When it comes to on-demand video streaming services Netflix continues to lead the charts. Back in 2016, Netflix decided to expand its footprints in 128 countries along with India and since then it has been a big hit among urban couch potatoes. (हिंदी में पढ़िए)
Netflix, with its expertise in the domain, brings a lot to the table. The original content, latest Hollywood titles, and recently released Bollywood movies and TV series make Netflix a great source to fulfill entertainment needs.
It is the most popular streaming service globally but its competitors are surely catching up really fast. New players have emerged while some iconic media houses have come up with their own streaming services. Here’s a list of the best Netflix alternatives in India.
Amazon’s Prime Video is currently the best bet as a Netflix alternative in India. It has an extensive library of exclusive Hollywood, Bollywood, and Tollywood movies alongside Amazon original shows. The e-commerce giant is also producing 18 new Amazon original shows in India which is highest outside the US.
Amazon has priced its Prime service at Rs. 1488 per year which is still cheaper than Netflix. If you want to try before buying 1-year membership then, in that case, you can opt for a 1-month free trial. Another advantage of Amazon Prime subscription includes Prime Videos, Prime Music, Prime Reading, and Prime Delivery. Amazon Prime Video is also available for Rs. 179 per month plan and Rs. 459 Quarterly plan.
Some Top Content on Amazon Prime Video-
Try Amazon Prime
In April 2019, the Walt Disney Company acquired Star India along with its subsidiary Novi Digital Entertainment. This means Walt Disney now owns Hotstar along with now owns Star India and Fox Star Studios. Hotstar is another OTT (over-the-top) service provider that has seen tremendous growth in viewership in recent years. Like Amazon and Netflix, it too has a large content library with originals shows and an exclusive movie catalog.
The advantage Hotstar has over Netflix (even Prime Videos) is that it also offers live streaming of TV channels and major sports events like IPL, Cricket series, ICC events, formula one races, and a lot more. Though Hotstar has a subscription-based model in place it also offers some of its content with ads for free on its platform. Plans for Disney+Hotstar subscription are-
Top Content on Disney+Hotstar-
Try Hotstar
Sony Liv is another OTT platform that allows you to stream content across devices. Backed by Sony Pictures Networks, the streaming app and website offer Web Series, Popular Hollywood, and Bollywood Movies, Live broadcasts of sporting events, and TV channel streaming.
Like Hotstar it also has freemium and premium two subscription versions. Under the freemium model, a user gets access to limited library content. Sony Liv premium subscription for 12 months costs Rs 999 which is much cheaper than Netflix. There is also Rs. 199 per month plan and Rs. 699 for 6 months plan. There is some additional content available on a rental basis.
Some top content on Sony Liv is-
Try Sony Liv
Jio Cinema can be looked at as a Netflix alternative and has a wide catalog of Indian and international content. It is a cross-platform streaming service offered by Jio telecom to its prime customers for free.
Jio has also reportedly partnered with some of the top productions houses to produce exclusive content for its platform. The Jio Cinema app currently offers movies in various languages including English and Hindi, Music Videos, web series, and recent episodes of daily soaps from different TV channels.
Try Jio Cinema
ErosNow – a digital arm of Eros International Plc, is an OTT Platform similar to Netflix. The video streaming platform has a portfolio that majorly revolves around Bollywood and vernacular languages.
ErosNow offers some Bollywood classics which aren’t really available on any other OTT platform. You can also watch TV shows from Pakistani channels Hum TV and ARY Digital on this OTT platform. Eros Now has original content as well. To watch it plans are-
Some popular content on Eros Now is-
Try Eros Now
Alt Balaji is also one of the popular online streaming platforms in India. It is the product of Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Films. It has launched some of the widely loved web series in recent times and has gained popularity because of them. It has shows for kids and a wide variety of movies as well. Its subscription plans are cheaper than most of the other OTT platforms.
Some binge-worthy content on Alt Balaji is-
Try Now : Alt Balaji
Hungama.com offers an on-demand Hungama Play service which is available across multiple platforms. Hungama has an armory of over 7 thousand movies across 12 languages which includes English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, and Punjabi.
It works on both pay-per-view as well as on a monthly subscription basis. While the subscription fee for a 3-month unlimited entertainment pack is Rs 349 while the annual subscription costs Rs 1,300. Hungama also offers a free music streaming service where users can enjoy music in different languages.
Top Content on Hungama-
Try Hungama
Another alternative for Netflix, Zee5 is owned by Zee Media. It has old and new movies and shows. Zee5 has released a lot of its own movies and series too. You can access the monthly, yearly as well as six months plans in different language packs for convenience.
Currently, the annual plan is available for a discounted price of Rs. 599. A 3-month plan is available for Rs. 399.
Try now- Zee5
Some content on Zee5-
Backed by Times Group, MX Player is another platform that now offers video services in India. The online library lists regional language content besides popular Hindi and English language shows. Regional language content includes videos in Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bangla, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Odia. All content is free on MX Player, but with adds.
Some top content on MX Player-
Try MX Player
YouTube needs no introduction as it is one of the most widely used apps in today’s times. It is also a competitor to Netflix as we can watch movies and web shows on this platform without any cost. Although it doesn’t have all the movies, still a large amount of content is available on YouTube. This includes movies, TV shows, web series, and more. Live game streaming can also be enjoyed on YouTube.
Try Now: YouTube
Earlier this year in March Apple presented its Apple TV Plus – a new streaming service that costs just Rs 99 per month in India.
Apple has officially revealed that it is working on original shows, movies and documentaries made by acclaimed names like JJ Abrams, Steven Spielberg, and M. Night Shyamalan. You can access Apple TV+ on Apple devices, Roku and even on Amazon FireTV stick.
Deepak Rajawat
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Very Insightful indeed..I like the way you have explained advantages and disadvantages of each service provider Netflix, Amazon Videos, and others.
Good information you have given.