Streaming Services Canada – Free & Paid Options (2021)

Quick Links:

• Comparison Chart
• Streaming Services in Canada
• Sports Streaming
• Free Services
• Live TV
• Streaming Devices
• FAQs

 

The streaming wars are definitely heating up and users are all set to benefit.

From the days of only having a couple of choices, there are now a myriad of choices for Canadians to choose from when deciding which streaming services are right for them.

We’ve compiled a complete list that includes paid streaming services in Canada as well as free services in Canada.

The table below provides a summary view of all of the paid services available to Canadians.

Details on each one can be found further down the page.

 

Streaming Services Comparison Chart

Streaming Service	Monthly Price	Yearly Price	Free Trial	Highlight
DAZN	$20	$150	30 Days	Sports
CuriosityStream	$2.99 USD	$19.99 USD	None	Created by the founder of the Discovery Channel, watch documentaries from top studios
Fubo TV	$15.99		7 Days	Sports
Netflix	$9.99		30 Days	Movies & TV shows + Netflix Originals
CBS All Access	$5.99		30 Days	TV Shows
Amazon Prime Video	$7.99	$79	30 Days	Movies & TV shows + Prime Originals
Disney Plus (Disney+)	$8.99	$89.99	7 Days	Movies & TV shows from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars & National Geographic
Apple TV+	$5.99		7 Days	100% original movies & TV shows, no back catalogue
Hayu	$5.99		30 Days	Reality TV shows - All of the current seasons
Crave	$9.99	$99.99	30 Days	HBO, Showtime and Starz movies & TV shows
Quibi	N/A	N/A	None	Shut down as of December 1st, 2020
YouTube Premium	$11.99		30 Days	YouTube & YouTube Music available offline, no ads, plays in background
Shudder	$5.99 USD	$56.99 USD	7 Days	Horror & Thrillers
The Criterion Channel	$10.99 USD	$99.99 USD	14 Days	Curated collection of classic & contemporary films
BritBox	$8.99	$89.99	7 Days	British movies and TV shows, classics and new shows
Acorn TV	$7.49		7 Days	British TV shows, classics and new shows
CBC Gem	$4.99		30 Days	Popular shows, documentaries, live TV
FlixFling	$7.99 USD		7 Days	5000+ classic movies
Crunchyroll	$7.99	$69.99	14 Days	Anime & Manga
Motor Trend On Demand	$4.99 USD		14 Days	Automotive
Spuul	$4.99 USD	$49.99 USD	30 Days	Bollywood
Sundance Now	$6.99 USD	$59.99 USD	7 Days	True crime, thrillers & dramas
HotStar	N/A	$49.99	None	Indian TV shows, movies, and live sports such as cricket

Prices noted here are for entry level service.

Additional screens and 4K for example will cost more.

Prices for service are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

Many free trials are unavailable to Quebec residents.

 

Streaming Services in Canada

1. Netflix

This one doesn’t require much of an explanation.

They’re spending a ton of resources on developing exclusive content and have some of the best shows and movies out right now.

For pricing details, check out this post.

Price: $9.99 per month for 1 screen, $14.99 for 2 screens with HD streaming, $18.99 for 4 screens with HD and UHD. There are no yearly subscriptions.
(Price increase in October : 2 screens originally $13.99 and 4 screens originally $16.99

Free Trial: 30 Days

 

2. CBS All Access

Watch CBS favourites like NCIS, Big Brother, Survivor and Star Trek Picard as well as ET Live, live sports and much more.

Can’t forget our favourite cartoons like Danger Muse, George of the Jungle, Mr. Magoo and many more!

Price: $5.99 per month

Free Trial: 30 Days

 

3. Amazon Prime Video

Similar to Netflix, this one is pretty self-explanatory:

If you’re an Amazon Prime member this is a great added free perk, with tons of great TV shows and movies, not to mention the large amount of resources being poured in to create original content.

If not, you can start a Free 30-Day Trial.

Amazon is spending a ton on original content and has licensed some of our favourite shows.

Price: $7.99 per month or $79 yearly

Free Trial: 30 Days

 

4. DAZN

Da Zone is a sports fanatics dream!

Offering tons of the most popular games including NFL, MLB, ICC Cricket, MLS, Premier League, Champions League, Europa League and much more.

Current Promo: 30 Day Free Trial, cancel anytime

 

5. Disney Plus (Disney+)

A new entrant to the space giving all the Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic lovers their favourite shows.

