Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, HBO Go: Which Streaming Service Should You Get?
A rundown of each platform’s most notable offerings, and what type of content they do best
After over seven months of self-isolation, I’m happy to report that I’ve become somewhat of a streaming platform connoisseur. Each night after work, I scroll through endless thumbnails across various services, trying to figure out what to watch or add to my queue. I check out titles I normally wouldn’t have if I weren’t stuck at home, like Real Housewives of New York or Let It Snow, and think about the days before streaming, when we flipped through channels and referred to TV schedules to figure out what we would watch that night.
There are a handful of streaming services available to us: Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Go, Apple TV+, iWant TFC, iflix, Viu, hayu, and IQIYI. It can be a little overwhelming if you have all of them, especially if you’re not sure which to keep. Here, we go through each platform and compare them to each other—what’s most notable about their content, what shows and movies they do best, and what makes subscribing to them worth it.
Which streaming service should you get?
Which streaming service should you get?
Netflix
These days, it’s rare to meet anyone who isn’t subscribed to Netflix. Launched in the Philippines in 2016, Netflix has become a staple in our daily lives and in pop culture. It boasts of over 1,500 titles in its library, from Netflix originals like Stranger Things and Queer Eye to classic films such as The Godfather and Funny Girl. Each month, over 70 new selections arrive on the platform, including fresh new dramas from Korea, like Start-Up and the wildly successful Crash Landing on You.
Netflix
Over the years, Netflix programming has been increasing in quality; films like Roma and Marriage Story have been released to much critical acclaim, even garnering nominations—and winning—at the Academy Awards. Most of all, Netflix has drastically changed the way we watch TV. No longer can we wait for new episodes each week; since the advent of Netflix as we know it today, we’ve become used to binging entire seasons the moment they drop.
Netflix
Plans on Netflix range from P149 to P549 a month (there’s also a 30-day trial), which can be paid through your credit card or billed to your postpaid mobile plan, making things a lot more convenient. There are always new arrivals on the platform and its algorithm can recommend shows and movies that are in your wheelhouse, but if you’re looking for something truly new and different to watch, you would have to wade through quite a lot of irrelevant titles. Netflix, overall, is a solid service to have.
Amazon Prime Video
Like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video also entered the Philippine streaming market in 2016. But unlike it, Prime Video has been having a hard time making itself irreplaceable or treasured, due to a variety of reasons. The app and the interface, even on a smart TV, are clunky compared to the smoothness and ease-of-use that comes with Netflix. It’s also advertised a lot less than Netflix, even though there’s a number of quality programming on the platform.
Amazon Prime Video
After a 7-day trial, a subscription to Prime Video costs about P290, which can be paid monthly through your credit card. It’s a little bit harder to navigate Prime Video, as it tends to show the same few shows and movies to you even after a while, but I only use it to rewatch my favorite shows that I can’t find anywhere else: Parenthood, The Nanny, and Hot in Cleveland. Amazon Prime has more obscure and offbeat selections, like the Dolly Parton Unlikely Angel or Jennifer Garner’s Daredevil, but it also has blockbuster classics like Charlie’s Angels, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Fight Club, and Empire Records.
Amazon Prime Video
But Prime Video’s crowning glory, of course, are its originals, from highly-acclaimed superhero show The Boys to the TV series based on the New York Times’ Modern Love column. It has Peak TV selections: Mad Men, Parks and Recreation, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Good Omens, American Gods, Transparent, and I Love Dick. Something off-putting about Prime Video, however, are the thumbnails. Where Netflix’s thumbnails are enticing, the ones on Prime Video might need more work, but its adequately strong library can stand on its own, anyway.
HBO Go
At first, HBO Go was only available to subscribers who had the channel in their cable packages. But last year, the streaming platform finally became its own standalone service, offering hundreds of film and television classics alongside original HBO programming. HBO Go probably would’ve done a lot better if it had been widely available while Game of Thrones was still on the air, as Filipinos couldn’t get enough of that show.
