All 26 Movie & TV Streaming Services in Canada Compared 2021

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Updated January 13, 2023
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Tired of scrolling through the channels on your cable guide only to realize there’s nothing on? Sick of having access to hundreds of different cable or satellite channels but never having anything good to watch?

Enter streaming services like Netflix that let you watch what you want, when you want. And the best part is we’re living in the era of the streaming wars, so there are more options than ever before.

If you’re tired of the same old thing on TV, or looking for a great alternative to Netflix, here are all 26 streaming services that are available in Canada — including a couple options you can watch for free!

Streaming services in Canada comparison

ServicePrice Per MonthAnnual PriceFree TrialSimultaneousOffline viewingKnown for
Disney+$8.99$89.997 days4 devicesYesStar Wars, Marvel, Pixar
Netflix$9.99/$14.99/$18.99No1/2/4 screensYesOriginals like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things
YouTube Premium$11.99/$17.991 month1/5 accountsYesAd-free YouTube & Music
fuboTV$15.99/$21.987 days2/3 screens30 hours storagebeIN Sports, Fight Network, Paramount Network
Apple TV+$5.997 days5 family membersYesOprah Talks, Servant, Helpsters, Snoopy in Space
hayu$5.991 month1 screenYesReality shows like Keeping up with the Kardashians, Top Chef, Real Housewives
CBC Gem$0/$4.99 ad-free1 month5 screensNoCanCon like Schitt’s Creek, Kim’s Convenience
The Roku Channel$0, add-ons availableVariesNo limitVariesWatching other streaming services ("channels") all in one place
DAZN$20$1501 month2 devicesNoLive sports like NFL, Premier League & MLB Network
The Criterion Channel$10.99 USD$99.99 USD14 days3YesClassic movies like Raging Bull, The 39 Steps, Godzilla
Britbox$8.99$89.997 days5Only through Apple TVBritish shows like Doctor Who, Mr Bean, Pride and Prejudice
Sundance Now$6.99 USD$59.99 USD7 days1SomeIndependent films and docs like Whiplash, Burn After Reading, The Queen
CBS All Access$5.991 month225 shows/moviesCBS shows like NCIS, Survivor, Elementary
Plex$0/$6.49$0/$49.993YesCreate and share your own media library
Crave$9.99/$19.981 month2YesLetterkenny, Showtime/Add-on HBO shows like Westworld, The Big Bang Theory, The Handmaid’s Tale
Amazon Prime Video$7.99, free with Prime1 month3SomeOriginals like Jack Ryan, The Grand Tour, Carnival Row
Shudder$5.99 USD$56.99 USD7 days1NoHorror & thrillers like Halloween, Oldboy, Scream
HighballTV$7$707 daysYesFilm festival films like Luba, What We Do in the Shadows, Steel City
Kanopy$0 (and ad-free)1NoFree for students or library card holders from a participating library, college, or university (limited views per month)
Acorn TV$7.49$74.994NoBritish TV like Midsomer Murders, Miss Fisher
CuriosityStream$2.99 USD$19.99 USDNo limit10 hours storageDocumentaries like Conscious Capitalism, Sacred Spaces, Big Cats
Club illico$151NoFrench versions of James Bond, 300, Flash
Crunchyroll$7.99$69.9914 days2 family membersOnly on mobile through VRV.coAnime & manga like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Naruto Shippuden, Attack on Titan
tubi$01NoParamount, Lionsgate, MGM content like The Island, There Will Be Blood, The Passion of the Christ
MUBI$9.99$83.882YesCurated cinema and cult classics like Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, The Border Fence
Spuul$4.99$49.991 monthNo limitYesBollywood titles like Kahaani 2, Naseeb, and Anjaam

Best streaming devices to watch your content on

The easiest and most convenient way to enjoy many of the services below is through a streaming device (formally known as a “set-top box”). It is like a cable box in that it’s a device that receives a digital signal that you can watch on your television. We recommend the following streaming devices that support the streaming services listed below:

1. Disney+

Some people hear about Disney’s streaming service and ask why they’d want it. But when you scroll through what’s available, you remember that they have made some incredible movies over the years, including all the gems from Pixar.

Plus, they are now the proud parent company of Marvel and Lucasfilm, and that means Disney+ has an awesome selection of Star Wars movies and shows, as well as Marvel superhero films, plus the hilarious and endearing Pixar movies, Disney+ originals, The Simpsons and documentary series from National Geographic.

