It’s 2021, and for the past year, we have all been spending a lot of time binge-watching shows. All of the shows. New shows, old shows, our favorite shows three or four times over just in case we wonder what new discoveries can be made from those favorite episodes. 

By now, many of us have “cut the cord” and switched to a cable-free, streaming-only method of watching TV. But if you haven’t yet, you may want to do a bit of research into figuring out which of these many (many) streaming services is right for you. 

Or if you already have a streaming service but you swear you have seen literally everything available on it, it may be time for you to find yourself another service to add to your subscription list. But which one? 

To deduce which one is going to be the best fit for you and what you want to watch, you need to take a moment to compare streaming services. Here are a few things to consider when you’re browsing.

What Is Your Budget?

First, let’s think practically. How much money are you willing to spend in total per month on streaming services? Make sure to do the math and see what you could realistically pay monthly to have access to your TV shows and movies. Once you have that number in mind, then you can decide just how many streaming services you will be able to keep up with the bills on.

What Shows Can You Not Live Without?

If you religiously watch The Bachelor every single Monday, and you’re hesitant to give up cable because of this relationship, you’re definitely going to need a streaming service that offers updated episodes as they come out. Luckily, you can easily see which service offers you updated episodes regularly, so you know you’ll get what you need. Because nothing should come in between you and Chris Harrison and all of the drama.

What New Shows Are You Dying to Watch?

Have your friends all watched a show that’s only available on one specific service but they won’t stop telling you how vital it is to your well-being that you feel like you have no choice but to watch it? There’s a streaming service for that.

Do You Need to Have a Live Stream?

If you’re worried you’ll miss the excitement of regularly scheduled programming on cable, fear not. There are plenty of streaming services that are solely made for live TV, and even more that offer a live TV add-on to their packages so you don’t miss an episode, game, or special weekend movie marathon.

Internet Speed

This is an important aspect of streaming that we are all quick to overlook, but it is essential to any streaming service you’ll be using. Live streams are going to require faster speed from your internet provider, and even more Mbps (megabits per second) for those of us watching in 4K. Check that your internet plan is up to speed so that you don’t have to spend an awkward amount of time waiting for the middle of the episode to finish buffering. 

How Do You Really Feel About Ads?

Most of us aren’t huge fans of advertisements, but how much do they bug you personally? If you don’t mind watching ads (or even need the added potty break) then you can opt for a cheaper plan on some streaming services. 

Compare Side By Side

If you’re not super into creating spreadsheets for different services to compare them for fun, find a website that does the work for you. Spend less time researching and more time binge-watching.