With the bite of inflation coming for wallets everywhere, it’s time to look at where you might reduce spending habits and tighten the belt. And, while one school of thought believes that nixing the daily coffee might be all that’s stopping you from accumulating a downpayment – yeah, right! – an easier method is switching out streaming services.
Look, I get it. The best streaming services stack the shelves of their content libraries with many delectable morsels of entertainment. How can you part with that *one service* that’s always got your favorite show on hand? But when the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, Max, Peacock, Paramount+, are so stuffed, it’s hard to watch everything they have to offer over the space of a month.
Subscription hopping is a convenient way to nix services you’re not using and also lessen the mental labour of figuring out what you’re going to watch!
This cost-cutting tactic emerged over the last few years as a way to lessen spending on streaming services through clever strategizing. With monthly subscriptions continuing to rise it’s no surprise that many viewers are opting to rotate the platforms they subscribe to.
Don’t worry, it’s not difficult to put it into practice – you might need to keep a note in your phone with reminders – but through a little digging and research it’s easy to figure out a way to shave off considerable savings by rotating through streaming subscriptions. One month you might cancel several only to resubscribe again a month later.
Each month, we will explore the latest titles arriving on Netflix, Prime Video and Max, along with the mid-sized platforms such as Peacock and Paramount+, and provide an informed look at which really are the best ones to snip and which are the best ones to keep.
Netflix – keep
Cristin Milioti will star as Nanette Cole in Black Mirror season 7’s returning USS Callister episode. (Image credit: Netflix)
Current cost of a Netflix subscription:
Standard plan without ads: $17.99 / month and with ads: $7.99/month
I’ll be honest with you; my Netflix subscription often goes unused for months. For the longest time, it’s rooted itself into my stable of services like the default steamer I keep on hand because of its granddaddy status. Occasionally they drop a new season of a show I really love but more often than not, I find I’m struggling to find a film I’ve not already seen.
Well! Lucky for Netflix I will be keeping my subscription for April because of two shows that are guaranteed to dominate social media upon release. April 10 marks the return of arguably the most bingeable-yet-bleak sci-fi outing ever created: Black Mirror season 7USS Callister and another set in the world of Bandersnatch .
Later in the month is You season 5
In terms of new Netflix Originals, there’s medical drama Pulse (finally Netflix developed its own hospital-set drama) which has piqued my interest, and Ransom Canyon Yellowstone fans.
Peacock – snip
Parks and Recreation is one of the best sitcoms to stream on Peacock. (Image credit: NETFLIX)
Current cost of a Peacock subscription:
Premium plan with ads: $7.99/month
Peacock is a mixed bag that I’ve returned to because of its commitment to some of my favourite TV staples.
Every season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation are available and will likely remain here unless they are licensed out. But this month, I’ll skip out on Peacock.
Max – keep
The last episode of The White Lotus season 3 lands on April 7. (Image credit: HBO)
The current cost of a Max subscription:
Basic with ads $9.99 / month
The shift from HBO Max to just plain ole Max hasn’t stifled the quality of content hitting the prestige streamer.
For many it’s the allure of the Warner Bros. Discovery library titles such as Friends that keep folks on the hook month-after-month. And while I certainly enjoy having that classic 90s sitcom available , there’s more coming up as part of everything new on Max in April 2025 that warrants attention.
On the movie front, the Nicole Kidman erotic drama Babygirl is slated to land, hopefully reigniting the conversation surrounding this unique film.
One of my favourite series of recent years returns – Hacks season 4. If you’ve somehow missed the brilliance of this show, get caught up now ahead of the season four release. It centres on a lifelong stand-up Deborah Vance whose Las Vegas residency receives fresh blood in the shape of comic writer Ava Daniels. Their relationship was left on quite the season 3 cliffhanger.
Fans of the hit video game The Last of Us will be delighted to know that The Last of Us season 2
Honestly, my main reason for keeping Max is so I can watch The White Lotus season 3 The Pitt season 1. Talk about must-see TV.
Hulu – keep
The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 premieres on Hulu on April 6. (Image credit: Hulu)
The current cost of a Hulu subscription:
Hulu with ads $9.99 / month
There’s plenty of good stuff new to Hulu this April but I must mention a trio of Shudder’s 2024 titles which have migrated over: Damian McCarthy’s Oddity , the Samara Weaving action-horror Azrael , and meta slasher In A Violent Nature are all well-worth checking out if you missed them last year.
On the TV side of things. we’ve got a new limited series starring MIchelle Williams, Dying For Sex which sounds promising along with the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale that drops on April 8th.
Prime Video – snip
The Bondsman will be released on April 3 on Prime Video. (Image credit: Prime Video)
The current cost of an Amazon Prime Video subscription:
Prime Video as part of Prime Membership $14.99 / month
Prime Video sometimes surprises me in that it carries the most unhinged back catalogue of random horror movies. Puppet House Massacre , anyone? And while I’m a big genre fan, there’s another streamer I go to for my wild horror dirge.
Prime Video isn’t the most exciting spot this month. Granted, I’m excited by the concept of The Bondsman , a horror-tinged crime thriller starring Kevin Bacon but I’m happy to pause until the reviews roll in.
Ditto on the new series from Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, Etoile , which is set in the ballet world. If it’s leaning toward Black Swan, I’m in!
Apple TV+ – snip
Your Friends and Neighbors releases on April 11 on Apple TV+. (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)
The current cost of an Apple TV+ subscription:
Apple TV+ has been well worth it this last month for catching up on Severance season 2
They star in Your Friends and Neighbors, which has already been renewed for another seasonGovernment Cheese, respectively, and while their genres differ wildly, they both carry potential to become water cooler-faves. I’m going to pause on Apple TV+ for April.
Disney+ – personal preference
(Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)
The current cost of a Disney+ subscription:
Disney+ Basic $9.99 / month with ads
Ultimately, Disney+ depends on your die-hard allegiances. If you love sci-fi and live and breathe all things Marvel and Star Wars , then this is the subscription you’re likely going to keep all-year round.
Personally, I won’t be subscribing this coming month but there’s a lot of folks excited about what’s coming , including a new season of Doctor Who, which looks like an epic adventure across time and space in new trailer and Andor season 2
Paramount+ with Showtime – snip
Episode 10 of Yellowjackets season 3 ends on April 11. (Image credit: Paramount Plus)
The current cost of a Paramount Plus subscription:
Paramount+ Essential: $7.99/month with limited ads
Our household made the decision to cancel Paramount+ with the Showtime add-on in February after hardly using it for the previous couple of months. Of course, it was only once we confirmed that cancelation that we remembered Yellowjackets season 3
This service keeps chugging along by throwing out must-see genre stuff every now and again, but overall I find myself turning to it less frequently. It carries network staples The Good Wife and its sequel series but until it drops must-see shows like Yellowjackets I’d recommend leaving this out of your line-up.
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