TV shows and movies provide a welcome relief from the chaos of the real world. For many people, watching entertainment is beyond a luxury—it's a necessity. While access to all this content is technically easy through streaming services, it's increasingly becoming financially unviable. The cost of living is rising and many are being forced to tighten the purse strings.

Netflix and Disney+ are two of the largest and most popular streaming services. If you can only afford to subscribe to one of these, we're going to compare them to help you figure out where you should spend your hard-earned cash.

There Are Too Many Streaming Services

Netflix wasn't the first streaming service, but it's certainly the one which popularized the concept from 2007 onwards. Though the company began sending physical media to customer through the mail, it was through on-demand online streaming that it found global success. "Netflix" became synonymous with streaming.

There were other streaming services around that time too, primarily Amazon Prime Video and Hulu, but as a consumer, your choice was fairly limited. You could probably afford to subscribe to all the major streaming services at the time, if you wanted.

streaming app icons on an iphone
Image Credit: Tada Images/Shutterstock

These services existed as a pushback to cable. Rather than subscribing to an abundance of channels, Netflix et al. licensed content from other studios. You could enjoy movies and shows from a wealth of studios in a single place. Soon enough, streaming services began producing original programming too.

For a while, the market sustained this model, but then studios decided they wanted a slice of the pie. It's only in the last handful of years that we've seen an explosion of entertainment subscription services: HBO Max, Paramount+, Apple TV+, Peacock, and more. Disney+ launched November 2019 in the US. There are too many streaming services.

The Rising Cost of Streaming Subscriptions

The abundance of streaming services isn't wholly a bad thing. The competition leads to innovation and more original programming. But it does mean the market is fractured and you must pay for multiple subscriptions if you want to keep up with the entertainment. This simply isn't affordable.

The cost of streaming subscriptions rises on a near-annual basis. In January 2022, Netflix increased the cost of its Standard plan from $13.99 to $15.49. In 2014, the same plan cost $8.99. Disney+ cost $6.99/month at launch. In March 2021, less than a year and a half later, that increased to $7.99/month.

Unfortunately, rising prices means that online piracy is increasing. For many consumers, these constant hikes are misaligned with their cost of living; it's become unsustainable to maintain multiple subscriptions. So, if you're weighing up between Netflix and Disney+, which should you choose?

Netflix vs. Disney+: Comparing the Cost

For this guide, we'll compare Netflix's Basic plan against Disney+'s monthly plan. Neither offer a free trial.

The Cost of Netflix

Netflix offers three subscription plans, so the cost of Netflix varies depending on which you opt for. The plans are:

Basic

Standard

Premium

Monthly cost

$9.99

$15.49

$19.99

Screens you can watch on simultaneously

1

2

4

Stream quality (where available)

SD

HD

4K

The Cost of Disney+

Disney+ only has a single plan and it costs $7.99/month. However, you can subscribe to Disney+ annually and pay $79.99, which represents an almost 20% saving over month-by-month.

You could also opt for The Disney Bundle, which includes Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. This costs $13.99/month for Hulu with ads or $19.99/month for no ads.

Winner: Disney+

Netflix vs. Disney+: Comparing the Content

The most important aspect to consider when weighing up Netflix against Disney+ is the movies and TV shows available.

What Can You Watch on Netflix?

According to What's on Netflix, Netflix has over 6,000 TV shows and movies streaming in the US. Netflix's catalog consists of exclusive content and licensed third-party content.

Netflix Originals are shows and movies that Netflix has produced or purchased and, typically, are never available in theaters or physically. They are certainly never available to stream elsewhere. This includes award-winning productions like Roma, The Irishman, and Don’t Look Up, and shows like Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy, and The Crown.

Generally, Netflix releases all episodes from its shows simultaneously, which means you can binge to your heart's content, though recently some seasons have split into "parts" with separate release dates.

Netflix also licenses content from other studios. This is more transient because it relies on contracts; a studio may decide to license its content to another platform when the contract expires, and thus Netflix loses the right to stream it.