Ways to watch

You can watch from just about any platform, including computers, Android and iOS devices, smart TVs, Amazon FireTV, Roku, Xbox One, and more. Check out their site for a full list.

Pricing

$8.99 monthly, or save a few dollars and pay $89.99 for an annual subscription.

Top shows and exclusive content

Disney+ is great for adults as much as it is for kids and families. Here are some of the most popular titles:

  • Star Wars
  • The Muppets
  • The Mandalorian
  • Togo
  • The World According to Jeff Goldblum
  • Iron Man
  • Guardians of the Galaxy
  • The Simpsons

2. Netflix

Netflix does their best to host content that will appeal to anyone and everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a kid, senior, or something in between — there’s plenty to watch for viewers of all ages.

And they have shows and movies in just about every genre, including comedy, romance, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, true crime, and documentaries. More recently, they’ve been adding a lot of foreign-language murder mystery shows to the Netflix Canada site, so they are becoming a better option if you love international content.

Ways to watch

Netflix makes it incredibly easy to watch, so platforms include desktop and laptop computers, PlayStation, Xbox, smart TVs, Chromecast, Blu-ray players, Wii, Android, iOS, Apple TV, and more.

Pricing

Netflix has three monthly plans:

  • Basic costs $9.99 and you can watch on 1 screen
  • Standard costs $14.99 and you can watch on 2 screens
  • Premium costs $18.99 and you can watch on 4 screens

Top shows and exclusive content

There is a ton of exclusive original content on Netflix, including the ever-popular shows:

  • Stranger Things
  • Orange Is the New Black
  • Ozark
  • Altered Carbon
  • El Camino (a movie spin-off of Breaking Bad)
  • Mindhunter
  • Black Mirror

And so much more. In fact, a good portion of the content on Netflix is original stuff that you won’t find elsewhere.

3. YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium gives you access to all the same great content that’s available on YouTube, but with some additional perks. For one thing, you get an ad-free experience when you watch videos and listen to music.

Another benefit is that you can actually watch or listen while using other apps. You can also download videos to watch later, and you get access to YouTube’s new music app, YouTube Music Premium. Finally, Canadian subscribers also get free access to Google Music.

Ways to watch

You can use it the same way you would watch YouTube regularly: on your PC or Mac, through some set-top boxes like Roku, on a smart TV, or through the app on your smartphone or tablet.

Pricing

$11.99 per month, but there’s also a $6.99 per month rate for students, and a family plan that’s available for $17.99 per month so you can share your membership with up to 5 other members of your household.

Top shows and exclusive content

YouTube is a trove of original content from people around the world, and there are billions of videos on the video-sharing platform. Some of the most popular are videos about crafting, product reviews, how-to guides, music, and vlogs. 

4. fuboTV

This streaming service is for the die-hard sports fans out there. fuboTV started out dedicated wholly to soccer, but since then they’ve branched out to include most sports, such as hockey, football, cycling, and baseball.

While live TV is their major offering, you can also watch sports news, shows, and movies, and they recently added some network TV shows and movies that aren’t sports related. Plus, each membership comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR, so you can record the games you can’t catch live.

Ways to watch

You can watch on your computer, or you can download the app for iOS and Android devices, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Apple TV, FireTV, and Chromecast.

Pricing

$15.99 a month, and that allows you to stream live on 2 devices at a time. You can also add streaming for a third device for an additional $5.99 a month.

Top shows and exclusive content

With fuboTV in Canada, you can watch several beIN Sports channels, BenficaTV, Fight Network, Paramount Network, GameTV, and fuboTV Network.

5. Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is a new on-demand video streaming service offering from Apple, and their response to Netflix. They have exclusive Apple original content that you won’t find anywhere else, and that includes movies and documentaries, TV shows, and kid-friendly viewing options.

Apple didn’t pull any punches when putting together programming for this service, and they got big names like Oprah, Steven Spielberg, Octavia Spencer, and Jason Momoa on board for projects. The service is still quite new, so the content offering isn’t as hefty as some of the older streaming services, but Apple is adding fresh original content every month.

Ways to watch

It is available on iOS devices, including Apple TVs, but you can also watch it using the Apple TV app on your PC, and on other smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, and more.

Pricing

It is one of the cheaper on-demand streaming services out there at $5.99 a month, or you can get a free year of Apple TV+ if you purchase an Apple TV. With the cost of subscription, you can share your account with up to five family members.

