Canceling Netflix or Peloton? Try One of These Free Alternatives

November 30, 2022 appsky

Peacock


Best for streaming movies and TV shows





    See at Peacock
Crackle


Best for streaming older movies and TV shows





    See at Crackle
Pluto TV


Best for free channel surfing





    See at Pluto TV
Spotify


Best for streaming music





    See at Spotify
Nike Training Club


Best for exercising





    See at Nike
NEW! CNET Shopping Extension



Get the lowest price on everything






Add CNET Shopping

MasterClass


Best for learning a new skill





    See at MasterClass

    The streaming and subscription landscape keeps changing — price fluctuations, options galore — so it’s a good idea to audit your subs every once in a while to see what you could trim from the budget without missing it. A lot of Netflix subscribers seem to have made the choice to ditch the streamer recently. Netflix reported a loss of about 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, its first loss in a decade. And Peloton announced in mid-April it’s raising subscription prices (while lowering the up-front cost of purchasing a bike).
    Even if you’re just trying to save some case (or beat inflation), many of the most popular services you might be paying monthly fees for — including?Netflix, Hulu, Apple Music, Grubhub and DoorDash — can be swapped for free alternatives. You might not end up with the exact same product, but you can often get pretty darn close.?
    Unlike their paid counterparts, many of these free services operate with ads and the streaming services won’t let you download content to watch or listen to them offline. But some have deals and decent free trials that you can take advantage of now.
    Here’s how to replace many of the services you pay for with the best free subscription services we’ve found.?

     Sarah Tew/CNET



    Peacock

    Best for streaming movies and TV shows

    Replaces: Hulu
    Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service that debuted in spring 2020, offers a free, ad-supported tier with about 80,000 hours of content, including TV shows, movies, and some live news and sports. Standouts include Parks and Recreation, The Office, House and the Die Hard franchise. You’ll also get episodes of current NBC shows like La Brea the week after they air. You can also find Yellowstone free on Peacock.
    You can sign up for the free version of Peacock without a credit card. You’ll need to upgrade to premium (which costs $5 a month with ads, or $10 a month without ads) to watch full seasons of new original series, like The Real Housewives of Miami?and?Premier League soccer?highlights. You won’t find a ton of brand-new movies, either. But the free tier is a great way to discover shows and films you might have missed the first time around, or want to watch again.?
    Watch Peacock on Apple devices like the iPhone and Apple TV, Roku devices, Amazon Fire TV devices, Google devices like Android phones and Chromecast, Xbox and PlayStation consoles, Vizio SmartCast TVs and LG Smart TVs.

    See at Peacock

     Crackle



    Crackle

    Best for streaming older movies and TV shows

    Replaces: Netflix
    Crackle?is an ad-supported streaming service that offers movies and some TV shows, including original content. You can find a variety of flicks old and new including Train to Busan, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Melancholia, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, RBG, The Guilty, and Battle: Los Angeles. In terms of TV, you’ll find more than 100 different shows, including a lot of classics such as Highway to Heaven, 3rd Rock From the Sun, and Benson. But not every series has all seasons available.
    You can stream on Crackle without signing up for an account, and can watch on virtually any device, with apps for all mobile platforms, game consoles and any major streaming device. If you do create an account, you can save favorites, get recommendations and resume playback if you switch between devices.

    See at Crackle

     Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET



    Pluto TV

    Best for free channel surfing

    Replaces: Hulu Plus Live TV?(or your whole cable subscription)
    One big caveat here: Much of the programming on Pluto isn’t the same live TV channels you’ll find on pay cable or satellite, even if the channels have the same names. So, while news junkies will find live programming from CBSN, NBC News Now and Bloomberg TV, Pluto’s versions of MTV, AMC and CNN are time-shifted or alternate programming from those providers.?
    Ultimately, none of that matters, because you’re still getting a wealth of streaming video that’s truly free (it’s ad-supported, of course). And because there are literally dozens of in-progress streams to toggle through in real-time, Pluto offers the best analog to flipping through the myriad channels on a traditional cable system (or paid streaming alternative, like Hulu). You can also browse channels by categories like news, sports, comedy and movies, and find on-demand TV content, though it’s mostly crime and reality shows.?
    Pluto works on desktop browsers, through a Windows client, or through apps for Android, iOS and different smart TVs and channels for Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku.?

    See at Pluto TV

     Angela Lang/CNET



    Spotify

    Best for streaming music

    Replaces: Apple Music
    Spotify tops CNET’s list of the best music streaming services thanks to its easy-to-use interface, extensive catalog and device compatibility. (However, if the Joe Rogan versus Neil Young saga left a bad taste in your mouth, we’ve got some alternative recommendations.) Plus, you can listen to its full music catalog for free, with ads. If you do want to upgrade, you can choose between four different premium plans (including a student deal for $5) for yourself or to split with others.?
    If it’s your first time subscribing to Spotify Premium, you’ll get a month’s free trial.

    See at Spotify

Getty/svetikd

Just call the restaurant

    Best for ordering food

    Replaces: DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates and Uber Eats
    I know, it’s not exactly a service. But third-party delivery apps such as Grubhub, DoorDash, Postmates and Uber Eats often charge big delivery and service fees that add to your bill — not to mention the high fees that they charge local restaurants?and the tip you need to pay the driver. The best option when you’re trying to save money and support local restaurants is to call the restaurant directly to pick up your food or see if it has an in-house delivery service. Lots of restaurants now offer curbside pickup, delivery and other options for staying safe and healthy.

     Nike Training Club



    Nike Training Club

    Best for exercising

    Replaces: Your gym, or Peloton
    Nike Training Club is a free app for iOS and Android with a variety of home workouts and programs to help you set a workout schedule. You can filter workouts based on what equipment you have at home, and find bodyweight-only exercises, yoga and training programs.

    See at Nike

     MasterClass



    MasterClass

    Best for learning a new skill

    Replaces: Online classes
    MasterClass offers thousands of online lessons taught by veritable masters in their fields — we’re talking Gordon Ramsey on cooking, Ken Burns on documentary making and Helen Mirren on acting. While an annual membership costs $180, you can find a series of free courses called MasterClass Live available now. These include a session on building suspenseful thrillers with Dan Brown, the importance of science with Neil deGrasse Tyson and beauty tips from industry mogul Bobbi Brown.

    See at MasterClass

     More money-saving tips

How to Decide Which TV Streaming Service to Cancel
DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats and More Food Delivery Services Compared
Netflix alternatives: The 10 Best Free Movie Streaming Services
Best free TV streaming services: Roku, Sling, IMDb, Pluto, Tubi, Plex and more