and sports for an additional $13.99 per month with ads or an additional $19.99 per month for the ad-free version.
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Prime Video
Amazon's Prime Video streaming service certainly does not want for options with a near-endless array of content for movie and TV fans which includes the nifty X-Ray feature, which details the actors and other personnel involved in any given title scene by scene. A Prime Video membership also grants access to Amazon's impressive catalog of original content, with the studio's latest fantasy epic The Wheel Of Time complementing their other beloved originals that include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Bosch, Sneaky Pete, and Fleabag. Prime Video subscribers also have access to many VOD releases of in-theatre titles unavailable anywhere else.
What You Get - A rotating selection of 24,000 movies and over 2,100 shows are available to rent each month, with Prime Video subscribers getting free access to "included with Prime" marked titles as well as all Amazon original content.
What It Costs - Prime Video is included with an Amazon Prime membership for $13 a month or $119 a year. Prime Video can also be purchased on its own for $9 a month.
Peacock
NBC Universal's streaming division Peacock has fast amassed an exciting amount of content, snagging beloved sitcoms such as The Office and Parks and Recreation for its platform in January 2021. Peacock is also building a strong library of original content, with the nail-biting true story Dr. Death highly rated alongside A.P. Bio and Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. A premium Peacock account also allows access to a wide array of live TV and sporting events, as well sporting recaps, contests, analysis, and more.
What You Get - There are 910 movies and 345 TV shows to date on Peacock, alongside sport, news, and talk shows for premium subscribers.
What It Costs - Peacock's basic subscription is entirely free, offering access (with ads) to Peacock originals (like Saved by the Bell season 2) and a select amount of the platform's content. If you want to unlock all of the content Peacock has to offer, you can upgrade your account to Peacock Premium at $4.99 a month or $49.99 per year. Peacock Premium Plus is also available for those looking to eliminate ads for an additional $5 per month or $50 per year on top of the premium plan.
Paramount+
Paramount's standalone streaming service is a rebrand of CBS All Access, with several targeted originals and series revivals to date that are sure to excite. Star Trek: Picard is already a fan favorite, with Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic sci-fi role. Paramount+ also is a prominent pick for those looking for nostalgia, with the streaming service creating originals and hosting exclusive catalogs for the Spongebob, The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, and Love Island franchises.
What You Get - More than 30,000 episodes and movies from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Paramount Pictures, and Smithsonian Channel, plus exclusive originals, live sports, breaking news, kids and family programming, as well as access to your local CBS station (with a Premium plan only).
What It Costs - The Paramount+ Essential plan costs $4.99 per month and grants access to most titles with ads, while the Paramount+ Premium plan costs $9.99 per month for an ad-free subscription.
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Shudder
Shudder is an unparalleled destination for horror fans, with the streaming service singularly geared towards all things scary in film and TV. Popular horror classics on Shudder include Salem's Lot, The House of the Devil, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with the service also promising to deliver harrowing hidden gems to even the most ardent horror aficionado. Shudder has also produced a serious catalog of Shudder original horror movies, with the French-made Revenge and Mexican-produced Belzebuth two highlights here that delight in artfully delivering ample thrills and chills.
What You Get - Shudder offers 356 movies, 40 series, and seven podcasts to subscribers, with over 115 of these being original titles.
What It Costs - Access to every title on Shudder costs $5.99 per month, $56.99 per year when opting for the annual plan.
HBO Max
HBO's standalone streaming service offers unlimited access to HBO's back-catalog of content as well as many only-in-cinema VOD hybrid releases. Critically acclaimed HBO classics such as The Wire, The Sopranos, and Six Feet Under dovetail with new HBO Max originals that include Doom Patrol, The Flight Attendant, and Hacks. HBO Max is also no stranger to exclusive superhero content, being the only platform to host Wonder Woman 1984 and Justice League: The Snyder Cut at the time of each film's respective release.
What You Get - The service bundles all of HBO together with even more TV favorites, blockbuster movies, and new Max Originals for everyone in the family, including Friends, Looney Tunes, Wonder Woman, the Studio Ghibli collection, and many more.
What It Costs - HBO Max costs $9.99 per month with ads or $14.99 per month for the ad-free version. It is also worth noting when selecting a streaming services gift plan that only the $14.99 per month option includes offline downloads, and Warner Bros. 2021 movie premieres the same day as theaters.
Next: HBO Max: Every Movie & TV Show Coming In December 2021