Top shows and exclusive content

Some of the great content available through this service right now includes titles like:

  • See
  • Oprah’s Book Club
  • The Morning Show
  • Amazing Stories
  • Home Before Dark
  • Little America

6. hayu

Hayu is NBC’s foray into the world of on-demand streaming, and this service is dedicated to reality TV. On hayu, you’ll find anything from true crime to cooking to dance competitions, and every other type of reality programming, like dating shows, home and renovation shows, lifestyle shows, and plenty more.

Because of the limited scope of hayu, there isn’t as much content here as you might find with some of the others on the list, but they still boast over 250 titles.

Ways to watch

You can watch on Android and iOS phones, on Apple tablets, and on your computer, smart TVs, and set-top boxes.

Pricing

$5.99 a month, and they offer the first month free.

Top shows and exclusive content

All the top reality shows are on hayu, including:

  • Keeping up with the Kardashians
  • Top Chef
  • Vanderpump Rules
  • Queer Eye
  • Blind Date
  • 16 and Pregnant.

7. CBC Gem

As you might expect, CBC Gem is chock-full of great Canadian content, including all the shows, documentaries, movies, and newscasts that you’d see if you watched CBC TV, as well as some additional international content. There are three service levels available, and two of them are completely free.

You can access the site without logging in for the most basic access, or you can sign up for a free Gem membership to live stream CBC TV, watch past and current shows, and get ad-free access to children’s programming. Finally, you can also pay for the service for a nominal fee to watch your favourite shows ad-free. 

Ways to watch

You can watch online from your Mac or PC, or you can download the Gem app for iOS and Android devices, Fire TV, Android TV, and tvOS.

Pricing

It’s available free! Or, you can also upgrade to the paid version, which only costs $4.99 a month.

Top shows and exclusive content

CBC Gem has all your favourite gems from around the country, including:

  • Workin’ Moms
  • Schitt’s Creek
  • Kim’s Convenience
  • Award-winning documentaries like Equus
  • CBC live TV

8. The Roku Channel

The Roku Channel is available through the Roku device and many smart TVs. This streaming service is a little different from some of the other ones because it collects other channels and streaming services and makes them available in one convenient place. It gives you access to tons of free channels, subscription channels, and rental channels.

You can watch television, movies, news, documentaries, and sports on channels like Tubi, Cineplex Store, Red Bull TV, TED, and international channels.

Ways to watch

The most common way to watch the Roku Channel is with a Roku set-top box. All you do is add the Roku Channel to the device. Otherwise, you can also watch the channel from your computer, but you’ll have to create an account first. Another option is downloading the Roku app on your smartphone or tablet and casting it to your smart TV.

Pricing

There is a free version, but you’ll have to put up with ads. There are also a number of subscription channels you can pay for (like Netflix), and options for paid on-demand episodes and movies (through Google Play Movies and TV, for instance). 

Top shows and exclusive content

There’s a ton of content available through the Roku Channel, and you can watch children’s programming like:

  • Sesame Street
  • Award-winning films like Memento
  • British crime dramas like Midsomer Murders
  • Sports like live UFC fights

9. DAZN

This is another streaming service for sports fans, because DAZN is dedicated to streaming live and on-demand sports of all kinds. With this streaming service, you can watch hockey, baseball, soccer, boxing, rugby, tennis, cricket, and especially football.

When you subscribe, you can watch every football game of the season because you get access to NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL RedZone, and NFL Game Pass.

Ways to watch

There are plenty of ways to watch your favourite matches, including:

  • Through the app on your smartphone or tablet
  • On the computer
  • Through your game console
  • With Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV

Pricing

DAZN costs $20 a month, or you can save 40% by paying for an annual subscription, which will cost $150 for the year.

Top shows and exclusive content

The DAZN service gives you access to all the professional sports games and matches, including:

  • NFL
  • UEFA Europa League
  • MLB
  • Bellator
  • Carabao Cup

10. The Criterion Channel

The Criterion Channel is a movie streaming service provided by Criterion Collection, which is a home video distribution company that loves film. If you love cinema, then this is the streaming service for you.

Their library is home to thousands of contemporary and classic films, as well as independent, arthouse, international, and Hollywood films. Plus, this is one of the only streaming services that will let you watch classic movies that are older than the 1970s and 80s.

Ways to watch

This service is available online through your PC or Mac, through the app on your iOS or Android device, or you can download the app through Apple TV, Fire TV, and Roku.