For in-depth pricing details, check out this post.

Price: $8.99 per month or $89.99 yearly

Free Trial: 7 Days

 

6. CuriosityStream

For the curious ones looking for something different than the usual sitcoms and movies – we introduce you to CuriosityStream!

Created by John Hendricks, the founder of the Discovery Channel, thousands of award-winning, exclusives and originals are now available to stream from anywhere!

Some of our favourites include:

• Prescription: Nutrition
• Master of Wine
• Destiny of Rome
• The Woodstock Bus
• Stephen Hawking’s Favourite Places
• David Attenborough’s Light on Earth
• Walking with Dinosaurs
• Wonders of the Solar System

Along with so much more!

Price: HD Service is $2.99 USD per month or $19.99 USD yearly – Savings of about 44% If you pay yearly!

4K Service is $9.99 USD per month of $69.99 USD yearly – Savings of about 40% if you pay yearly!

Free Trial: None, however at the low price point of only $19.99 USD yearly (for HD) that’s about $2.40 CAD a month.

 

7. Apple TV+

Another relatively new entrant to the space that’s said to be spending $6 billion on original content to launch with, this is definitely one to keep an eye on.

There is no back catalogue, so all of the content that is available on Apple TV is being developed.

Price: $5.99 per month

Free Trial: 7 Days

 

 

8. Hayu

If you’re a fan of reality TV, this one’s for you. With over 250 shows, you can now watch your favourite reality stars anytime, anywhere.

Owned by NBCUniversal, there’s tons of new content to indulge in.

Some of the favourites:

• Keeping Up With the Kardashians
• Below Deck
• Southern Charm
• Shahs of Sunset
• In Ice Cold Blood
• Flipping Out
• Summer House
• Botched
• Top Chef
• The Real Housewives of New York City / Beverly Hills / Atlana
• Married to Medicine: Los Angeles
• Vanderpump Rules
• Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles / New York

And much, much more!

Price: $5.99 per month

Free Trial: 30 Days – Visit Website

 

9. Crave

Crave brings you tons of movies and TV shows including content from HBO, Showtime and Starz.

Owned and operated by Bell Media, they’ve secured the Canadian rights to these great channels so you can only subscribe to them through Crave.

The free trial is 7 days, however on March 23rd, , they increased their free trial to 30 days due to the COVID19 crisis, so now is a great opportunity to try it out!

Price: Crave starts at $9.99 per month and includes Showtime + $9.99 per month for Movies and HBO + $5.99 per month for Starz.
A yearly subscription for the base package with Showtime is available for $99.90.

Free Trial: 30 Days

 

10. Quibi

As of December, Quibi has shut down and can no longer be accessed.

The newest entrant to the market coming with a totally different format:

Shows that are 10 minutes or less with new episodes added daily for your phone.

Original content with some huge stars.

They’re offering a 90-day free trial so might be a great time to check it out by downloading their app (No Quebec).

After the free trial it’s set to be $6.99 per month.

Price: $6.99 per month

Free Trial: 14 Days

 

11. YouTube Premium

While YouTube isn’t producing original content nor does it have movies or TV shows, paying for a Premium subscription allows you 3 main benefits:

Firstly, you get ad free content, secondly you can save videos to watch offline like on the subway and thirdly you can let YouTube run in the background while you flip through other apps.

I’m a subscriber and I totally love it!

Price: $11.99 per month

Free Trial: 30 Days

 

 

12. Shudder

If you’re looking for the best in horror, thrillers and suspense this one is for you.

Owned and operated by AMC, Shudder offers originals, movies, TV shows, podcasts and live streaming events.

Price: $5.99 USD per month or $56.99 USD yearly

Free Trial: 7 Days

 

13. The Criterion Channel

For all the cinephiles out there, this one’s for you.

With 2,000+ titles available across various genres, Criterion’s curated collection of classic and contemporary films from around the world is simply wonderful.

Price: $10.99 USD per month or $99.99 USD yearly

Free Trial: 14 Days

 

14. BritBox

Fans of British TV rejoice, BritBox brings you your favourite English dramas, comedies, mysteries, documentaries, soaps and more.

Price: $8.99 per month or $89.99 yearly

Free Trial: 7 Days

 

15. Acorn TV

Similar to BritBox, if you’re looking for some of your favourite British content, including mysteries, dramas and comedies, Acorn may be perfect for you.

