There is almost too much to choose from when it comes to the best streaming services in Australia. Whether you're on the hunt for original movies, new releases or binge-worthy TV series, every streaming service is pumping out quality content left and right. From dominant worldwide names like Netflix, Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus to Aussie exclusives like Binge and Stan, Australian audiences are spoilt for choice.
While it would be great to just subscribe to all of them and pop in and out depending on what's showing, these pesky little streaming services add up quickly. And while content is constantly being provided, the value found in them is changing from month to month, if not week to week. That's why it's important to know not just which platform is the best generally, but which platform is the best currently. More than that, the best streaming service for one person is going to differ from what is best for someone else. Whether you prefer TV shows or movies, classics or new releases or just want a pool of sitcoms to listen to while you scroll through Instagram.
Even if you're looking for something off the beaten path, like 1970s French films, weird British television dramas, reality TV or sports, there's a streaming service in Australia that will perfectly suit your needs.
As these platforms constantly change, we’ll keep this guide up-to-date with the latest news, and our picks of what to watch each month so you know exactly what you’re getting out of your subscription.
Recent updates
April 05, 2024: updated the streaming service of the month, and refreshed recommended shows for streaming service.
Streaming service of the month (April 2024)
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Best TV streaming service 2024 overview:
- Netflix
- Stan
- Disney Plus
- Binge
- Amazon Prime Video
- Apple TV Plus
- Foxtel Now
- Paramount Plus
Best TV streaming service 2024:
What is the best TV streaming service you can get right now?
If you hear the term streaming service, you think of Netflix and that's for good reason. Netflix has long been a powerhouse of good content with a massive catalogue on offer, even if the Aussie library doesn't quite match that of its US counterpart. While the writers' strike in 2023 might have caused some delays, the introduction and improvement of more and more competitors has diminished Netflix's hold on the industry. Nonetheless, it is constantly churning out fresh shows and movies and is undoubtedly the King of streaming platforms.
In its library, you’ll find popular shows like Yellowjackets, Outlander, Rick and Morty and more, but its main drawcard is the Netflix Original shows and movies. Since 2013, Netflix has been delivering audiences unique and original content, and now in 2024, there’s a smorgasbord of hit series to watch courtesy of the platform. While certainly not every Netflix original has been a hit, shows like American Nightmare, Wednesday, Beef, Stranger Things and Never Have I Ever make up for it.
Netflix has been known to smash fans' hearts by axing even seemingly popular shows early on. Just last year, Netflix continued on its cancellation spree, cutting both the supernatural period horror show 1899 and the sci-fi adult animated comedy Inside Job after one season, so it's a good idea to keep history in the back of your mind when you're In Love All Over Again with a new series (that's another cancelled show).
As for costs, like everything else, Netflix has steadily increased in cost since its introduction Down Under (with the potential for another price hike later in 2024) and its plans have seen some alteration in recent years. Introduced in 2022, Netflix's cheapest tier, 'Standard with ads', will set you back only AU$6.99 per month, though you will have to slog through a limited library and ads before and during content.
If you want to stay ad-free, the Standard subscription provides two full HD concurrent streams, the ability to download shows and movies, and the option to add a non-household member to your account for an extra AU$7.99 per month, a result of Netflix’s password sharing crackdown in 2023. You’ll get two of these optional slots in the AU$22.99 Premium plan, along with Ultra HD streams across four devices at once, Netflix Spatial Audio and downloads for six devices.
While Netflix can get expensive, its content library, feature-packed subscription plans, consistent streaming quality and easy-to-navigate user interface are still unrivalled. Though other platforms aren’t far behind anymore, it might not be long before Netflix finally drops from its top spot on this list.
While there are some hot releases on Netflix right now, from Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen, Griselda, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Shameless, April 2024 will see the addition of Parasite: The Grey, The Hijacking of Flight 601, The Circle Season 5, Good Times, Deliver Me and more.
Verdict: 5/5
Australia’s very first streaming service releasing way back in early 2015, Stan has always been an incredibly popular streaming option. It’s undergone some major changes in the last nine years, shuffling its library and increasing pricing plans, with its most recent jump to AU$12 per month for the Basic plan in early March 2024. That's still a pretty good price for ad-free viewing, plus Stan has one of the longest free trials on offer, with a full 30-day free trial to test the service out before dropping a cent.
