If you're going to subscribe to one (or two, or all three) of the big streaming services in the UK in 2026, which one is actually best? We watch a lot of TV at ScreenSearch, so we ran the comparison.
The short answer
- Netflix — best for breadth, comfort viewing, and binge-worthy original series.
- Disney+ — best for families, Marvel/Star Wars fans, and adult-skewing series via the Star hub.
- Prime Video — best value if you already pay for Amazon Prime; best for film rentals and add-on channels (Paramount+, MGM+).
Pricing in the UK (2026)
Prices change frequently — always check the provider site before subscribing — but the rough 2026 picture:
- Netflix: three tiers (Standard with adverts, Standard, Premium). Roughly £6/£11/£18 per month.
- Disney+: two tiers (Standard with adverts, Premium). Roughly £5/£11 per month.
- Prime Video: bundled with Amazon Prime (£8.99/month or £95/year) or standalone (around £6/month).
Content depth
Netflix
Netflix has the largest UK catalogue by raw title count. It is the strongest service for original series — Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Crown, Bridgerton, Wednesday, The Diplomat — and for international series in translation (Lupin, Money Heist, Dark, All of Us Are Dead). Its film catalogue is broad but rotates aggressively, so favourites can disappear with little warning.
See what's popular on Netflix UK right now.
Disney+
Disney+ has a smaller but more focused catalogue. It's the only home for new Marvel Studios series (Loki, WandaVision, Daredevil: Born Again) and Star Wars series (The Mandalorian, Andor, Ahsoka). The Pixar and Walt Disney Animation back catalogues are complete and deep.
The Star hub inside Disney+ is the surprise value: it carries 20th Century Studios films, the full run of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Modern Family, Lost, Atlanta, FX dramas (The Bear, Shogun, American Horror Story) and a rotating film library.
See what's popular on Disney+ UK right now.
Prime Video
Prime Video has the most variable catalogue of the three. The original output is excellent (Reacher, The Boys, Fallout, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Citadel) but the included library skews older. Where Prime Video really shines is the rental storefront — almost every recent film is available to rent or buy at competitive prices — and the add-on channels system, which lets you bolt on Paramount+, MGM+, Discovery, Hayu, BFI Player and more for a small monthly fee.
See what's popular on Prime Video UK right now.
Which is best for…
Families with kids
Disney+ wins easily. The Pixar, Disney Animation, Marvel, Star Wars and Nat Geo catalogues are unmatched and the parental controls are mature.
Drama box-set bingers
Netflix wins for sheer volume of originals. But for the highest-quality prestige drama, Sky/NOW (HBO output) and Apple TV+ both arguably outperform Netflix per pound.
Film fans
None of the three is the strongest service for films. For new releases, Sky Cinema (via NOW) and Prime Video rentals are stronger. For curated cinema, MUBI is unmatched.
People who already have Amazon Prime
Prime Video is essentially free for you — keep using it as your primary catalogue, layer Disney+ for kids/Marvel and add Netflix only when there's something specific you want to watch.
Should I subscribe to all three?
At full price, all three plus a TV licence costs around £40-£45/month — comparable to a Sky bundle and arguably a better deal. The smarter play is to rotate: subscribe to one for a couple of months while you binge through the originals you've been meaning to watch, then cancel and rotate to the next.
ScreenSearch makes this easier — instead of remembering which service has what, just type any title and we'll tell you instantly.