Price: $7.49 per month

Free Trial: 7 Days

 

16. CBC Gem

CBC Gem replaces CBC’s previous service and offers free + premium content of Canadian favourites.

Price: $4.99 per month

Free Trial: 3 Days

 

 

17. FlixFling

FlixFling offers 5,000+ classic movies from almost all of the major studios across all genres.

While you can also rent new releases and special titles, classic movie enthusiasts will really enjoy this with new content added on a weekly basis.

Price: $7.99 USD per month

Free Trial: 7 Days

 

18. Fubo TV

For Canadians, Fubo offers live sports and TV, mainly allowing you to watch your favourite soccer matches.

Price: $15.99 per month + add the Fubo Cycling package for $11.99 per month

Free Trial: 7 Days

 

19. Crunchyroll

Anime and Manga lovers rejoice.

1,000+ series are available, with simulcasts from Japan as soon as 1 hour after Japanese broadcast, in HD and available on all devices.

Price: $7.99 per month or $69.99 yearly

Free Trial: 14 Days

 

20. Motor Trend On Demand

For all the car lovers out there, access your favourite car TV shows and motorsports online with this subscription.

Price: $4.99 USD per month

Free Trial: 14 Days

 

21. Spuul

Bollywood fans now have a place to call their own!

Spuul offers over 10,000 hours of Bollywood movies and TV shows in various languages including Hindi, Punjabi and Tamil.

Very reasonable price to watch high quality content and basically one of the only pure play Bollywood streaming options available in Canada.

Price: $4.99 USD per month or $49.99 USD yearly

Free Trial: 30 Days

 

 

22. Sundance Now

Sundance Now has been available in Canada for a couple of years now, however it’s not widely known.

Streaming true crime, political thrillers and dramatic series, what was once the network to showcase each years developments from it’s namesake film festival has now developed into a network with it’s own exclusive series.

Sundance is owned by AMC.

Price: $6.99 USD per month or $59.99 USD yearly

Free Trial: 7 Days

 

23. Hotstar

Hotstar launched in 2015, but was exclusively available to those living in India.

The service expanded to Canada and the USA in September 2017 and now boasts over 20 million paid users.

The platform offers a wide variety of Indian dramas, movies, and sports such as cricket (IPL) and kabaddi.

With unlimited access to over 60,000 hours of TV shows, more than 2,000 movies, and 8 supported languages including Hindi and Bengali, there is something for everyone to watch!

Hotstar is owned by Star India which is a subsidiary of Disney India.

Price: $49.99 yearly (although there is no monthly option, this breaks down to about $4.17 per month)

Free Trial: Currently not available

 

Peacock

NBCUniversal’s new streaming service is rumoured to be coming to Canada once it launches, but we will keep you updated regarding any new developments.

Peacock officially launched nationwide in the US on July 15th, 2020 and has racked up over 20 million monthly users.

Although we have not heard any new information regarding Peacock coming to Canada, it’s worth noting that Canadian media giant, Corus Entertainment, made an exclusive deal to broadcast Peacock Original titles such as Brave New World and Girls5Eva to Canadians.

 

Hulu

Hulu is not yet available in Canada, we’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, you may want to consider utilizing a VPN such as Pure VPN which caters a specific service to Canadians interested in Hulu.

You can also check out this tutorial which explains how to setup a Hulu account if you are not from the USA.

 

HBO Max

Not coming individually to Canada anytime soon.

Bell Media has signed a deal with Warner Bros for the Canadian rights to some of the content that will be available on HBO Max and will be offering it through their Crave service.

If you are still interested in streaming your favourite HBO shows, this simple guide explains how to watch HBO Max in Canada.
 

DC Universe

Many of us are waiting for this, but as of now it is not available in Canada yet.

 

Sling TV

While ever popular in the US, Sling services are not available in Canada yet.

However you can read this step-by-step guide to learn how to stream Sling in Canada.

 

Philo Streaming Service

Another one that is very popular in the US, Philo services are not available in Canada yet.

 

 

 

Sports Streaming Canada

 

1. NBA League Pass

2. NFL Game Pass

Offered through DAZN.

3. NHL Live

Rogers actually has all broadcast rights for the NHL however there don’t seem to be any free perks for Rogers customers.

4. MLB TV

5. Willow

Cricket fans, this one’s for you!

6. NBC Sports Gold

For fans of Pro Motocross Champions, Figure Skating and Notre Dame Football.

