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Recently, Netflix and other top streaming services have introduced ad-supported subscriptions. Nobody likes ads, but who actually wants to pay more just to get rid of them?
Thankfully, these streaming sites remain completely ad-free, regardless of your subscription tier.
For $9.99 a month, you’re able to unlock ad-free access to Apple TV+. Apple’s streaming service offers a modest library of original shows and movies with a select few acquisitions from other studios mixed in. The service offers just this one tier, eliminating the need to pay extra to stream content ad-free. It’s also getting bigger by the month, so you may want to get on board now.
This streaming service isn’t just ad-free: it’s completely free of charge to anyone with a card from a participating library or university. The institution foots the cost of the subscription, allowing card-carrying members to stream a great variety of movies, TV shows, documentaries, and kids' programming without ads or fees. Isn’t the public library great?
The Criterion Channel
From the folks behind the boutique home video label the Criterion Collection comes the Criterion Channel: a low-cost, ad-free streaming service for lovers of art house, independent, and international films. Priced at just $9.99 a month, the subscription doesn’t burden you with any ads anywhere. It’s a great service with exceptional selections that are made all the better without intrusive ads.
Any horror fan will probably tell you how great Shudder is. The price is low, the selection is unbeatable, and ads are nonexistent. From their original productions to their extensive library of scary movies from past and present alike, Shudder is an already excellent streaming service with the bonus of operating ad-free. Nothing scary about that!
We’ve already mentioned that Kanopy and Hoopla are very similar. It turns out the same can be said about BritBox and Acorn TV. This streaming service is just like BritBox, offering you ad-free British television for only $7.99 a month. (That’s a buck less than BritBox.) Best of all, Acorn TV is committed to staying ad-free. Don’t expect to see an ad-supported tier anytime soon.
With Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, Max, Discovery+, and Hulu all incorporating ad-supported tiers into their streaming models, finding a service that doesn’t charge more for fewer ads can be challenging. Thankfully, we have these seven.
Of the entire bunch, the Criterion Channel and Kanopy stand out as the best of the best. The Criterion Channel is fairly priced and has an incredible selection of films, while Kanopy is completely free—both from ads and from monthly fees. They’re our top two choices for ad-free streaming.