Pricing

$10.99 USD a month. You can also opt for the $99.99 USD annual subscription to save yourself some cash. Not sure if this is the service you want? Don’t worry, they offer a 14-day free trial.

Top shows and exclusive content

As a streaming service for cinephiles, The Criterion Channel has classics, indie films, and blockbusters such as:

  • The Graduate
  • Raging Bull
  • 3:10 to Yuma (the original from 1957)
  • Withnail and I
  • Ghost World
  • A number of the original Godzilla movies.

11. BritBox

Is BBC as common a word as tea, chips, and Yorkshire pudding in your house? For all the lovers of British shows and movies, here’s the streaming service for you: BritBox.

It boasts all the best English mysteries, crime shows, comedies, dramas, soap operas, and documentaries that have ever come out of the UK. If you consider Coronation Street a time of day instead of a program, then your house can’t be without BritBox.

Ways to watch

You can watch BritBox on a web browser, through your Roku, Apple TV, or Chromecast, on a smart TV, or using the app on your smartphone or tablet.

Pricing

After the 7-day free trial, it costs $8.99 a month, or the slightly cheaper $89.99 a year. 

Top shows and exclusive content

There are way too many amazing shows and movies to list, but to give you an idea of the plethora of English goodness available on BritBox, here are a few of the most popular titles:

  • Doctor Who
  • Mr. Bean
  • Keeping up Appearances
  • Fawlty Towers
  • Father Brown
  • Blackadder

12. Sundance Now

Sundance Now has ties with the Sundance Institute (the organization that brings us the Sundance Film Festival), but it’s owned by AMC Networks. Still, the offerings on Sundance Now are what you might expect from a slightly more art-centric and independently minded streaming service.

You can watch documentaries, foreign films, biographies, educational programming, comedies, and especially true crime, thrillers, and dramas.

Ways to watch

It is available on your computer, on Android and Apple devices, and through Apple TV, Roku, and Fire TV.

Pricing

Take advantage of the 7-day free trial, and after that you’ll pay $6.99 USD a month, or $59.99 USD for an annual subscription.

Top shows and exclusive content

You will definitely find things on Sundance Now that you wouldn’t see on any other streaming service, and that includes shows like:

  • Being Human
  • A Discovery of Witches
  • Burn After Reading
  • The Queen
  • Amy

13. CBS All Access

You might expect that CBS All Access would give you access to a lot of the great content that’s available on CBS, and you’d be right. Through their streaming service, you can watch episodes of some of your favourite shows, original content, and live TV from CBS, CBSN, CBS Sports HQ, and ET Live.

However, you won’t be able to watch everything that’s available on CBS, but there’s still a great selection of children’s programming, reality TV, dramatic series, comedies, and more.

Ways to watch

You can watch on your smartphone, tablet, computer, smart TV, game console, or set-top box.

Pricing

Plans start at just $5.99 a month.

Top shows and exclusive content

Several of the network’s most popular shows are available on CBS All Access, including:

  • NCIS
  • Big Brother
  • Picard
  • Young Sheldon

14. Plex   

Plex is a great option for families on a budget because it offers thousands of movies, live TV, news, web series, and shows for free. No matter what type of genre you like, including horror, Bollywood, sci-fi, romance, drama, anime, and beyond, you’re guaranteed to find some titles on Plex that float your boat.

All you have to do is put in your email address and create a password to start watching. There’s also a premium version called Plex Pass that gives you additional options like adding parental controls and a mobile sync so you can watch movies and shows offline. Just be warned that all the Plex options, even the paid account, are ad-supported.

Ways to watch

Plex is available online on your Mac or PC, and you can also stream it on your smartphone, tablet, or smart TV.

Pricing

Plex is available completely free, and you get access to their full catalogue of titles just by signing up. You can also upgrade to the Plex Pass for $6.49 a month, $49.99 a year, or $159.99 for a lifetime membership.

Top shows and exclusive content

It doesn’t matter if you love anything from the 70s to current movies and shows: you’ll definitely find something on Plex to keep you busy, like:

  • Rain Man
  • Thelma and Louise
  • Escape from New York
  • Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey
  • Leaving Las Vegas

15. Crave

Crave is Bell Media’s streaming service, and the basic package will get you Crave original series, Showtime content, and some classic HBO series. While the basic package has plenty of content to keep you busy, you’ll have to upgrade if you want access to movies and some newer shows.

