The concept of entertainment has changed greatly in this modern, digital era. The old-age cable subscription no longer looks like a viable option in today’s fast-moving world. Now, people do not always have to sit in front of a TV to enjoy the latest and greatest from the entertainment world. With video streaming apps, everything’s now available on the go, anytime and anywhere, and in the best quality.
From the latest movies and TV shows to live news, sports, and more, streaming apps bring that all right onto your smartphone. There are, of course, tons of streaming apps on the Google Play Store, and not all of them offer the same content.
Each app has its own specialty. While some offer a huge collection of original content, some others bring you the best from the television world. To help you find the best streaming app for your needs, we looked through several of them and compiled a list of the best streaming apps for Android.
Go through the article below for detailed information on each app, including a description, Google Play rating and size, cost of in-app purchases, and screenshots or promo videos, as well as a Google Play Store download link.
Best Streaming Android apps 2023
Below is a quick overview of the best streaming Android apps for 2023, including any download and in-app purchase costs.
| Download Cost | In-app cost (per item) | |
| Netflix | ✕ | ✕ |
| Amazon Prime Video | ✕ | $0.99 – $100.00 |
| Disney+ | ✕ | $7.99 – $109.99 |
| VRV | ✕ | ✕ |
| Tubi | ✕ | ✕ |
| Curiosity Stream | ✕ | $2.99 – $119.99 |
| Vudu | ✕ | $99.99 |
| YouTube TV | ✕ | ✕ |
| Twitch | ✕ | $0.99 – $299.50 |
| Hulu | ✕ | $7.99 – $14.99 |
| Sling TV | ✕ | $1.01 – $99.99 |
Best Streaming Android apps 2023 downloads
Below is a little more information on each app, including a direct link for easy downloading.
All download links go to the app’s Google Play Store listing. Users are always recommended to download apps from Google Play or an authorized app store.
Netflix
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 31MB
- Google Play rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
A platform with more than 200 million subscribers globally, Netflix is undoubtedly the biggest and best streaming service right now. It offers a large collection of TV shows and movies from all around the world. Netflix’s own library of original content is also enormous and constantly growing.
Netflix is available in most countries around the world. It supports up to four simultaneous streams. The app also supports 4K playback, HDR10, and Dolby Vision, and is available on a wide range of devices including Android smartphones, tablets, TVs, and game consoles.
Netflix offers multiple subscription tiers starting at $6.99 per month and going up to $19.99 per month. The main difference is the streaming quality and the number of simultaneous streams. Netflix no longer offers a free trial option though.
Amazon Prime Video
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $0.99 – $100.00
- Size: 38MB
- Google Play rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars
Amazon Prime Video starts at $8.99 per month and offers a huge collection of original content almost as good as Netflix. You also get tons of movies and popular TV shows. You have the option to purchase or rent movies and TV shows as well.
Along with its original content, this app also hosts top shows from the likes of HBO and others. You can further add content from Starz, Showtime, CBS All Access, Cinemax, and others for additional fees if you want to.
Amazon Prime Video comes standard with an Amazon Prime subscription, which offers access to Amazon Music, free shipping, 2-day delivery, and other premium shopping perks. It is a $14.99 per month ($139 for a full year) subscription, though you do get a 30-day free trial.
This app supports 4K and HDR streaming and lets you download titles for offline viewing. You can stream up to three titles simultaneously from the same account. However, you cannot stream the same title on more than two devices at the same time. This app is also available on a wide range of devices.
Disney+
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $7.99 – $109.99
- Size: 21MB
- Google Play rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Disney+ is a family-friendly streaming service that offers a ton of Disney’s media properties, including Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and National Geographic. You also get tons of kids’ shows, Disney movies, and some popular classic titles like The Simpsons.
There are also some original titles like The Mandalorian, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, and more. However, you should not be expecting a library as comprehensive as Netflix or Amazon, at least not just yet. Still, at an introductory price of just $6.99 per month, it’s a fair deal, more so for families. You get tons of content that kids can watch, in 4K quality.
You can even save some more money if you subscribe for a full year in advance. Additionally, you can opt for a combo of ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney+ as well. The bundles start at $9.99 per month and go up to $19.99 per month. This is arguably the best deal in the current streaming market. ESPN+ and Hulu individually cost $9.99 and $7.99 a month, respectively.
VRV
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 15MB
- Google Play rating: 3.3 out of 5 stars
If you’re a big-time anime fan then VRV is hands down the best streaming service for you. This app houses Crunchyroll, which is the world’s largest anime library with over 1,200 titles. You can even purchase relevant anime merchandise from the Crunchyroll shop.
In addition, VRV also bundles shows from Boomerang, Cartoon Hangover, HIDIVE, Mondo, Rooster Teeth, and VRV Select. You can subscribe to individual channels or get the whole bundle. You can even enjoy most of the content for free at 1080p if you don’t mind watching a few ads in between. Otherwise, it costs you $9.99 per month with a 30-day free trial.
VRV has a very slick, easy-to-use interface. The app also offers some useful features such as unlimited simultaneous streams and offline viewing.
Tubi
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 75MB
- Google Play rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Tubi is a 100 percent free legal video streaming service. You do not require any subscription or credit card to watch its collection of over 40,000 movies and TV shows. Tubi adds new movies and shows every week, so you always have something new to watch.