It doesn't quite beat out Netflix for the top spot, as its content library, while considerable, is quite a bit smaller than Netflix overall. Despite that, it's not like you'll be stuck searching for something to watch as Stan hosts an impressive list of global and Aussie-made shows across a variety of genres. Adding even more value to their content library is Stan Sport, which brings fans live and on-demand sports like Boxing and Rugby under one subscription for an extra AU$15 per month.
Stan has three base tiers ranging from AU$12 p/m for one SD stream, all the way up to AU$21 p/m for four 4K streams on its Premium subscription plan. Each plan also can download onto at least one device, and you can add or remove Stan Sport at any time during your subscription.
Alongside Aussie shows like Bump, Scrublands, Colin from Accounts and The Tourist, you can also global hits like Fargo, The Great, Mr Robot, Better Call Saul and more across every subscription plan for Stan.
Verdict: 4.5/5
There’s a lot of appeal to Disney Plus, and compared to when the service first landed in Australia, the library has grown extensively. However, its main draw card continues to be its massive family-friendly library that also packs in big shows and movies from both Star Wars and Marvel.
The addition of Star in 2021 really diversified the Disney Plus line-up – doubling the library and offering high-quality adult-oriented content. While this came with a price increase, Star gave subscribers access to content from other Disney-owned brands like ABC, Disney TV Studios, FX, Touchstones, 20th Century Studios and more.
As of March 5, 2024, Disney Plus now offers two subscription tiers – Standard for AU$13.99 per month / AU$139.99 per year or Premium for AU$17.99 per month / AU$179.99 per year. Premium adds 4K content, Dolby Audio and four concurrent streams. Meanwhile, the Standard tier costs the same as the previous Disney Plus subscription, but now only offers two concurrent streams, HD quality streams and standard audio.
Disney Plus has also previously offered an additional cost for fast-tracked viewing of new movies including the live-action adaptation of Mulan and the highly anticipated Black Widow, but since Jungle Cruise there have been no new titles released through Premier Access.
Some of the best shows currently streaming on Disney Plus include Shogun, The Bear, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Artful Dodger and The Mandalorian. It's also the home of Grey's Anatomy, which was just renewed for its 21st season.
Verdict: 4/5
2023 was a massive year for Foxtel-owned streaming service Binge, and 2024 is already slated to bring about massive changes to the Australian platform. Back in December 2023, details about Hubbl was released, adjusting the streaming landscape for both Binge and Kayo subscribers.
From February 14, Binge customers will now access their account settings through Hubbl My Account, though beyond that plans and pricing will remain the same for the time being. The lowest Binge tier costs AU$10 p/m and, unlike Stan's AU$10 tier, Binge's basic tier, introduced back on March 30, 2023, comes with ads. Additionally, its two ad-free tiers got an upgrade in October, offering 4K streams and adding on some live news channels, making the AU$18 p/m or AU$22 p/m price tag much more appealing.
There’s a lot to watch on Binge, and you can now stream across a variety of devices including consoles, phones, web browsers and directly through an app on smart TVs. But it’s Binge’s claim as the home of HBO shows in Australia that really helps this service to stand apart from its competitors, delivering massive shows and movies directly from the US that you would otherwise need a VPN for.
Among these titles, you can find the likes of The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, The White Lotus and other massive shows that arrived day-of-release to Aussie TVs on Binge, though this might change at some point in the future. There are confirmed plans for a streamer in the likes of HBO’s Max to spread to the Asia-Pacific region in late 2024, but with a multi-year contract between Warner Bros. Discover and Foxtel, HBO content will likely remain on Binge for the foreseeable future.
The service has also started to dip its toes into producing homegrown content, with the successful laugh-packed series Colin from Accounts booked for a second season after receiving a stack of nominations and wins during the 2024 awards season. So even if a library shake-up were to occur, there’s plenty to watch, with even more shows and movies coming across the next few years.
If you want to test out Binge’s 7-day free trial, here are some of the most popular shows to catch in April: Vigil, The Last of Us, The Act, Time and The Office.
Verdict: 4/5
Like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video has its own set of original series – Upload, Hunters, The Expanse and The Boys among others – but, generally speaking, they don't receive the same fanfare as their Netflix-bred brethren. The same can be said about Amazon's original movies, which often arrive on the service months after their theatrical debut.
Amazon’s theatrical library spans anything from the latest and greatest to trashy B-rated flicks and cult classics that don't appeal to the broader audience. Not all are included with Prime Video, though the service will let you know which movies come with an additional cost before you stream them. Some of these rentals can still be in cinemas and will typically be cheaper than a single movie ticket if you opt to stream it at home.