Crave has add-ons that let you watch movies, new HBO shows, content from Starz, and French movies and shows. 

Ways to watch

It is available on your computer, smartphone, tablet, game consoles, set-top boxes, and more.

Pricing

Basic costs $9.99 a month. You can add movies and new HBO for an additional $9.99 a month, Starz for $5.99 per month, and Super Écran (French content) for $9.99.

Top shows and exclusive content

Depending on which add-ons you opt for, Crave can give you access to incredible shows like:

  • Westworld
  • The Big Bang Theory
  • The Handmaid’s Tale
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm
  • Homeland
  • Letterkenny
  • Aquaman
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
  • Crazy Rich Asians
  • The Big Lebowski

16. Amazon Prime Video

You might know about Amazon Prime as the paid account that gets you free shipping through Amazon and other great perks, but did you know that you also get access to Amazon’s streaming service?

Amazon Prime Video has TV shows like Mr. Robot, Hollywood blockbusters like The Godfather trilogy, and original content from Amazon that’s not available anywhere else. If you download the Prime Video app, you can also download movies and shows to your mobile device to watch offline.

Ways to watch

It can be accessed from your computer, on your smartphone or tablet, and through some smart TVs.

Pricing

Amazon Prime costs $7.99 a month, and that gets you access to the video streaming service on three devices at a time, free shipping, same-day delivery (in some cities), Prime Music, and all the other advantages that come with membership.

Top shows and exclusive content

Prime Video has a whole host of movies and TV shows, as well as some Amazon original content, like:

  • Jack Ryan
  • Hunters
  • Fleabag
  • The Man in the High Castle
  • Good Omens
  • The Grand Tour
  • The Boys
  • The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
  • Sneaky Pete

17. Shudder

Do scary stories make you giggle with delight? Do you love feeling scared enough to sleep with the lights on? If that sounds like you, then you’ve met your match. Shudder is another streaming service from AMC, but this one is dedicated entirely to horrors, thrillers, and on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense stories.

A subscription will get you access to movies, shows, Shudder TV, podcasts, live streaming events, and even Shudder originals.

Ways to watch

It is available through the same platforms as most other streaming services, including set-top boxes, Apple and Android devices, and game consoles.

Pricing

Monthly subscriptions start at $5.99 USD a month, or $56.99 USD for the year.

Top shows and exclusive content

The horror catalogue on Shudder is extensive, and you’ll find:

  • Child’s Play
  • It Follows
  • 3 From Hell
  • Greg Nicotero’s Creepshow
  • Daniel Isn’t Real
  • The Wrath
  • Belzebuth

18. HighballTV

As you’ve probably noticed, fierce competition from the streaming wars has forced many services to specialize the type of content they offer, and HighballTV focuses on gleaning underrated films from film festivals like Cannes, Sundance, and TIFF, and bringing them together in one convenient place. If you love quirky, independent, and thought-provoking cinema, then HighballTV has your name on it.

Ways to watch

HighballTV is available on your computer, your mobile device, and on your television through Roku, Chromecast, or Apple TV.

Pricing

After a 7-day free trial, you can continue watching for $7 a month or $70 a year. They also have a selection of titles that you can rent or buy for an additional cost.

Top shows and exclusive content

Unless you’ve followed the film festival circuits, you might not be familiar with a lot of the actors, directors, and titles on HighballTV, but a sample of their amazing content includes:

  • What We Do in the Shadows
  • Luba
  • The Red Balloon

19. Kanopy

Kanopy is unique on this list because it’s completely free and completely ad-free. This is because it is available through public libraries and schools around the country, so you can watch films on this streaming service for free just as you’d check a book out of the library.

Most of the content is a little more sophisticated than what you might find on the more mainstream streaming services, and you can watch thousands of award-winning movies, foreign films, critically acclaimed flicks, and documentaries, all at no cost.

To access the service, all you need is a student card number or library card number from a participating library, college, or university.

Ways to watch

Watch on your smart TV, computer, mobile device, or on your television using Apple TV, Fire TV, and other set-top boxes. 

Pricing

Kanopy is free through participating universities and libraries across the country. Check if it is available to you through their find your public library or find your university resources.

Top shows and exclusive content

Some of the titles you can watch on Kanopy include:

  • Babel
  • Margot at the Wedding
  • Cleo from 5 to 7
  • Miss Representation

20. Acorn TV

Acorn TV is similar to Britbox in that it offers a large selection of British content, but it also has programming from a number of commonwealth countries, Spain, and Mexico. The focus of Acorn TV is television series, including mysteries, dramas, comedies, foreign language series, and crime stories, but they also have some feature films and Acorn original series, with new content being added weekly.