7. UFC Fight Pass

 

 

8. F1 TV

Formula 1 fans finally have a way to watch full replays of all races while also watching live leader boards.

9. Bleacher Report Live

For fans of the National Lacrosse League and World Arm Wrestling League as well as field hockey.

10. TSN Direct

Live Stream the CFL, NFL, MLS, MLB, Nascar, F1, Golf, Tennis.

11. Sportsnet Now

Stream the NHL, NBA / Raptors, MLB / Blue Jays, WWE, CHL, Bundesliga, Grand Slam of Curling and more.

ESPN+

Not available in Canada.

Fox Soccer Match Pass

Not available in Canada.

Premier League, Champions League, Europa League and more are available on DAZN

 

 

 

Free Streaming Sites in Canada

The options we’re aiming to provide you here are completely free.

They do not require you to log in with your cable provider details or anything of that sort.

Simply go to the website and watch.

 

1. Tubi

Watch movies and TV shows in HD on any device completely free.

It is ad supported.

 

2. HGTV

Watch full episodes of many of their shows for free.

They obviously are added after airing live.

 

3. MUCH

Watch full episodes of shows like South Park and Tosh.0 for free.

 

4. Slice

Watch full episodes of some of your favourite shows free.

 

5. The Comedy Network

Watch full episodes of shows like The Daily Show with Trevor Noah for free.

 

 

6. Food Network

Watch full episodes of your favourites such as Top Chef Canada and Iron Chef Canada completely free.

 

7. Global News

Watch news online free.

 

8. BNN

Watch BNN Bloomberg online free.

 

9. CTV

There are some full episodes available here and also long clips of shows like The Masked Singer and The Marilyn Denis Show.

 

10. CTV Life

Slightly different than the above, a few free episodes of Holmes on Homes, Bonacini’s Italy, Let’s Brunch, Dog Tales Rescue and DNA Dinners.

 

11. VICE

Tons of free video content is available on the VICE website.

 

12. Kanopy

If you’re into classic cinema, indie film and documentaries, Kanopy is the streaming service for you.

Kanopy is free if you have a participating library card or college / university access.

 

 

13. CBC Gem

CBC offers both free and premium content so you may want to just check out the free stuff.

 

14. TVOKids

Tons of free shows readily available to stream as well as a Live Stream.

 

15. OMNI

Full episodes and some movies available, content in various languages as well.

 

16. VisionTV

If you’re interested in some general entertainment programming, VisionTV has a few free episodes that it continuously updates.

 

17. APTN

Watch full episodes of over 50 different shows on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.

 

18. CPAC

The Cable Public Affairs Channel has many live streams and repeats available if you’re interested in the coverage of public and government affairs.

 

19. The Shopping Channel

A little different than everything else on this list – if you feel like doing some shopping the old school way, you can now watch The Shopping Channel live.

 

Crackle

While Crackle was once available in Canada, Sony Pictures Television decided to pull out of the Canadian market in 2018 and therefore Crackle is no longer available.

 

 

Live TV Streaming In Canada

If you’re looking to cut the cord on regular cable but still want some channels at an affordable price, our favourite device is the Tablo Dual Lite.

How does it work?

You plug in your HDTV antenna into the Tablo Dual Lite along with an external hard drive via the USB port.

You then connect the Tablo to your router either via the Ethernet jack or Wi-Fi.

And that’s it.

You can now watch live, local over-the-air broadcast TV in high definition to any of your devices, without a monthly cable bill!

Check out our Tablo Dual Lite review.

 

 

Best Streaming Devices Canada

If you don’t own a SMART TV with the streaming apps already built-in, here are some options that allow you to stream from your other devices such as your laptop or smartphone.

1. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

2. Roku Streaming Stick+

3. Apple TV 4K

4. Google Chromecast

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the questions that our readers continue to ask.

 

Which streaming service in Canada is the best?

Best Value: Netflix at $9.99 per month for a large catalogue of movies and TV shows still leads
Best Movies: Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney+
Best TV Shows: Crave for HBO, Showtime and Starz TV shows, Netflix for their original content titles
Best Reality TV: Hayu at $5.99 per month with a full listing on their website here.
Best For Sports: DAZN for a good overall package or each leagues individual service like NBA League and NHL Live

 

Is Crave TV free with Amazon Prime Video?

No, each streaming service requires its own subscription.

 

Do you get Netflix Canada free with Amazon Prime?

