Cable TV is expensive. Recent studies have shown that people are spending over $200 per month for their cable bundle. There is no reason to be spending that much when you can have internet access and plenty of TV to watch using streaming services, TV antennas, and free sources on the web.
We’ve put together this comprehensive guide to give a high-level view of all the options out there to use in place of cable. Most sections will link into articles with more in depth coverage. If you are just starting out on your cord cutting journey, I recommend you talk a look at out guide titled “How To Cut the Cord on Cable.” Also, be sure to check out our tips to ensure you save money cutting the cord.
Cable TV Alternatives
This is a comprehensive guide on how to watch TV without paying for a cable or satellite subscription. It covers nearly every facet of cutting the cord. For ease of use, there is a table of contents below that links to various sections. Each section has a link back to the table of contents at the end of that section.
Table Of Contents
- Streaming Services That Are Like Cable TV
- Premium Streaming Services
- On-Demand Streaming Services
- Free TV and Other Options
- Internet Service
- Streaming Devices
- Alternatives to Buying a Streaming Device
- What about a Home Phone
- Is A DVR Necessary
There are a lot of options out there to stream your favorite shows. Don’t feel overwhelmed. They all offer free trials and no contract. There is no risk to try them out. Don’t overthink ditching your traditional pay-TV provider. Try cutting the cord. If you discover it isn’t for you, I’m sure your cable company will be more than happy to retake your money.
Live Streaming Services (Cable-like)
Typically when replacing cable TV, people will want a live-TV service like Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, Philo, Fubo TV, AT&T TV Now, or YouTube TV. Many may also want a service like Netflix, Hulu’s Streaming Library, or Amazon Prime for on-demand content and some original content. This section covers a ton of streaming services for you to choose from.
Philo
Philo is the most affordable live streaming service on the market. The company keeps costs low by not carrying sports channels in favor of entertainment channels.
The current channel lineup offers favorites like A&E, AMC, BBC America, Comedy Central, Discovery, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, LifeTime, Nick, History, TLC, and much more for just $20 per month. That price even includes a Cloud DVR, among other features.
For those that don’t want to pay for sports channels, Philo offers some cable TV favorites for an affordable monthly price. Try their 1-week free trial. Check out our review of Philo for more information.
Sling TV
Sling TV is a streaming service that also offers live TV over the internet. It’s cable TV without the contract or the massive bill. Sling TV offers a free trial membership to try out their service. The service works on most streaming devices and Sling also offers a cloud DVR. Sling TV also streams NBC live online along with Fox in select markets.
For $30 a month subscribers will have access to AMC, History Channel, Disney, A&E, Epix, IFC, Lifetime, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, HGTV, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, CNN, and more.
Sling also added a second base package that swaps out the Disney Owned stations for FOX owned stations, including FS1. This package also allows the ability for multiple streams. There are also add-on channels packs and premium channels like Showtime and Cinemax. Check out our Sling TV Review for more details.
Hulu
Hulu offers both a Live TV streaming service and a back catalog of movies and TV. The streaming quality is one of the best around. The live service includes:
- Over 60 broadcast and cable-based channels (including premium channels like HBO)
- Live stream of local ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox in nearly all markets
- The basic package comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage with the ability to upgrade if needed.
- Watch on two screens at once. You can upgrade to unlimited screens for $14.99 per month. This upgrade also gives you three screens while away from your home network.
- Comes with six customizable profiles
- Includes entire Hulu streaming library
The service costs $54.99 per month. You can opt to subscribe to the Hulu library instead of the Live TV service for just $5.99. Hulu also offers loads of original content and a decent back catalog of many past seasons of cable and network TV shows. You can test the live service or the on-demand service by Signing up to Hulu Live TV. For more details, check out our full review of Hulu.
FuboTV
FuboTV is a live online streaming service that specializes in live sports while still offering pay-TV channels like A&E, Bravo, The Weather Channel, and more. They offer a Cloud DVR with their base channel service. They also provide live streaming of Fox, NBC, and CBS is some local markets.
The service offers a 1-week free trial. Try it out to see if it will work for you. For more information, check out my FuboTV review.