Ways to watch

It is available on all the regular platforms, including online from your computer, on an Android or Apple device or streaming device, on Roku, and on Fire TV.

Pricing

A month-to-month subscription is $7.49, or you can opt for the cost-saving annual membership and pay $74.99.

Top shows and exclusive content

On this streaming service you’ll find British favourites like Line of Duty and Doc Martin, but they also have exclusive Acorn originals like Keeping Faith, Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, Queens of Mystery, and Detectorists.

21. CuriosityStream

The special focus of CuriosityStream is documentaries. You’ve got your nature documentaries, your history documentaries, your science, nature, and technology documentaries, and just about every other type of documentary you could imagine. In fact, it is home to thousands of educational non-fiction, including award-winning original and exclusive content.

Ways to watch

You can catch your favourite documentaries on your computer, phone, or tablet, and also download programs onto your mobile device to watch later.

Pricing

There are a few plans available, depending on whether you want a monthly or annual subscription, and whether you want to view in HD or 4K:

  • HD streaming is $2.99 USD per month or $19.99 USD for the year
  • 4K streaming is $9.99 USD or $69.99 USD for the year

Top shows and exclusive content

No matter what type of documentaries you like, this streaming service will have content that piques your curiosity, such as:

  • Conscious Capitalism
  • Global Food
  • Space Probes
  • Sacred Spaces
  • Big Cats
  • Storm Chaser’s Guide

22. Club illico

Club illico is the only streaming service on this list that’s dedicated to providing Canadian viewers with exclusively French content. That includes French versions of popular TV shows and movies, such as documentaries, horrors, comedies, dramas, international content, fantasies, family friendly content, and more. This service also has original productions out of Quebec, and Club illico original content.

Ways to watch

Aside from watching directly on your computer, or from the app on your Android or Apple device, the only other way to watch is through Chromecast.

Pricing

If you’re a Vidéotron customer, you can sign up for TV packages that include Club illico. Otherwise, existing Vidéotron customers can subscribe to Club illico for $9.99 a month, and non-customers can subscribe for $15 a month.  

Top shows and exclusive content

Check out Club illico to watch French versions of hit movies and shows like:

  • Veronica Mars
  • Argo
  • Casino Royale
  • Troy

As well as exclusive original Club illico productions like:

  • Mon fils
  • L’Académie
  • En Fugue
  • La Faille
  • Victor Lessard

23. Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is your one-stop streaming service for all things manga, anime, and Japanese drama. Beyond that, there are also simulcasts available directly from Japan, so you can keep up with all your favourite episodes as they’re available. They have tons of free teasers on the site, but you’ll have to sign up and pay for a premium account for access to full shows and series.  

Ways to watch

This streaming service has fewer platform options than some of the others on the list, but you can still watch on your TV, mobile devices, and directly on your computer.

Pricing

$7.99 a month, $22.99 for three months, or $69.99 for a year.

Top shows and exclusive content

You’ll find thousands upon thousands of manga and anime episodes on Crunchyroll, including popular titles like:

  • Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
  • Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
  • Naruto Shippuden
  • Attack on Titan
  • One Punch Man
  • One Piece

24. tubi

Tubi is another one of the unicorn streaming services that’s available completely free. There are thousands of movie and show titles on this service, and you never have to pay a dime. In fact, you don’t even have to register to watch movies, but you will have to create a free account if you want to add movies to your queue.

The trade-off, however, is that you do have to deal with ads, but they do their best to keep the interruptions to a minimum.

Ways to watch

Even though Tubi is free, it’s still available through a number of platforms. You can watch it online, but also through game consoles (Xbox and PlayStation), on some smart TVs, on mobile devices, and through set-top boxes.

Pricing

Free!

Top shows and exclusive content

There’s no exclusive or original content on Tubi, but they do have a large catalogue of movies, including past hits like:

  • The Island
  • There Will Be Blood
  • The Passion of the Christ

25. MUBI

MUBI is a great option for people who love cult classics and modern cinema. On this service you’ll find a selection of foreign films, undiscovered gems, arthouse films, classic cinema, and more.

They add a new movie every day, and let you download movies to your mobile device to watch offline whenever you want. It isn’t for binge-watchers, though, because there are only ever 30 titles available at a time, and movies are only available for 30 days.