No, Netflix is a completely different business than Amazon prime video and there each require their own subscriptions.

 

Is CBS All Access free with Amazon Prime?

No, CBS All Access does not come with Amazon Prime although it can be added to your US Prime subscription.

 

Is YouTube TV available in Canada?

Unfortunately YouTube TV is not available in Canada yet.

 

Is Crave TV Better Than Netflix Canada?

Both have their benefits.

If you are a fan of networks such as HBO, Showtime and Starz, home to probably some of the best TV shows, Crave is a better bet.

If you are looking for a large catalogue of movies and TV shows which includes a ton of original content Netflix Canada is creating, you may prefer Netflix.

It comes down to preference.

 

Is Crave TV worth it in Canada?

If you’re a fan of the ever evolving content created by networks such as HBO, Showtime and Starz, at $25.97 per month it is worth it.

If you don’t care either way, than it is quite expensive.

The user experience of the app also seems to be subpar but probably something that will evolve and get better over time.

Prices start at $9.99 per month and includes Showtime + $9.99 per month for Movies and HBO + $5.99 per month for Starz.

 

Is Netflix Canada free?

No, Netflix is not free in Canada, monthly subscriptions start at $9.99 per month.

 

How do I get rid of cable and still watch sports?

You can easily get rid of cable and still watch sports.

It all depends on what you are looking to watch however DAZN is a good option for NFL, MLB, some boxing, some soccer and ICC cricket in one platform.

If you’re looking to see Canadian teams mainly, Sportsnet NOW allows you to watch Canadian teams across all major sports.

Our sports section above gives you options by sport for everything else.

 

Is streaming cheaper than cable?

According to the 2019 Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s Communications Monitoring Report[1], Canadians spent, on average, $52.58 on satellite cable and TV per month during 2017.

While that seems somewhat outrageous, when you add on the extras like kid’s specialty channels, sports packages, and other lifestyle channels, the bill easily goes north of $100.

By cutting your cable, you could save yourself $1,000 or more on your entertainment costs.

If you’re not streaming by now, you’re missing out on some great content, especially originals that are only available on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Apart from sports, what value do you get out of cable that you can’t get out of Netflix, Amazon, or Disney Plus?

Even ESPN is streaming online these days.

Your average streaming package costs between CAN$89 to CAN$99 per year.

You could afford to pay for three streaming subscriptions and still save around 70% on your cable costs – sounds like a plan, right?

 

What is better than Netflix in Canada?

According to user reviews, Amazon Prime Video is the one of the top choices for Canadians.

Netflix is great, but they limit Canadians from watching a lot of the available content in the US market.

Amazon Prime Video is the best alternative to Netflix in Canada.

However, since an Amazon Prime subscription is only $7.99 per month, and Netflix is up to $18.99 per month.

You could take both and still come in with a near 75% saving on your annual cable costs.

DAZN
If you’re a sports fan and need your football games, Da Zone is a top streaming choice for sports fans.

Choose from a range of sports and leagues around the world, with a free 30-day trial.

Disney Plus
As a new player in the market, Disney Plus is a premium entertainment streaming service.

You get access to top productions from leading studios like Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm (Star Wars).

Let’s not forget about National Geographic for the animal lovers out there.

Disney Plus costs you $8.99 per month, or take an annual subscription at $89.

 

How do I get rid of cable in Canada?

It’s time to cut the cable!

Unlocking the power of online entertainment in your home is pretty simple.

Before you sign up for the streaming services of your choice, ensure you have a good high speed internet connection.

Contact your provider to discuss the best option for your needs, keeping in mind the needs of your household and if many people will be streaming at the same time.

With your internet connection sorted out, call your cable company and notify them you want to cut your services.

You will probably need to finish the current billing cycle you’re on.

If you’re ready, sign up for your preferred streaming services right away or plan to sign up on the day that the cable cuts.

 

Why is Canadian Netflix so bad?

If you’re wondering why the selection on Netflix Canada is so poor, it comes down to the distribution rights.

Most US movies and TV show back catalogues have long-term agreements with cable companies and other networks that have geographic limitations.

Therefore, programming varies country to country, however Netflix’s original content has definitely been producing great movies and shows.

 

Does Canada have free TV?

Sure, there’s free TV in Canada. Purchase a digital antenna for your home, and you get access to over 30 digital channels for free.

 
 
[1] https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/policymonitoring/2019/index.htm