35 Best Streaming Services for Original Content

Editor's note: unfortunately, Amazon has said it plans to shut down Freevee in the coming weeks. 

Amazon Freevee, or simply freevee, is a free, ad-supported streaming service powered by Amazon. It has a notable library of licensed titles and original shows, not to mention 24/7 live channels, plus it's easy to access since it runs on most if not all available devices. Although other free streamers have it beat in terms of range and variety, freevee is still a great option for newbie cord-cutters, especially since it already comes on most Amazon platforms.

Docsville’s focus is on documentaries sourced from around the world, originally launched by award-winning documentarian Lawrence Elmen and his business partner, Nick Fraser, who worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation. This streaming service is for those doc junkies who can’t get enough of real-world exploration and have a thirst for knowledge about many different aspects of our planet and the human race. Topics include climate change, inequality and racism, inspiring real-life tales, and true crime. Most of the documentaries offered are independent films.

The most popular Disney+ bundle is the trio bundle, which combines Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for the reasonable price of $12.99/month. But if you don't care much for sports, we're here to tell you that you can actually get a leaner (and cheaper!) deal with just Disney+ and Hulu. It's called the Disney+ Bundle Duo and it gives you access to Disney+'s family-friendly hits as well as Hulu's more contemporary original movies and TV shows. As of this writing, the bundle doesn't allow you to download titles, and you'll have to upgrade to pricier tiers if you want to avoid the ads, but at $10.99/month, it does give you up to 37% in savings compared to purchasing each service separately. Not a bad deal if you're after a good mix of blockbuster and indie fare.

Discovery+ is a streaming service from the famous mass media company that has an ad-supported plan for $4.99 a month and an ad-free plan for $8.99. This includes content from Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet, Food Network, HGTV, ID, A&E, History, Lifetime, OWN, Travel, Science Network, and The Dodo. But beware, you cannot stream these channels live with a Discovery+, you can only watch their TV shows in playback.

Amazon Prime Video has nearly 100 channels you can stack onto your subscription, and their specialties range from news to sports to education. But if it's pure entertainment you're after, then the Starz and MGM+ bundle might be of interest to you. The entire bundle costs $26.98/month, saving you about $3/month versus getting each of them separately. Amazon Prime already has a constantly replenished trove of originals, but Starz adds even more comedies, like Party Down and P-Valley, while MGM+ (formerly Epix) adds slick dramas like Godfather of Harlem, FROM, and A Spy Among Friends. It's a bundle made for serial TV fanatics.

MGM dominated the film industry in the 20th century, and despite a slight dip in the early 2010s, it has proven to be a strong contender in the streaming era. With MGM+, the production company continues to put out originals like the dystopian series From, the crime thriller Godfather of Harlem, and Western shows like Billy the Kid. And this is on top of their extensive collection of classic films—it has everything from the 12 Angry Men to Stripes to Ghost World to Babel. All this makes for a significant add-on: MGM+ costs a reasonable $6.99 to add to your existing Amazon Prime subscription. With this bundle, you get to combine MGM+'s decades-long list of content with Prime's top-tier features like offline downloads, parental controls, 4k viewing, and Dolby surround sound.

While programming depends on your geographical location, Acorn TV in the US focuses on TV shows from dozens of international networks in countries of the Commonwealth, from British channels like the BBC and ITV as well as Oceanic shows from Australia and New Zealand. Aside from British shows, there’s also a solid selection of content from other major European networks from France, Italy and Ireland.