HBO Go
HBO often needs no introduction, especially to Gen X-ers and older millennials. The service is home to the company’s most beloved and successful shows, like The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Sex and the City, Big Little Lies, and Succession, but its library also offers a number of blockbuster hits, critical smashes, and cherished classics. On the service, you can find the Twilight series, all of the Harry Potter films, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Lighthouse, Joker, Hustlers, Detective Pikachu, The Silence of the Lambs, and more.
HBO Go
HBO Go adds new content monthly, and is home to more prestige choices: The Handmaid’s Tale, Veep, His Dark Materials, Lovecraft Country, and Miss Sherlock. It also has a great selection of Asian programming, including Goblin and Family of Strangers. For a monthly subscription of P149 after a 7-day trial, HBO Go is definitely worth it, as it offers some of the best content in the entertainment industry.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ debuted in November last year, bringing with it anticipated shows like Jennifer Aniston’s The Morning Show and Hailee Steinfeld’s Dickinson. Nearly a year later, it’s struggling to break into the local streaming market, due perhaps to its limited selections. Still, the service offers gems, like Sara Bareilles’ Little Voice. It also offers free premieres of most of its shows, including Tehran, Ted Lasso, The Oprah Conversation, and more.
Apple TV+
For P249 a month, Apple TV+ might not seem worth it to many, especially once you explore Apple’s growing library of movies that are available for purchase or rental. Its film library, separate from TV+, is updated regularly, especially after major theatrical releases. Disney (and Disney-owned) films like Frozen and Frozen II, The Avengers, and Star Wars can be rented or bought—a frustrating move for audiences, yet an ingenious one for Apple, especially since those movies aren’t widely available (read: not available on Netflix, and we don’t have Disney+ just yet).
Apple TV+
Overall, you might want to consider skipping Apple TV+, or just use your free trial (or 1-year free membership, upon purchase of a new iPhone) to watch whichever shows catch your fancy.
iWant TFC
If local fare is more your jam, and the selections on Netflix just aren’t cutting it, consider a subscription to iWantTFC. Formerly iWanTV and then iWant, this video-streaming service is owned by ABS-CBN and offers the largest selection of Filipino films. Recently merging with The Filipino Channel, iWantTFC is home to beloved teleseryes, romantic comedies, restored classics, mainstream hits, and critically acclaimed indies.
iWant TFC
A free plan on the service gives you access to 300 movies, 3 live channels (Kapamilya Channel, DZMM Teleradyo, and Knowledge Channel), and 10 teleseryes curated monthly. You can watch up to one screen, with ads. A standard plan costs P59 a month and allows you to watch up to 1000 movies, all live channels, and the full library. Like the free plan, you can watch on one screen, with ads.
iWant TFC
A premium plan is P119 a month and it offers uninterrupted viewing, up to 1000 movies, access to all live channels, access to the full library, and the ability to watch up to two screens at a time. You can also get one free movie-for-rent token each month. Both premium plans have a 1-month trial. So far, you can only purchase the plans on the app, available on the App Store or the Play Store.
iWantTFC
Whatever Filipino film it is you’re itching to watch, chances are iWantTFC has it, whether it’s cheesy Tagalog flicks like Honey, My Love, So Sweet, or original programming like Call Me Tita. iWantTFC has the best of Filipino media, and it’s also worth a membership, whether free or paid.
iflix
iflix launched in the Philippines earlier than many of the platforms on the list, in 2015. It offers content similar to iWantTFC and Viu, as well as a smattering of Hollywood films and western TV shows, like Victoria, Poldark, and Next of Kin. The selections on the platform are quite diverse, and it’s easier to go through the available titles on the app rather than the website.
iflix
Majority of the available content on iflix can be viewed for free, but there are some that require a VIP plan, like Dolce Amore, Pangako Sa ‘Yo, On the Wings of Love, La Luna Sangre, and Exes Baggage. A subscription costs P55/week, P129/month, and P649/year. If you’re a Smart subscriber, you can get three months of unlimited access to the service.
iflix
iflix prioritizes advertising more classic Korean titles over newer arrivals; a quick scroll through their “K-flix” category will show Princess Hours, Oh My Venus, Boys Over Flowers, Full House, and Descendants of the Sun. iflix also carries the critically acclaimed Chinese television series, The Untamed.
iflix
Because iflix is primarily free, it’s worth signing up for, especially if you’re not yet ready to renew your Netflix subscription for the month, or it has the one show or drama you’ve always wanted to watch.