YouTube TV
YouTube isn’t just for “Youtubers” anymore. Google now offers a YouTube TV live streaming service. The service offers just about every major cable TV channel. It even includes live streaming of ABC, NBC, FOX, and CBS.
Features also include six profiles, three simultaneous streams, and a personal cloud DVR. All this comes with a price tag of $64.99 per month. YouTube TV supports Android, iOS (includes airplay to Apple TV), and Chromecasts/Chromecast-compatible TVs.
AT&T TV NOW
AT&T TV NOW (Formerly DIRECTV NOW) is a streaming service from AT&T that offers live TV over the internet from networks you typically receive with a cable bundle. The service supports Apple TV, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and most modern web browsers.
The service costs $55 per month. You can check out everything this service offers by taking advantage of their 7-day free trial or read about it in our AT&T TV Now review.
Vidgo
Vidgo is a newer Streaming service that offers fairly competitive pricing over other live streaming services. The only catch is they do not currently offer a DVR. Hopefully, that will change in the future.
Vidgo offers four different channel packages. All four plans can be viewed on three devices simultaneously and support Android, iOS, Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV. There are no contracts with Vidgo. You pay month to month and can cancel at any time. Each Vidgo channel plan offers a 3-day free trial.
There is also a fairly innovative “Social TV” feature that let’s you chat and share live reactions with friends watching the same show. Learn more about this and other features in our guide to Vidgo.
Premium Streaming Services
Premium Streaming Services are streaming services that provide content to a specific network or distributor. Here are the top premium streaming services available now.
Disney+
Disney+ is a Disney owned OTT (over the top) subscription-based streaming service. The service will provide video-on-demand content from Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, National Geographic, and the recently acquired 20th Century Fox.
We’ve developed a search page that is updated daily with all the shows and movies on Disney+.
Not only does the service have original shows like the must-see Star Wars bounty hunter space western, The Mandalorian, but much much more:
- The entire Disney Movie Vault
- Every Pixar Movie and shorts
- All of Disney’s Star Wars movies and TV shows will be moving to Disney+ within its first year of launch
- 30 seasons of The Simpsons
- Over 5,000 episodes of Disney Channel shows (Includes Disney Jr, Disney XD, etc.)
- A ton of Muppets Content
- Original Shows and more which we will cover later in this article
The service costs only $6.99 per month. However, Disney+ also has year-long subscriptions at a discounted price of $69.99. Be sure to try the Disney+ 1-week free trial.
For information on device compatibility, features, deals, and a list of everything available, see our article: Everything You Need to Know about Disney+.
ESPN+
ESPN+ is not a replacement for ESPN. It’s a service that provides premium ESPN content through the ESPN app. On ESPN+ you can watch UFC Fight Night, MLB, NHL, The PGA Tour, World Soccer, College sports and more. Check out our guide to what’s on ESPN+ for more information on the content available.
ESPN+ through the ESPN App supports Roku Players and TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast, Apple TV, Android, iPhone, Samsung TVs, Xbox One, and PS4. An ESPN+ subscription costs only $4.99 per month. There is no contract so you can cancel any time you like. In addition to ESPN, Disney also owns Hulu and the Disney+ streaming service. You can get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ just $12.99 by signing up here!
Starz
Don’t want to miss out on hit shows like Outlander or American Gods? Check out this free trial for Starz. You can watch Starz on-demand or live without having a cable TV subscription. For information on the Starz app, read my post on watching Starz Without Cable.
Showtime
If shows like Billions on Showtime are more your speed, then no need to worry. There are tons of ways to watch Showtime online. For details, check out my post on how to watch Showtime without cable
HBO Max and HBO Now
HBO Max is the new TV streaming service from AT&T that combines all your favorite HBO Shows and Turner Media shows in one place. HBO Max is replacing HBO Now as more devices become supported on the HBO Max platform. Game of Thrones is over, but there are still many great shows like Westworld and Barry on both HBO Max and HBO Now. There are numerous ways to get the service. All of which are highlighted in my posts on watching HBO Now and HBO Max.
CBS All Access
Since the current episodes of CBS shows aren’t available on Hulu, CBS All Access is one option to get CBS Shows the day after the initial broadcast as CBS isn’t a part of Hulu. The basic service costs $5.99 per month and does air commercials. However, they offer a commercial-free plan for $9.99 per month. The service also offers live local CBS in over 150 markets. For more details, check out my review of CBS All Access.