Since this is an ad-supported platform, you cannot download the content for offline viewing. Additionally, you can stream videos on Tubi at up to 720p resolution only. The app, otherwise, offers a clean interface with some parental controls as well. Additionally, Tubi keeps a track of your watching habit and suggests titles accordingly.
Curiosity Stream
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $2.99 – $119.99
- Size: 46MB
- Google Play rating: 3.2 out of 5 stars
Tired of watching fictional editions of popular historical, real-world events or persons? You can find a huge collection of documentaries covering everything from science, nature, history, and more on Curiosity Stream. New content is added every week so you’ll never run out of things to watch.
This app supports 4K and HD streaming on multiple devices and lets you download titles for offline viewing. It doesn’t show any ads and gives you access to the full library at just $2.99 per month or $19.99 for a full year. The monthly subscription cost jumps up to $9.99 for 4K streaming, though. You can also opt for annual plans and save a few dollars (up to $50 every year).
Curiosity Stream also offers CuriosityKIDS – a dedicated collection of safe, entertaining, and inspiring programs for families to enjoy together or for kids to watch on their own. The app already has over 20 million subscribers and is the world’s leading documentary and non-fiction streaming service.
Vudu
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $99.99
- Size: 28MB
- Google Play rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Vudu is the best streaming app for those who don’t want to commit to a monthly subscription. This app lets you rent or buy movies and TV shows so you can watch them anytime, anywhere, without having to pay a monthly fee. If you buy or rent a movie or a TV show, you can download it for offline viewing as well.
Some of the movies and TV shows are also available for free, although they understandably come with ads. New content is added to its huge collection of over 100,000 movies and shows regularly.
This app supports up to 4K UHD streaming, with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio on compatible devices. Additionally, Vudu’s Disc to Digital program lets you convert a physical copy of a film into a digital movie for a small fee. There aren’t many streaming apps that can do that.
YouTube TV
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 33MB
- Google Play rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars
With YouTube TV, Google is entering the live TV arena, and with some conviction. The service already offers cable-free access to more than 100 live sports, news, kids, and entertainment channels. ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, NFL Network, ESPN, HGTV, and TNT are some of the notable names. You can even add NBA League Pass, HBO Max, Showtime, Starz, and more to your subscription for additional fees.
YouTube TV costs $64.99 per month. However, one YouTube TV membership supports up to six accounts, so you can share with your family as well. The only caveat is that you cannot stream from more than three accounts simultaneously. If you’re lucky, you may get some promotional discounts on the service. YouTube TV also offers a free trial option.
You can watch YouTube TV on your Android smartphone, tablet, computer, smart TV, or game console, as well as on your big screen via Google Chromecast, Roku player & TV, and Apple TV. This app also offers the best cloud DVR of any live TV app – it keeps your recordings for nine months.
Twitch
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $0.99 – $299.50
- Size: 98MB
- Google Play rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Twitch is a video streaming service primarily for gamers. Here you will find live streaming of pretty much every game, including Minecraft, Fortnite, PUBG, FIFA, League of Legends, and more, as well as live e-sports and news coverage. You can watch other people play, or stream your own gameplay. You can even live chat during gaming sessions. There’s also a theater mode to avoid interruption during gaming.
Twitch is available on almost any platform, including Android, Xbox One, PS4, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and more. Although this app is currently limited to a niche audience of gamers, it’s gradually expanding itself. You can now watch live news videos as well as live streaming of several unique programs such as music festivals on Twitch. The app offers three subscription tiers: $4.99, $9.99, and $24.99 per month
Hulu
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $7.99 – $14.99
- Size: 1MB
- Google Play rating: out of 5 stars
If you want both on-demand and live TV together then Hulu has got you covered. Here you get access to a decent collection of movies and TV shows along with over 85 live TV channels, Disney+, and ESPN+. Hulu’s original content library isn’t much impressive but at $69.99 per month, there’s still a lot in the offering. Note that you’ll still have to watch ads with this plan. You’ll have to shell out an additional $13 every month to get rid of ads.
This ad-supported tier of Hulu is also available as a standalone service for $7.99 per month ($79.99 for a full year). The ad-free version will cost you $14.99 per month. As mentioned earlier, you can also opt for a combo of ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney+ without Live TV options. There are also several other premium add-ons to choose from.
Hulu offers unlimited recording of live news, sports, shows, movies, and events with Cloud DVR. Recordings are stored for nine months. This app supports up to six profiles and two simultaneous streams. It also lets you download titles, which are stored for up to 30 days or two days after you begin watching.
Sling TV
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $1.01 – $99.99
- Size: 43MB
- Google Play rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars
Sling TV is another cord-cutting option in today’s streaming market. It’s an affordable option with no obligations, meaning you don’t have to sign up for a long-term contract. All the while, you get features like pause live TV and catch-up play that cable offers. The app offers all popular live TV channels along with more than 120,000 movies and shows, with support for 50 hours of DVR storage.
Sling TV is available in two plans. Both plans cost the same at $40 per month but offer different sets of channels. One is focused on sports and family content while the other brings news and entertainment. You can get the two plans bundled together for $55 per month. So Sling TV undercuts YouTube TV and Hulu in terms of pricing. You can also add more channels if you’re willing to pay extra.
Discussion about this post