Viu
If you’re a K-Drama fanatic, you’re probably already subscribed to Viu. But if you’re not, and you’re considering it, here’s what you should know. Viu launched in the Philippines 2016, and it’s home to the best and most-talked about Asian shows and movies. In its library sits Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning film Parasite, as well as dramas, both new and classic: Flower of Evil, Do You Like Brahms?, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, The World of the Married, What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, and so much more. It’s a real treasure trove of dramas.
Viu
The service is updated with new selections every month, from fresh drops to original content, like Pretty Little Liars. Viu also has Korean variety shows, like Music Bank and Running Man, perfect for if you’re looking to expand your knowledge on Korean pop culture beyond the dramas and the films. If you’re a K-Pop fan, the platform also has news programs and concert shows, like Music Core and Inkigayo: The Music Trend, so you can catch up on BTS and BLACKPINK’s appearances.
Viu
A basic account gives you access to dramas and variety shows, but there are ads and the videos are only available in 480p. A premium plan is P129 a month, and be charged in various ways, from your credit card to your phone plans. It gives you access to Asian movies, dramas, and variety shows without any ads. You also have unlimited downloads of videos in full HD, and you can get new shows 8 hours after their original telecast.
Viu
In terms of user-friendliness, Viu is very easy to navigate, both on the site and on the app, thanks to its swift interface and its categories. If you can’t get enough of K-Drama, then you definitely need to sign up for this.
hayu
Late last year, hayu launched in the Philippines, offering hundreds of reality TV shows, from Keeping Up With the Kardashians to the Real Housewives franchises and spinoffs. I found myself starting a 30-day trial after finishing all two seasons of The Real Housewives of New York on Netflix, and immediately needing more. At P149, it’s also very affordable—and possibly even worth it—especially if you’re trying to satiate your guilty pleasures in the form of reality TV.
hayu
hayu’s catalogue includes Bravo programming, from the Housewives to Watch What Happens Live; true crime shows like Snapped and Up and Vanished; celebrity reality TV, like Married to Jonas, Living Lohan, and even It Takes Gutz to be a Gutierrez; and reality TV classics, like Dance Moms and the original Queer Eye.
hayu
While the app isn’t as responsive as Netflix or HBO Go, hayu can definitely be worth your money and time if you know exactly what you’re spending them for: the joys, mess, and drama of reality television.
IQIYI
Another alternative streaming service for Asian drama aficionados is IQIYI where viewers can choose from Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, and even Japanese anime shows! IQIYI is home to several Korean dramas that aren't available yet on other platforms such as The Spies Who loved Me, Dinner Mate, and My Dangerous Wife.
IQIYI
Thrill seekers and hopeless romantics will find something new to watch on IQIYI with historical romance picks such as Marry Me, starring Xing Zhao Lin, The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion, and The Moon Brightens for You. It also has several shows featuring modern day romances such as Dating in the Kitchen starring Zhao Lusi (The Romance of Tiger and Rose) and Love is Sweet, which stars popular Chinese actors Leo Luo and Bai Lu.
IQIYI
Viewers can access these releases for free via iQIYI International’s website at iQ.com or on the platform’s free mobile application that can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play Store. For access to new episodes as they drop, viewers can also sign up for a Standard VIP account at PHP129 or for a Premium VIP account at PHP249.
Lead photo from Unsplash
Photos from IMdB
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