The big point of difference between Prime Video and other streaming platforms is the access to the full arsenal of tools within Amazon Prime – Amazon Music, Prime Reading, Prime Gaming and premium delivery services for a flat monthly fee of AU$9.99 or AU$79 per year. Though ads will launch in 2024, and a new ad-free tier is coming, pricing for this new tier is yet to be confirmed for Australia.
Additionally, Amazon Prime Video now gives you the option of signing up to smaller outside streaming services such as Paramount Plus and Shudder. This allows users to avoid creating multiple accounts across numerous services and instead use their Amazon Prime account to use and oversee. It also means installing fewer apps, because each of these additional services appear within Prime Video as 'Channels'.
To help curve horrendous sound mixing in movies, Amazon Prime Video has added a Dialogue Boost feature that allows viewers to increase the volume of dialogue. There are a few levels to this feature, giving additional levels of accessibility to the platform alongside captions, while AI is used to assess when this feature is needed, though it's worth noting that for the time being this is currently only available on Amazon Original shows in English, such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
New shows and movies are streaming on Prime Video each and every month, but our top picks for this month include Invincible, How to date Billy Walsh, Roadhouse, Musica, Ricky Stanicky and American Fiction.
Verdict: 4/5
Since releasing For all mankind and Morning Wars way back in 2019, it's taken some time for Apple to find its footing in the TV streaming world. Most of the content between then and, say, the beginning of 2022, you probably haven't even heard of. And it's not like Apple has provided hit after hit since then. But, the good content they provide is just a step above what most other services are providing, other than perhaps Binge through HBO, and the rare Netflix original like The Gentleman.
From Severance to Black Bird, Constellation, Palm Royale, Ted Lasso and the recent Manhunt and The New Look, there is just a certain production level, and acting and writing pedigree to Apple TV shows that you just don't see very often outside of a cinema. I mean, just in that list we have Taron Edgerton, Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan and Ben Mendohlson, and we haven't even gotten to Apple's original movies yet. Of course, this is in large part due to the ludicrous amount of money Apple has, but just because they have the money doesn't mean they're going to use it properly, and they are.
Speaking of movies, one of the biggest strings to Apple TV Plus's bow is the speed at which Apple-produced films come to its streaming platform, and they're really only just getting started. Now, Apple Original films that have debuted on Apple TV Plus are a given, and they're often very good. Tom Hanks' Finch and Greyhound, Spirited, The Greatest Beer Run ever, there's even a Best Picture Oscar Winner in CODA, and Apple is still only just getting started on the movie front.
More than their Apple TV Plus originals are the Theatrically released films that zoom onto Apple TV Australia. Killers of the Flower Moon came to Apple TV Plus just five months after its theatrical release, while Napoleon was released on Apple's streaming service just two months post-theatres. With more movies coming, you can expect bigger and better movies coming to Apple TV Plus faster and faster, making this service even better. For now though, there is still plenty to love.
Verdict: 3.5/5
For years, access to Foxtel required users to sign up for a traditional pay TV subscription – that meant getting technicians over to install a box in your living room.
That all changed with Foxtel Now – a simple streaming service that only requires an internet connection and a device to stream on.
Foxtel Now is a Netflix-style, streaming-only Foxtel package that lets you watch all of the service's catch-up content, as well as its live TV streams.
All you have to do is sign up online, choose your streaming packages, download the app and away you go. Best of all, you don't have to sign any contracts and you can cancel anytime.
It must be said that if you want everything that Foxtel Now has to offer, you'll have to pay quite a bit. Foxtel Now starts at AU$25 per month for the mandatory Essentials base pack, which includes over 30 channels.
You have the option to build your own bundle or select one of the two bundles that both include the Essentials subscription. The Essentials + Movies bundle is AU$45 per month and includes over 1,000 movies in the package, whereas the All Packs bundle is currently on sale for AU$49p/m for the first 12 months (AU$104p/m thereafter) until March 31, 2024, and includes the Essentials + Movies content as well as extra sports, drama, kids and documentary channels as well.
That said, it's hard to argue with Foxtel Now's enormous content library, and the inclusion of streaming access to Foxtel's live TV channels will certainly appeal to many. Of course, if all you want is access to HBO shows and other non-sports Foxtel exclusives, you're better off signing up for the more affordable Binge.
With a large variety of channels, there’s something for everyone on Foxtel Now, and along with the entire Binge library, you can catch the following hit shows across the platform: Succession, Call the Midwife, Vera, Mr Inbetween and Bluey.