Ways to watch

You can watch just about anywhere, including on your Android and Apple devices, on your computer, through all the streaming devices, on your smart TV, and you can cast movies to a smart TV from your mobile device.

Pricing

$9.99 a month, or $83.88 for a full year subscription.

Top shows and exclusive content

MUBI has plenty of movies that you’ll never be able to find elsewhere, including titles like:

  • The Toxic Avenger
  • Detachment
  • 3 Idiots

26. Spuul

Spuul’s tagline is “10,000 hours of your favourite Bollywood movies,” so what more do we need to say? If you love Bollywood, then you’ve found your ideal streaming service.

There is a selection of ad-supported movies available if you create a free account, and you can even download movies to your mobile device with the basic account. The premium account, however, gets you access to tons of ad-free movies, 100 live TV channels, more language options, and recording capabilities.

Ways to watch

Watch all your favourite Bollywood movies on your Android or Apple device, through Chromecast, or on your smart TV.

Pricing

$4.99 a month, or $49.99 for the year.

Top shows and exclusive content

There isn’t any original content on Spuul, but membership gets you access to over 1,000 Bollywood titles, including Kahaani 2, Naseeb, and Anjaam.

Summary

There’s nothing quite like binge-watching all the episodes of your favourite show when a new season launches, and that’s one of the best things about streaming services versus cable or satellite television. Unlike TV, streaming services let you watch shows and movies on-demand, so you don’t have to wait for new episodes to air or plan your evening around timeslots.

Streaming movies and shows from the comfort of your home is also a great way to spend a quiet day off, relax at the end of your shift, connect with family, or share something with friends and loved ones.

Luckily most of them offer some sort of free trial so you can decide if you want to commit to a subscription. And because new services are popping up all the time, there’s sure to be a streaming service that caters to your tastes, regardless of whether you love British crime dramas, horror movies, international flicks, independent films, Hollywood blockbusters, or any other type of cinema.

Over to you

What streaming service do you think provides the most bang for your buck? Help other Canadians choose the right service by sharing your advice in the comments below.

About the author

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Ashley Tonkens
Hi! I'm Ashley, and I'm a freelance writer living in Nelson, BC. When I'm not at my computer, I love to get out hiking, biking, swimming, and camping. My dog, Harriet, comes just about everywhere with me. Except swimming—she absolutely hates the water. I grew up in Ontario, but now live in an incredible small town in B.C. that’s rich with culture, full of cool people, and surrounded by trees, mountains, lakes, hot springs, glaciers, and adventures of all kinds. Ashley has a Master's Degree in Journalism and a Bachelor's Degree in English Language and Literature from Western University. LinkedIn Read more

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18 comments

  1. Pluto is a new free service.
    Personally I find Disney+ and Apple movies subpar, but there’s no denial they have their target market and its big enough to pay their costs.

    Reply
  2. MUBI has changed their offering sometime back from a film being added, and the oldest film leaving per day to include a library.

    The library greatly expands what is available. Some items are time limited while others seem to be there possibly in perpetuity.

    Always something of interest, and the “leaving soon” category is a good motivator and presents surprises for choosing something to watch.

    Reply
  3. Completely overlooked RiverTV! Mostly Corus Entertainment channels (Global, History, NatGeo, etc), at a great value $16.99/m, with look-back from 3-7 days, and plenty of on-demand. Also, movie addons like Hollywood Suite starting from $3.99 per month. Check it out!

    Reply
  4. Sportsnet NOW and TSN Direct offer streaming versions of their cable channels, plus online-only bonus content and on-demand game replays and other content, for roughly $20 monthly each (and less per-month if you subscribe for multiple months at a time). Sportsnet and TSN cover NHL hockey, NBA basketball and Major League Baseball far over what DAZN provides, as well as other leagues that are not on DAZN at all: US NCAA college sports, FIFA World Cup soccer, junior hockey, curling, figure skating, WWE and AEW pro-wrestling, golf and tennis major tournaments, UFC MMA and CFL football.

    Reply
  5. Cool article. I had no idea so many streaming services were available in Canada although I imagine many of the American ones limit the content available to Canadians (Netflix, I’m looking at you). But still, there are suggestions that I hadn’t even heard of before. Also kudos on updating the list. Thanks.