Check out this 1-week free trial to see if you like it. There is no contract so you can cancel anytime.
On-Demand Streaming Services
Amazon Prime
For vast libraries of movies and TV shows before the current season, I recommend getting the 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime. Another big reason to get Amazon Prime is the option of adding Showtime and Starz with your subscription. For just $8.99 per month, you have every TV show and movie offered by Starz and Showtime just as if you had the network with a cable provider.
Not only do you have access to stream over 40,000 hit movies and TV shows, but you get free music, books, and unlimited photo storage as well. Your membership also includes free 2-day shipping from Amazon.com regardless of the order size. Some metropolitan areas offer 2-hour shipping. For more information, check out all the benefits you receive with Amazon Prime.
Netflix
Netflix – Netflix has loads of content at a low price. Most TV shows wind up on streaming after a season airs. There are also movies and a whole host of children’s programming available. The pricing is reasonable at $12.99 a month for unlimited HD streaming to two TVs simultaneously. If you are comfortable waiting a few months for a TV series, Netflix may be all you need. They have a free trial you can take advantage of, but be sure to cancel Netflix before it expires so you aren’t billed.
Hulu On-Demand Library
While Hulu’s on-demand streaming library is included when you subscribe to Hulu + Live TV, you can also get access to Hulu on-demand through it’s own subscription starting at $5.99 per month. This will provide access to Hulu Originals like The Handmaid’s Tale, Shrill, and The Act along with popular TV shows on network and cable TV along with the ability to subscribe to HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax.
Free TV and Other Options
Pluto TV
Pluto TV partners with various content providers to offer free TV and movies. The content is broken down into channels within Pluto TV. For example, if you like news Pluto TV offers NBC News, MSNBC, Sky News, Bloomberg, and more. There is also Crime Network, Funny AF, and IGN. As of the publish date of this article, there are over 250 channels available on Pluto TV. For more details check out our guide: What is Pluto TV?. You can also check out their website to get an idea of what they offer.
Tubi
Formerly known as Tubi TV, Tubi offers free TV and Movies. The service offers a good balance of big-budget movies, cult classics, along with some stuff you’ve likely never heard off. The service is a bit heavy on the ads compared to other free services. However, movies and TV are in high definition when available. For more details, check out our review of Tubi or visit their website.
CW App
The CW App lets anyone watch the current seasons of CW shows free. You don’t even need a cable TV login. It works on all major streaming devices, including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Android, and iOS. Check here for more information.
Roku put out its own free channel. It’s worth having on your home screen as you can always find a quality movie to watch. In addition to movies and TV on The Roku Channel, the channel also aggregates content from American Classics, Fandor, FilmRise, Nosey, OVGuide, Popcornflix, Vidmark, and YuYu.
TV Antennas
For those that are looking to save money, stop paying for TV altogether. You can check out our guide to TV antennas. The guide explains everything you need to know when it comes to watching all your local TV stations for free. While some services like Hulu Live TV provide NBC, FOX, ABC, and CBS to many, you may still want to look into getting a TV Antenna. It allows you to watch free broadcast TV, with access to networks like NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, and more. The over the air broadcast TV available changes depending on where you live in relation to your closest TV towers.
If you aren’t close enough to the TV towers to use an indoor antenna, you may need an outdoor solution. Furthermore, today’s digital TV signals require a TV with a digital tuner. If your TV manufacture date is before 2007, it may not have one. For solutions to these issues, check out my post How To Get Local Channels Without Cable. You may also want to look at Locast. It is a streaming app that streams live local channels in some areas.
More Free Content
There is just too much out there to list everything, but below is a list of places to start looking for free content online.
- Check out our list of the Best Free Roku Channels.
- Services like YouTube and Vimeo offer heaps of free content.
- See how to watch news for free
- In my post on free TV online, I cover excellent free services like Crackle, ConTV, and more.
Many services also offer free trials if you want to binge on content. For example, CuriosityStream allows you to watch free documentaries online for seven days. After that, it’s only $2.99 per month.
Finding an ISP
We maintain a list of providers with affordable internet-only plans you can use to cut the cord. We’ve even built database searchable by zip code, so you find an internet provider in your area.
