Free streaming services to try after Netflix’s ‘irritating’ price hike

Angry Netflix subscribers looking for free streaming alternatives after the latest UK price hikes need look no further. Following in the footsteps of the US, Canada, Portugal and Argentina, the UK is the latest country to take the hit as Netflix’s monthly costs rise yet again – across the board. For those on the Standard with Ads plan, you’ll see a £1 jump from £4.99 to £5.99 per month. The most popular plan, however, the Standard, will rise by a whole £2 per month (moving from £10.99 to £12.99) – the biggest hike of the lot which will affect the most people.

Finally, the Premium users (with access to Ultra HD 4K, multiple streaming devices and the full content library) will be dishing out an extra pound a month at £18.99. Needless to say, the wide-spanning increased costs have left a bad taste in people’s mouths as they threaten to cancel their subscriptions. ‘Another £2 price increase from Netflix… yeah time to cancel. They don’t bring out shows good enough anymore for that price,’ @emptysequence complained on X.

‘Netflix putting their price up again for no reason? Yeah might be time to quit,’ @exxtranova agreed. ‘The daylight robbery that Netflix is committing is very irritating. Start the email talking about how loyal of a customer we’ve been to then tell us prices are hiking up AGAIN,’ @no_one_like_glo shared. ‘Netflix really has the audacity to raise prices when it takes them 2 years between shows for new seasons to release. pathetic,’ @rachellate echoed.

For those looking to cut down on costs, there are plenty of free streaming services offering a range of excellent TV shows and films to sink your teeth into. Fox-owned Tubi is an easily accessible free streaming service boasting a library of over 250,000 movies and TV episodes, exclusive originals, and over 250 live channels. The platform is already huge in the US and is rapidly catching up in the UK. It is optional to register and can be accessed online, or the app can be downloaded through Amazon Fire TV and Stick, Apple TV, the Apple and Android App Stores, Chromecast and Roku.

The best TV shows include all 11 seasons of Shameless UK, the Marvel series Runaways, Gordon Ramsey: Uncharted, the US remake of Broadchuch starring David Tennant, Gracepoint, and the classic BBC family series Robin Hood. Alongside Tubi, Roku is another well-known free streaming service offering a brilliant selection of media. The free channel can be accessed through a Roku TV or a purchased Roku Stick attached to your current set-up. Roku streaming players are as low as £29.99 after which you must register a free account.

Then there are no additional costs to watch Roku Channel’s free content featuring old content and originals. The best TV shows to catch include The Charlie Puth Show offering insight into the singer’s stardom, the fantasy series The Spiderwick Chronicles based on the hit novels and Martha Stewart’s reality series Martha Cooks. For those not interested in paying for an Amazon Prime Video subscription, there is a free section of their content, known as Freevee, which can be downloaded as an app on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

It can also be added to an Apple TV and Android TV or through your Amazon account on Fire TV or web browser. The streaming service offers thousands of movies, TV shows, originals and live entertainment. The best TV shows to discover include the Australian soap opera Neighbours, acclaimed sitcom Jury Duty, High School based on the life of pop duo Tegan and Sara, award-winning 2010 drama Accused, starring Peter Capaldi, Christopher Eccleston and Jodie Whittaker.

Pluto TV, operated by Paramount, offers over 250 live channels and over 1,000 TV shows and movies to stream. No registration is required, you can simply access their content library via your web browser or download the channel on your Apple TV, through your phone App Store or on the Amazon Fire Stick. You can catch the nine-season Australian drama Wentworth, hit reality series Hell’s Kitchen, fall down a psychological rabbit hole with a range of Derren Brown specials or all 22 seasons of Geordie Shore to keep you busy.

Finally, we have Plex, an underrated free streaming service with plenty of hidden gems – with no registration required. You can access Plex through your web browser, download it via your mobile device’s app store or through your Amazon Fire TV, Android and Apple TV. I bought a house with my partner — but when we broke up, he refused to sell. This £575,000 house has a ‘genius’ feature in the most unexpected place.

What I Own: I quit London at 48 and bought my first home in Sussex for £325,000. I finally got on the property ladder and it was the biggest mistake of my life. Londoners are flocking to this ‘bustling’ neighbourhood 10 miles from the centre. As for what you can watch, the most notable offerings include every episode of Rowan Atkinson’s Mr Bean, US zombie horror series Z Nation, 11 seasons of paranormal reality show Ghost Hunters, five seasons of Charlie Sheen’s sitcom Anger Management and popular sci-fi series Sanctuary.