    Reply
  6. Prime with the channels feature is the best and you can subscribe and cancel at any time. So over Christmast binged on Acorn and Brit TV for free then canceled. StackTV as part of PrimeVideo is great. Netflix needs to expand like Prime did and offer channels etc.
    Have tried all the others but they all are lacking. Apple+, Disney+ etc. are good for binge watching then cancel.
    With PrimeVideo with StackTV you get a nice package of channels like HGTV, National Geographic, History etc.
    Wish they would expand a bit more to ABC, NBC etc…

    Reply
    • Check out Rivertv they have all the same networks as stack but wuth the ability to re-watch missed episodes. Much better and doesn’t try taking money weeks early like prime video.or have the interupting popup “are you still watching?”

  7. This list is pretty great, but the one thing I find is that they are mostly American. Sometimes I’m looking for some cancon and can’t find a working app. The problem isn’t that they don’t exist, but they are not all available on all platforms.

    For example, if you own a roku, you are out of luck. Canadian channels do not play well with the device. Outside of crave which I have yet to try, the global app doesn’t work properly. You can only watch global on the app, for up to a week then shows lock. The sign in option doesn’t work. So, eventhough I can log in on my computer and get all of the content, the roku doesn’t budge.

    Ctv flat out does not exist.
    Neither do sportsnet or tsn.
    Cbc is nowhere to be found.
    There are so many… which I find a common problem among Canadian channels. What’s interesting is that they all have apps for Apple TV, Google TV and even the firestick, and it makes me worry. While this information is great, it’s not helpful without a list of products that can access these apps.

    It’s a shame too, because I really enjoy Canadian content and prefer those channels above basically everything else.

    So, what I would suggest instead is knowing what you want from the unit.
    The paid-internationally recognized channels can be found everywhere. Amazon, Disney, Apple, Netflix all work well on all of the devices. Moreover, a lot of the above listed apps exist in prime with added subscriptions as channels so they are probably more stable there instead of downloading apps and looking all over the place.

    And know that the terms change when you use certain subscriptions. For example, the price for crave sold by crave itself can be(is in my case) more expensive than if you buy with your cable or satellite provider… but once you add HBO and stars… it’s sudden more expensive with your provider than crave. But I’d worry about getting a subscription from my tv provider since I’m still not sure if the global app doesn’t work because of that, or the app itself doesn’t work.

    More, if you use the channels feature in prime, I’m willing to bet you won’t get the same amount of accounts, but some of the channels are bundled to be more expensive than they would be in individual apps.

    Anyway, none of this is a commentary on the article, but I do find that a lot of people buy things without knowing as much as they can about what they are buying or reading the fine print. And I’d hate for someone to have a subscription they wanted or paid for but couldn’t access because they didn’t know the other factors.

    Reply
  8. This has to be one of the most exhaustive lists I’ve found for streaming services available in Canada, and you guys obviously worked hard to write it, but it’s still missing some elements.

    Among popular ones that you missed are:
    -Funimation (for animes)
    -Ici tou.tv (important French language service)
    -Facebook Watch
    -TV Pokemon
    -The CTV app and CTV.ca
    -Quibi (newly released)

    Less popular ones include:
    -Fandor
    -GuideDoc
    -Hollywood Suite
    -Insight TV
    -Marquee TV
    -OUTtv Go
    -Spectiv
    -Stingray Qello
    -Tastemade

    You could also take in account the different add-ons (called “channels”) for Prime Video and Apple TV, which can be considered streaming collections in their own right.

    Reply
  9. I found Britbox very difficult to manage. If you watch a couple of episodes in a series then want to go back the next day, you can’t find it without a lot of difficulty. I found Amazon Prime to be the same.

    Reply
    • Prime works the same as Netflix. It displays your in-progress shows, which episodes you’ve watched, etc. It’s all on the main screen. Note this is using the mobile app + Chromecast. Could be different in Android TV, Roku, etc.

  10. Another free Canadian service that should be worth checking out comes courtesy of the CTV network and is completely free. It’s CTV Throwback which has a lot of great classic TV series on it like “Baywatch”, “Bewitched”, “The Partridge Family”, “The Jeffersons”, and “The Facts Of Life”, to name a few. There are new series added every week. You can also go to CTV Movies to watch classic and modern movies from some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Right now, it’s my second favorite go-to free streaming site, next to TUBI which also has a lot of great movies and series in it and is growing in popularity and gaining better titles every week.

    Reply
    • You’re right! We’ve updated the list with the latest prices and to include every option in Canada.