If you can’t find one on that page, try your existing provider. Now I know the “big” internet providers seem only to offer “triple play” packages bundling phone, TV, and internet. However, if you dig around on their site, you should be able to find an internet service offering.
When deal searching, be sure not to buy more bandwidth than you need. That is one way to increase the monthly cost of your service. We put together a guide explaining how much internet bandwidth you need for various online activities.
Inquire about the internet provider’s data download caps on their service. They will typically indicate this in the gigabytes (GB) you can transfer in a month. In this case, your video quality is an essential factor. For example, a cap of 250 GB will allow for about 280 hours of standard definition streaming, but only 83 hours of high definition at 1080p. So be mindful and aware of the fine print. We maintain a list of internet providers without data usage caps.
Don’t Fall for the Bundle
If you have to get internet access through your cable company, they will probably offer you the world to keep your triple play package because cable subscriptions are the most significant metric for these companies. These deals will seem impressive. Trust me; if they trap you, you will steadily see that price tag grows due to add-ons, fees, and taxes.
If the only internet providers in your area are the likes of Comcast, Cox, etc. then you need to be a little more creative to get a good deal. Ideally, there is more than one provider in your area. If this is the case and you can get a no term contract deal at a reasonable price, then grab it. Otherwise, follow these guidelines.
- Never take a contract where the term is longer than the offer price. They will raise the price when the offer price expires, and you will be stuck in the contract.
- Take advantage of promotional offers. There are affiliate websites that have promotional offers not available on the ISP’s website. Search around to find a deal.
- As soon as your contract expires, be sure to shop around. Bounce back and forth between the providers in your area. Again, always take advantage of the promotional offers through affiliate websites.
- Since you will be switching providers every year, get an email address not linked to your ISP. Options include Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, or even your own domain.
- If they require a rental fee for the modem, be aware that you can use your own cable modem for internet.
Streaming Devices
Once you have picked the streaming services you would like to use, the next step is figuring out which streaming device to use. I recommend getting a Roku. Roku supports most apps and provides a very intuitive interface and supports about every streaming service mentioned in this guide. To learn about Roku, check out my post: Which Roku is Right For You.
Of course, Amazon Fire TV is also a viable option for those needing a streaming device. Also, Apple TV should be considered if you use iOS and have a lot invested in Apple’s walled garden. However, I use many Apple products but still use Roku.While I personally feel Roku is the best streaming device available today, here is a look at the top options on the market.
Roku
Roku has rebranded its entire line of streaming devices. The new fleet offers the flexibility to satisfy the various needs and functionality of different types of cord-cutters. I recommend reading my breakdown of all the new Roku devices to find the right one for you.
While we have been an Apple TV household, due to our reliance on AirPlay for casting our iOS device, our experience with Roku made us switch to being a Roku household. If you are considering Roku, but are looking for a more mobile option, check out my review of the Roku Streaming Stick.
Amazon Fire TV Cube and Stick
Priced at $49, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is an excellent choice for 4K HD streaming. The Fire TV Stick also integrates Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa into the platform. You can use Alexa to issue voice to your TV commands through your remote.
This platform has comparable hardware and memory to its competitors at a great price.
The Amazon Fire TV Cube provides all the function of the Fire Stick HD but comes with a built-in speaker. It’s basically a streaming device that doubles as an Alexa device. The Cube allows you to use Alexa apart from your TV. Therefore, you can use the Fire TV Cube to act as the hub of your smart home. Check out our review of the Amazon Fire TV Cube for more details.
You can also check out our article: Fire TV Stick vs. Fire TV Cube for a comparison of both.
Apple TV
Adding slimmed down Siri functionality and app store, providing the ability to install apps, the 4th Gen Apple TV makes some brilliant decisions. The one thing currently lacking is support for 4K UHD video.
Apple TV is attempting to position itself as the one device you need in the living room, adding the ability to play games, and promising an Apple TV service to arrive at some point in the future.
This device runs a whole host of streaming services to watch quality content on your television with just an internet connection, and it supports both Wi-Fi and Ethernet. While you don’t need any other Apple product to realize the value of an Apple TV, you can stream any content on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod that supports Apple Airplay.