Remember 10 All Access? Well, like a caterpillar into a butterfly, that service has emerged from its cocoon as Paramount Plus, a more prestigious-sounding affair that hopes to draw people in with the promise of exclusive shows and blockbuster releases soon after their theatrical debuts.
Unfortunately, none of that really exists, with only a meagre offering of exclusive shows and mostly lacklustre original films. The Australian version also has previously had delays on movie releases, which hit the US version of the streamer within the promised 35-40 day release period.
Of course, it's worth noting that the Australian version of Paramount Plus is cheaper than the US version, priced at only AU$9.99 per month or AU$89.99 per year, which is decent for a service that offers 4K streams (not that there's any way of knowing which content is 4K in its poorly labelled UI).
In terms of content that is there, Paramount Plus folds in pre-existing shows from 10 All Access along with a decent selection of on-demand movies and shows from Viacom’s various holdings, which include Showtime, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Smithsonian Channel.
You can even watch Live Sport on Paramount Plus, including the A-leagues and FA Cups at any time during the day when matches are streamed through CBSN.
Paramount Plus can also be added as a channel in your Amazon Prime Video subscription, and you can even find a deal on the service through Amazon Prime Video on the odd occasion as well.
Paramount Plus still has made some major improvements in the last few years, and you can check out the following series on the platform: The Gilded Age, South Park, NCIS: Sydney, Why Women Kill and Special Ops: Lioness.
Specialty streaming services
Best specialty streaming services overview:
- Kayo Sports
- BritBox
- Optus Sport
- Shudder
- Hayu
- Flash
As Australia's only streaming service dedicated exclusively to sporting events, Kayo Sports is a terrific option for those who want to avoid a traditional Foxtel subscription, and just like Binge, subscribers now access their accounts through Hubbl as of February 14, 2024.
Kayo does a remarkable job of providing instant streaming access to over 50 sporting events. That said, the content is nearly identical to what you'll find on Foxtel's services, which shouldn't be a surprise, as Kayo retains the same broadcast and streaming rights as its pay-TV big brother.
In terms of content, that means you’ll get access to all seven of the Fox Sports channels, plus the Fox Sports news stream, three beIN Sports options and two ESPN channels offered by Foxtel.
That's not to say that Kayo offers everything you could possibly want, as there are some noticeable omissions in the service's content offering. Unfortunately, Kayo doesn't provide access to the three Premier League Club channels (Liverpool TV, Chelsea TV and Manchester United TV), the three Sky Racing channels or Eurosport.
If you're willing to live without those, there are still streams of 50-plus sports to choose from, including live broadcasts of big-ticket events like Formula 1, NRL, AFL, international cricket, World Surf League and more.
Additionally, Kayo offers several unique and fantastic streaming features, such as picture-in-picture video, a split-view mode that lets you watch multiple sports streams simultaneously, a 'key moments' feature that shows just the highlights, a mode that blocks spoilers for games you haven't watched yet, the ability to choose playback speed and more.
Kayo has introduced 4K streaming, a big win for customers who are keen to catch all the sporting action in 4K, but it does come at a cost. Kayo's shaken up its subscription plans, now offering the choice between two – Kayo One which will set you back AU$25 per month with one single HD stream and Kayo Basic for AU$35 per month for two.
The brainchild of two major British broadcasters – ITV and BBC – BritBox is a streaming platform dedicated to delivering everything good about British TV outside the UK, including Australia.
As you can probably tell by the name, you’re going to get exclusively British content with BritBox. This includes shows such as Luther, Line of Duty and All Creatures Great and Small. Unfortunately, Dr Who is no longer available on the platform, so you'll have to head to Stan or Binge to catch the latest seasons.
BritBox has had a price increase in 2024, jumping up to AU$9.99 per month. The annual subscription has also jumped up in price, now costing AU$99.99 per year as of February 22, 2024. There is a 7-day free trial for the service, but this trial period disappears during promotional periods.
Features of this service include up to four simultaneous HD streams as well as a wide range of devices including Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fetch TV, Telstra TV and Google Chromecast, with apps available for LG and Samsung smart TVs, Windows 10 and Chrome OS.
Plus, you can add BritBox as a channel to your Amazon Prime account, so you don't have to switch between apps to catch some good British TV.
Get a good dose of British tele with the following shows on BritBox: Happy Valley, Shetland, Would I Lie to You?, Vera and Line of Duty.
If you're the type of sports fan who's absolutely obsessed with Football (better known to Aussies as soccer), then Optus Sport is the streaming service for you.