The diverse nature of Netflix's content is impressive. It spans all eras, genres, and age ranges, with stand-up comedy, anime, documentaries, dramas, Hollywood blockbusters, and more. No matter your age or viewing preferences, you'll find plenty to enjoy on Netflix.

What Can You Watch on Disney+?

According to Statista, Disney+ has over 2,000 shows and movies, which covers all the brands that Disney own: Star Wars, Marvel, The Simpsons, Pixar, National Geographic, and more. Outside the US, Disney+ also offers more adult-oriented content from studios like 20th Century Studios, ABC, and Searchlight Pictures—in the US, this is mostly on Hulu.

The bulk of the catalog consists of content from the Disney archives, which technically you can rent or buy physically elsewhere. This includes vintage animations like 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book, superhero adventures like Iron Man and Thor, or classics like Toy Story and Star Wars: A New Hope.

However, Disney has plunged a lot of money into its exclusive content—movies and shows only available to see on Disney+. Most of this revolves around the company's existing franchises, so your interest will depend on how invested you are in these. Examples include Moon Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Monsters at Work.

Disney+ releases TV show episodes on a weekly basis, which means you need to subscribe for multiple months if you want to watch as each episode debuts.

Disney+'s productions are high quality and have generally been well received, but are slow to release. Ultimately, if you're a fan of Disney, the content on its streaming platform will make you happy. But if you care little for superheroes, animation, or cinematic universes, you'll find less to keep you entertained.

Winner: Netflix

Netflix vs. Disney+: Questions to Ask Yourself

If you can only afford either Netflix or Disney+, you need to ask yourself a series of further questions to help determine which is best for you.

How Many People Will Use the Subscription?

If you're in a single household, this question is less relevant. For families or groups of friends, on the other hand, it's vital. On the Netflix Basic plan, you can only watch on one device at a time. On Disney+, you can watch on four devices simultaneously.

disney+ who's watching profile page

This means that you can't watch Netflix on your TV while your child watches on their tablet. You'd have to take it in turns. For Disney+, that limitation doesn't exist—in fact, two others could also stream on top of that.

This isn't the same as the number of profiles, which is a contained area where you can have unique watchlists and preferences. On Netflix you get five, while on Disney+ you get seven.

Winner: Disney+

Does the Stream Quality Matter?

If you're a cinephile, you likely care about the visual and audio quality of the stream. If you only intend to stream on a smartphone, it's less of a concern.

The Netflix Basic plan only streams in SD (480p). This means that the picture quality will look noticeably poor when blown up on large displays like TVs.

On Disney+, everything steams in HD (720p) minimum. Much of the content streams in Full HD (1080p), while some goes up to 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels). Select titles offer HDR10, Dolby Vision, an expanded aspect ratio of 1.90:1, 5.1 surround sound, and/or Dolby Atmos.

Simply put, if you have the gear to support it, Disney+ will look sharper and sound better than Netflix.

Winner: Disney+

What Extra Features Do You Need?

Both Netflix and Disney+ are on par when it comes to user interface (simple and clean), accessibility (subtitles and audio description), and parental controls (maturity ratings and profile locks). We've detailed this further in our showdown between Netflix and Disney+ for when budget doesn't matter.

netflix homepage

One major difference is that you can play games on Netflix through Android and iOS. These games are free, there aren't that many of them, and they aren't that great. Consider this as an additional perk, rather than anything to sway your decision.

Winner: Tie

Netflix vs. Disney+: Which Should You Choose?

On a pure cost level, Disney+ is the cheaper subscription; more so if you pay a year upfront. It's more flexible too, allowing multiple people to stream simultaneously and in high resolution. But when it comes to content, Netflix triumphs. It has a diverse offering, with shows and movies that will entertain children and adults. Disney+ skews family-friendly.

Whichever you choose, remember that the subscription is flexible. If you can't make up your mind, consider rotating between them—Disney+ one month, Netflix the next. It means you get the best of both worlds while only paying for one at a time.