Big streaming services are fantastic; not only do you get access to hundreds of TV shows and movies, but they all produce entertaining, high-quality original content.

But these mainstream services tend to carry mainstream content for the most part. What can you do if you want to watch something less conventional and more specialized? In that case, you're better off checking out these alternative streaming services that are packed with more niche content.

1. Acorn TV

acorn tv homepage

Let's start with examining British TV, as delivered to the US market by two separate but similar streaming services: Acorn TV and BritBox. They both offer new and classic shows from across the United Kingdom, but each has its own unique program libraries.

Acorn TV features classic and current programming from a number of British networks. It also offers Acorn Originals created just for this service, as well as some of the best television programming from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, and various European countries. It's truly an international cornucopia of quality television.

A subscription to Acorn TV costs $5.99/month, or $59.99/year, and it does offer a seven-day free trial.

2. BritBox

britbox homepage

The second streaming service for British television programming is BritBox, which offers a variety of current and classic shows from Britain's top two networks, the BBC and ITV.

You may be familiar with many of these shows, as many of them show up on PBS from time to time. A BritBox subscription costs $7.99/month, and if you opt for a one-year subscription, it’s $79.99. A seven-day free trial is available.

There is very little overlap between the two services, so you might need both if you want the full range of British television programming. BritBox, with its direct BBC connection, offers the most programming likely to be familiar to casual viewers. Acorn TV is more for diehard Anglophiles, with shows that may be lesser known to US viewers, as well as content from other countries.

3. BroadwayHD

BroadwayHD broadway classics

If you're a big theater fan, check out BroadwayHD. This streaming service offers a mix of recorded Broadway plays and musicals, movies based on Broadway shows, and concerts by famous Broadway performers—plus lots of behind-the-scenes content. It's the only place online to watch Broadway shows like these.

BroadwayHD offers a free trial, so you can check what's available and decide if it's worth the subscription. And if you like what you see, it costs $11.99/month or $129.99/year.

4. The Criterion Channel

The Criterion Channel homepage

If you're a true movie lover, you probably know all about the Criterion Collection. Well-curated DVDs and Blu-rays of the most influential classic and contemporary films, both Hollywood-made and foreign, art-house and independent.

The Criterion Channel is where you'll find films by legendary directors such as Bergman, Buñel, Fellini, Godard, Kurosawa, Malle, Ozu, Scorsese, Tati, and Truffaut. If these names mean nothing to you, skip this one. But if you're a film aficionado and want a streaming service with the best classic and older content, The Criterion Channel is a must-have.

A subscription to the Criterion Channel costs $10.99/month or $99.99/year, and a free trial is available.

5. Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll homepage

If you're an anime fan, you can catch some of your favorite shows on Netflix. But if you want a much larger selection of anime programming, Crunchyroll is the service for you.

Crunchyroll is one of the best anime streaming services. It says it offers the world's largest selection of anime, and it's hard to argue with that. The service offers more than a thousand Japanese anime movies and shows and a selection of East Asian dramas. On top of all that, the service's website is a great source for manga and anime/manga news.

You can watch Crunchyroll for free with ads or subscribe for $7.99/month to get rid of ads and simulcast new episodes and chapters as soon as one hour after they air in Japan.

6. Curiosity Stream

curiosity stream homepage

If you love to watch documentaries, you know there are very few available on mainstream streaming services, and that's where Curiosity Stream comes in.

Curiosity Stream is a streaming service that only features documentary programming, including thousands of non-fiction films and television series. It also produces original documentaries that you won't find anywhere else.

Curiosity Stream offers a standard plan and a bundle, and both with monthly and annual pricing. The bundle lets you access seven streaming services for the price of one. Looking at the annual subscription, the Standard costs $39.99 ($3.34/month), and the Smart Bundle is $69.99 ($5.84/month). And if you stick to monthly billing, a subscription sets you back $4.99/month and $9.99/month, respectively.

7. Fandor

Fandor homepage

Critics watch movies differently than non-critics, which is why critically-acclaimed films tend to get lower ratings from everyday moviegoers. If your tastes align with critics more than with ordinary folk, you'll want to check out Fandor.

Fandor is a streaming service offering over a thousand hand-picked classic, foreign, cult, and independent films. You can also create and share movie lists, which is a great way to find new stuff to watch and participate in the passionate community.

Fandor offers a free trial, and you can subscribe for $5.99/month or $49.99/year.

8. MUBI

mubi homepage

MUBI is one of the best streaming services for fans of independent films, and it's similar to Fandor but with a twist. While it also focuses on hand-picked films across the classic, indie, and cult genres, its library is always rotating.

Every day, the folks at MUBI add a new film that you can stream, but it'll only be available for 30 days. This means that the library always contains 30 films—no more, no less. If you see something you want to watch, you better watch it soon before you lose the opportunity.

MUBI comes with a seven-day free trial, and then you can subscribe for $10.99/month or $95.88/year.

9. Rakuten Viki

rakuten viki homepage

Rakuten Viki is a streaming service that specializes in Asian programming, and it's one of the best streaming services for watching K-Drama. It offers thousands of movies and TV programs from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Since Viki is targeted at a global audience, it offers subtitles in more than 200 languages.

Some content is free, but if you want more ad-free and HD content, a subscription is warranted. The streaming service offers two plans, Standard and Plus. The Viki Pass Standard costs $5.99/month, and the Viki Pass Plus is $9.99/month. Both plans offer a seven-day free trial.

10. Shudder

shudder homepage

Horror lovers finally have their streaming video service in the form of Shudder. The Shudder service offers a wide selection of horror, thriller, and supernatural movies and TV series, completely commercial-free. You'll find Hollywood favorites, cult classics, and original horror programming unavailable anywhere else.

A subscription to Shudder costs $5.99/month or $56.99/year, and a seven-day free trial is available.

11. Screambox

screambox homepage

Yet another option curated with the horror buffs in mind, Screambox is not that dissimilar to Shudder. You can find a steady supply of horror movies and shows, some even based on stories from creepypasta. The platform also allows you to create Watchlists, watch Live TV, and search by genre.

That last one may seem unimportant, but 'horror' is such an all-encompassing term. There are zombie horror, supernatural flicks, cult classics, anthologies, and much more. And, Screambox makes discovering your next watch an easy process.

A Premium plan sets you back $4.99/month, $2.50/month if you pay half-yearly, and $2.25/month for an annual subscription. All these plans bring you premium content and an ad-free viewing, but if you want to keep it low-cost, you can watch free with ads and a more limited library.

12. Tubi

Tubi homepage

Tubi is a free streaming service, but you will have to brave a few ads while watching. It promises fewer ads than cable and offers thousands of titles under every category and genre you can imagine.

The Tubi service is made extremely easy to explore. You can browse by popularity, networks, genres, and collections. Plus, there's always something you've never seen before available to stream.

Which Services Do You Watch?

As a fan of British or Korean television, a lover of anime or horror exclusively, or someone who just wants to steer clear of the mainstream, you know that Disney+ and Netflix simply won't do. There's nothing wrong with those services, but if you're looking for that out-of-the-box show or film, there's no beating the above-listed platforms.

And if you're a casual viewer of movies and TV shows, you can stick to any of the big subscription streaming services and be as happy as a clam.