While other streaming services may offer a more rounded sports-watching experience, Optus Sport is dedicated to providing access to every type of soccer coverage imaginable.
For AU$24.99 per month or AU$199 per year, Optus Sport brings you unlimited access to the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, J.League, UEFA EURO 2020, Internationals and FA Women's Super League games, meaning you'll never be short of football content to park yourself in front of.
Additionally, a subscription to Optus Sport also grants you access to the service's Fitness content, allowing you to work out alongside handy training videos in a number of areas, including football, yoga, cardio, Pilates, core, dancing and more.
Sporting excellent device support and an affordable price point, Optus Sport is a terrific option for football junkies. That said, some areas could see improvement.
For instance, while subscribers may register up to four devices, only two can be streamed concurrently and the second device must be a Fetch TV box.
Picture quality is good, however, Optus Sport's maximum 1080p resolution is actually upscaled, as the service's feeds are received in 720p. Additionally, the service no longer offers a free trial period and costs AU$24.99 per month, but existing and new Optus customers can bundle the service for only AU$6.99 per month.
A streaming service that's strictly for horror fans, Shudder offers a vast selection of fright flicks, both old and new, along with a growing library of original films, TV shows, documentaries, podcasts and live-streaming events.
Shudder Originals include FX guru Greg Nicotero's Creepshow TV series, the blood-drenched cult flick Revenge, the indigenous zombie film Blood Quantum, and the critically adored movie Host, which sees a demonic presence infiltrate an online séance.
Admittedly, Shudder has some work to do when it comes to competing with the big streaming players. For one, its maximum streaming resolution is 720p (with many older movies available in standard definition only). And while its device compatibility has come a long way since its US launch, there's no Shudder app for gaming consoles and many TV brands.
That said, you can't argue with Shudder's price, which is set at a very reasonable AU$6.99 per month (and even cheaper at its yearly rate of $69.99, essentially netting you two free months of the service).
If you're a horror aficionado with a thirst for (fake) blood, you can test the Shudder waters with a free 7-day trial, with the option to add it on as a channel through Amazon Prime Video as well.
You can watch the following spooky titles, plus many more freaky movies and documentaries on Shudder: Eli Roth’s History of Horror, Creepshow, The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, Beyond the Dark and Queen of Fear.
Having trouble keeping up with the Kardashians? Well, you're in luck, because the streaming service Hayu not only has every single episode of theirs available to watch instantly, but it also provides access to hundreds of other reality shows.
That isn't an understatement– pick a city at random and chances are that Hayu has a Real Housewives show that's set in that very location*.
But that's not all – though Hayu's junk food menu is undeniably extensive, the service also offers more serious fare, including many true crime docu-series, such as Up and Vanished, In Ice Cold Blood (hosted by Ice-T, no less) and much more.
Priced at only AU$6.99 per month, AU$33.99 per 6 months or AU$61.99 per year, with decent device support, offline viewing for phones and tablets, no lock-in contracts and no ads whatsoever, Hayu is a reality television fan's dream come true. If that sounds like you, then be sure to check out Hayu's free 7-day trial.
*Okay, that might be a very slight exaggeration.
Catch the following popular reality TV titles and more on Hayu: Below Deck, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Million Dollar Listing, The Real Housewives and Queer Eye.
Want the latest news from as many sources as possible? Flash is a streaming service that offers subscribers content from 25 plus news channels from around the globe. From big breaking news stories covered by Sky News or CNN, to more specialty coverage from sources such as Ausbiz and ET Now, you can find what you're looking for from both local and international news channels.
The user interface has four main sections, all accessible from a list at the top of the screen. The ‘Home’ page offers the latest headlines and news, while both the ‘Channels’ and ‘Categories’ sections organise news specifically in those respective groupings. The final section is called FlashLists, which is where you can find all the news you’ve saved for later.
A neat feature offered in this subscription is SplitView, which allows you to watch up to four videos at once on your device. For the time being, SplitView is only available on web browsers and Apple devices, though Flash does note in its help centre that it plans to roll this feature out to more compatible devices in the future.
There are also Live Channels offering real-time coverage. Users will have to go into the source’s channel to find access to these live streams, but they are covered in your subscription. There’s also a feature called FlashPoint, which is a little logo you can select to access multiple sources covering the same story, making it a handy feature to use alongside SplitView.
Flash currently only offers one plan after its 14-day free trial. For AU$8 per month, you’ll only be able to stream on one device but will have full access to the service’s entire catalogue and features.
