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Canceling Netflix or Peloton? Try One of These Free Alternatives

Alison DeNisco Rayome


    

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        Peacock
        Best for streaming movies and TV shows
        See at Peacock

  •     


        Crackle
        Best for streaming older movies and TV shows
        See at Crackle

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        Pluto TV
        Best for free channel surfing
        See at Pluto TV

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        Spotify
        Best for streaming music
        See at Spotify

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        Nike Training Club
        Best for exercising
        See at Nike

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        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