Google Chromecast
In my Google Chromecast Review, I stated Chromecast is the best option for pure cost-cutting. At $35.99, there isn’t much out there that will beat that price point. You will need an existing smartphone, tablet, or laptop to use Google Chromecast. Chromecast allows you to stream content from apps on the device to your television. Installation is easy as all you do is plug it into your TV’s HDMI port and set it up on your Wi-Fi network.
There are not any additional steps as you just press the “cast” button on the app you want to show on your TV. This also works with the Google Chrome browser after installing a simple plugin. There are no frills with this one, but it does what we need for cutting cable TV at a great price. If you are comfortable using your phone as your main content delivery mechanism, then Chromecast is a good choice. Otherwise, I would look to Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV.
Alternatives to Buying a Streaming Device
Most of you can cut the cord today with the equipment you already have. Here are options to cut cable TV that may already be in your home.
Home Gaming Consoles
Most modern consoles like the two most recent iterations of Xbox, Wii, and PlayStation connect to the internet and run streaming subscription applications to view content on the television. You can even run streaming apps like Netflix on X-box.
For gamers considering a console, Xbox One can connect to a TV antenna. Furthermore, it combines your OTA Network channels, streaming apps, and web apps all in one guide. There is even talk of DVR functionality in the future. If you are looking to cut the cord and upgrade your video game console, an Xbox One is a good option.
Other Streaming Alternatives
Smart TV – If you purchased a TV in the past few years, is it a “Smart TV?” These connect to the internet and stream content to the TV without the use of other devices. Personally, I use a Roku TV. It’s a smart TV with a Roku built in.
Computer, laptop or tablets – While this works, very few people are happy watching TV on a computer, laptop or tablet. While it’s possible to get these devices to output display to a television, it’s not always a straightforward solution and quality of picture can suffer.
Blu-Ray or DVD player – Many of these devices can connect to the internet, stream video, and display it on your television.
What about a Home Phone
Many rely on their cable provider for home phone service. Like most of their services, it can be replaced with a much cheaper internet-based service. For those who need a little more than a cell phone after they ditch their cable TV subscription, I recommend PhonePower (formerly BroadVoice.) They are an affordable and reliable phone service provider that uses your existing internet connection.
There are plenty of options out there to provide a phone solution after you cut the cord. For more details, check out my article on finding a cheap home phone service.
Is A DVR Necessary?
Cable companies have many of us accustomed to needing a DVR to record shows and watch whenever we please. Typically, this costs cable subscribers an additional $10-20 dollars a month. As a cord-cutter, the DVR becomes more of a luxury device.
The purpose of a DVR is to save content and watch it on-demand whenever you want. This is already how cord-cutters roll. Streaming services like Hulu limit the need for a DVR, as most content can be viewed at your leisure.
However, there are times when a DVR comes in handy. Mainly, they can be used to record broadcast TV from an antenna. The most common use would be recording NFL games, PGA tournaments, and other events you won’t be able to watch live.
Personally, I get by without a DVR. I have a subscription to Hulu, which makes numerous hit broadcast shows available on-demand.
The decision to have a DVR is one of personal preference. For more information, check out my post on OTA DVR options. The article is broken down by different types of DVR needs.
Cutting the cord can work for anyone
Since cutting cable TV, my family doesn’t miss our cable TV package one bit. We use our cell phones to replace the home phone, which we thought we would miss but don’t. We especially don’t miss the telemarketers. The kids initially missed a few channels, but now they are content fighting with each other over which of the thousands of kids’ shows at their disposal they will watch during their TV time.
My wife and I are completely happy. We are saving nearly $100 bucks a month and watching all the TV and Movies we want. Remember, if you are thinking about cutting the cord, just do it. There is no contract or commitment with streaming services. If you don’t like the experience, I’m sure your pay-TV providers will be happy to take you back.
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Disney+ is offering an amazing deal combining Hulu, ESPN+, and Disney+ for just $12.99 per month! For more on the new Disney streaming service, check out our ultimate guide to Disney+
With 58 live channels and a cloud DVR for just $20 per month, Philo TV is one of the best deals you 'll find online. Try a Free Trial to Philo Now! No credit card required!
Right now you can get 6 months of Starz for only $25. That's less than $4.25 per month! See offer details.