These 5 cheap streaming services are actually worth paying for

• Shout TV!
• THIRTEEN Passport
• Screambox
• Magnolia Selects
• HIDIVE

I don’t know about you, but streaming services are getting wildly expensive these days. Everybody said we needed to get rid of cable. Cut the cord on it because it was costing us an arm and a leg for channels that we didn’t even want. But back when that was happening, there were a handful of streaming services that seemed to have a monopoly on the marketplace.

Everyone was dropping cable and picking up the streaming mainstays to keep up with all the new and exciting shows. But now that streaming is the main landscape, there’s a service for nearly every genre you can imagine. That’s part of the reason why free streaming platforms like Tubi and Pluto TV have seen subscriptions skyrocket — people are gravitating toward free content when they can, especially as they watch prices rise on services that once felt affordable. Netflix’s streaming business initially was a free throw-in for anyone who was getting DVDs sent in the mail. Hulu was $8 a month when it first started.

As any good business does, these companies started finding ways to charge for more things. As the libraries grew, so did the number of plans you could choose from. Don’t want ads? Pay more for that experience. Want better video quality? That’ll be some more money. If you’re sick of dealing with overwhelmingly high streaming service prices but want more than what free streaming services offer, there are a number of moderately-priced streaming services that are worth your time.

Shout TV!

You can watch for free or pay for it

Positioned as a way for fans to enjoy cult movies and TV series, Shout TV! is a streaming service with plenty going on. The layout is smart, as there are many films listed by genre with plenty of genres to choose from. In the mood for a biopic? Head over to biography. Want a specific collection like Jackie Chan or Gene Autry? Find them with ease. Shout TV! has a strong mix of contemporary films and classic ones for fans to enjoy.

If you’re more interested in TV, there are similar genre selections available with full seasons of series to watch. You can sign up for free and enjoy movies, TV, and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels that let you scroll through different channels. If you pay just $4 per month, you get ad-free content and a larger VOD library to choose from. Shout TV! keeps some of its content hidden from non-paying subscribers. It’s available on your streaming devices as well as on the web.

THIRTEEN Passport

Your local favorites are all here

Previously known as PBS Passport, anyone who has enjoyed PBS’ programming over the years can now have access to all of it again. THIRTEEN Passport gives viewers the massive library of PBS programming all in one place. While watching PBS allowed viewers to find terrific children’s shows and then more sophisticated adult dramas, it was up to the programmers what would be on.

You must make a $5 minimum donation per month to gain access to THIRTEEN Passport and you can set up a recurring payment to support the station’s public TV. You’ll gain access to libraries with Sanditon, a number of Masterpiece Theater entries, Antiques Roadshow, NOVA, and more. There are free options available, and then ones that are hidden behind the paywall.

Not only can you enjoy some of your favorite adult and children’s series, but you’ll also be helping keep the lights on.

Screambox

For the true horror fans

While some people will save it for October, it’s never a bad time to immerse yourself in a horror movie marathon. Screambox is a premium service dedicated to horror for casual fans and horror cinephiles alike. Screambox has a unique feature where it allows some contemporary horror voices and commentators to choose their favorite horror films and offer them up as compilations.

Screambox has thousands of hours of horror films, all of which are available for $7 per month or $60 per year. Its biggest competitor is Shudder, which is $9 per month or $90 per year. Screambox also has FAST channels like Midnight Pulp and Retro Crush for some quickly accessible free streaming. There are also a number of TV offerings, including the library of Elvira’s Movie Macabre for classic pulpy film fans. It has a superb collection of movies and TV series for anyone looking for some scares.

Magnolia Selects

From one of your favorite smaller distributors

Magnolia Pictures has been one of the more well-known independent film and TV series film studios for the past 20 years. To watch all the films that made it popular, Magnolia Selects is the place to go. You can choose a seven-day free trial or opt for a $5 monthly subscription or a $50 yearly subscription. You get access to comedies, dramas, action and adventure, horror, and more. There are franchises like Pusher and Ong Bak available.

You’ll be able to watch any of the well-known documentaries that Magnolia Pictures is known for, such as Blackfish, Man On Wire, Cocaine Cowboys Reloaded, and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. Films from esteemed auteurs like Lars Von Trier, Terrence Malick, James Grey, and Susanne Bier are available. You can also enjoy TV series like Drinking Made Easy, Tom Green Live, Gotham Comedy Live, Underbelly and more. For wrestling and boxing fans, Ring of Honor and Perfect 10 Model Boxing can be found here.

HIDIVE

Come and get your anime fix

People may know Crunchyroll as the premiere anime streaming service, but HIDIVE is right there with it — offering all kinds of subgenre selections. For only $70 per year or $7 per month, you can see some of the newest releases in Japan’s current broadcast season. There are simulcasts as well as English dubs of your favorite anime. A subscription gives you access to the entire library and the ability to stream from two devices at the same time.

It also lets you download shows and movies to your devices, so you can watch offline. For those who aren’t as familiar with anime, there are all kinds of options to choose from to help newcomers learn more about the genre. You can opt for a 7-day free trial to get to know the streamer. You can watch content like Ninja Scroll, I Parry Everything, Sword of the Demon Hunter, and more. There isn’t a limit on how much you can watch a month, giving you tons of anime content to consume.