Short answer: there is no single best streaming service in Canada; there is a best one for what your household watches. For the widest general library, Netflix. For HBO series and big Hollywood films, Crave. For value, Prime Video if you already pay for Amazon Prime. For French-language TV, ICI TOU.TV and Club illico. For free viewing, CBC Gem and ad-supported apps such as Pluto TV and Tubi. Most Canadian households end up with two or three paid services and rotate the rest.
The main services at a glance
Prices change several times a year and differ by tier, so this table points you to each service’s official page instead of printing numbers that may be out of date by the time you read them. The one exception is Netflix, whose Canadian prices are listed below because Netflix publishes them on its own help centre.
| Service | Best for | Ad-supported tier | French content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | The broadest general library, originals | Yes | Some audio and subtitles; library varies |
| Crave | HBO and Starz series, recent films, Canadian programming | Yes | Yes, French-language programming |
| Prime Video | Value if you already have Amazon Prime | Ads included by default in many markets; check your account | Some titles |
| Disney+ | Families: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, plus Star general entertainment | Yes | Many titles dubbed |
| Apple TV (formerly Apple TV+) | A small, high-end originals catalogue | Check current plans | Many titles dubbed or subtitled |
| Paramount+ | CBS and Paramount series, some films | Check current plans | Limited |
| CBC Gem | Canadian series and news; free with ads | Free tier is ad-supported; Premium removes most ads | Mostly English; French is on ICI TOU.TV |
| ICI TOU.TV | Radio-Canada series and Québec productions | Free tier with ads, paid EXTRA tier | Yes, French first |
| Club illico | Québec series and films | Check current plans | Yes, French first |
Netflix’s Canadian prices, from its official plans page in October 2026: Standard with ads CA$7.99 a month, Standard CA$18.99 and Premium CA$23.99, with extra members available on Standard and Premium. Prices before tax.
Which service for which household
If you will only pay for one
Pick by the shows people in your house actually ask for, not by catalogue size. A good test: write down the last five series or films anyone watched and wanted more of, then check which service carries most of them. JustWatch and the services’ own search pages let you check a title before you subscribe.
Families with young children
Disney+ is the usual pick, with profiles and parental controls. Netflix has a strong kids’ section too. If children share a TV with adults, set up separate profiles and a PIN on the adult ones from the first day.
French-speaking households
For Québec television, ICI TOU.TV (Radio-Canada) and Club illico are the services built around French programming, and Crave carries French-language content. On the global services, check the audio menu on a few titles during a trial: French dubbing is common on major releases but not universal. If you mainly want French live channels rather than on-demand series, read how to check French channels first.
On a tight budget
Start with the free services: CBC Gem’s free tier, plus ad-supported apps such as Pluto TV and Tubi, all legal and available in Canada. Then add one paid service at a time, on its cheapest ad-supported tier, and cancel it when you finish the series you joined for. The free options are covered in the cord-cutting comparison in best cable alternative in Canada.
Sports fans
General streaming services carry little live sport. In Canada, live sport is mostly sold through the broadcasters’ own apps and TV subscriptions, and rights are split across several of them, which is why sports viewing costs add up. Before you subscribe to anything for a particular team or league, check which service holds those games in your region for the season you want.
Households that mainly watch live channels
On-demand services do not replace a channel lineup with news, specialty channels and a guide. If that is what your household watches most, you need a live-TV option alongside or instead of on-demand streaming. Our guide to cutting the cord in Canada walks through how to combine the two without losing anything.
Crave vs Netflix: which is better?
It depends on what you watch. Netflix has the larger, broader library and many more original series across genres and languages. Crave is Bell Media’s service and the Canadian home of HBO and Starz programming, which means many of the most talked-about prestige series, plus recent theatrical films and Canadian content. People who watch a lot of different things tend to keep Netflix; people who follow specific HBO series tend to keep Crave for the months those shows are airing. Many households keep one year-round and rotate the other.
| Netflix | Crave | |
|---|---|---|
| Library | Very large, international | Smaller, HBO and Starz heavy |
| Originals | Many, every genre | HBO and Starz series, Canadian originals |
| French | Varies by title | French-language programming included |
| Cheapest way in | Ad-supported tier | Ad-supported tier, or a carrier bundle |
Both can be cheaper through a carrier bundle. Our guide to streaming bundles in Canada explains how to tell whether a bundle actually saves you money.
Five ways to pay less for streaming
- Rotate. Subscribe for the month a series drops, binge it, cancel, and move to the next service. Monthly plans make this easy.
- Use ad tiers for services you watch lightly. The ad-supported tier often costs a fraction of the ad-free one.
- Count what you already pay for. Prime Video comes with Amazon Prime, and some phone or internet plans include a streaming service. Check before you pay twice.
- Look at bundles with a calculator, not a banner. A bundle only saves money if you would have paid for every service in it.
- Audit twice a year. Statistics Canada reported that prices for video and audio subscription services in 2024 were 21.0% higher than in 2019, in its 2025 analysis. Small increases add up when nobody checks the bill.
Our signs you are overpaying for TV checklist does this audit across cable, streaming and internet together.
A note on free and legal
CBC Gem, ICI TOU.TV’s free tier, Pluto TV, Tubi and the free channels inside many smart TVs are legal, ad-supported services. Free websites and apps that offer every new release and premium channel at no cost are a different matter: they often carry malware and phishing, and Canada’s cyber security agency warns about search results that lead to malicious sites. If a deal looks impossibly generous, it usually is.
Where a live-TV subscription fits
On-demand streaming covers series and films well. What it does not cover is a full live lineup: news channels, specialty channels, international channels and a program guide you can surf. That is the gap a live-TV subscription such as ours fills, on the same devices you already use for Netflix or Crave. We offer 38,000+ live channels and 250,000+ movies and series, with availability of any specific channel varying by source, so check the ones you need during a free 24-hour trial. One screen costs CA$19 for a month or CA$79 for twelve months. Today’s prices hold until January 15, 2027. Eligible new plans carry a 60-day money-back guarantee from first paid activation. Compare the totals in cable vs IPTV cost in Canada, or see our plans.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best streaming service in Canada?
For most households, Netflix offers the broadest library, Crave is the home of HBO and Starz series, Prime Video is good value for existing Amazon Prime members, and Disney+ suits families. The best choice is the one that carries the shows your household actually watches.
Is Crave better than Netflix?
Crave is better if you follow HBO and Starz series and want Canadian and French-language programming. Netflix is better for sheer variety and the size of its originals catalogue. Many households keep one all year and subscribe to the other for a few months at a time.
What is the cheapest streaming service in Canada?
The cheapest are free: CBC Gem’s free tier, ICI TOU.TV’s free tier, Pluto TV and Tubi are legal and ad-supported. Among paid services, the ad-supported tiers are the lowest-cost way in; for example, Netflix Standard with ads is CA$7.99 a month before tax as of October 2026.
Which streaming services have French content in Canada?
ICI TOU.TV and Club illico are built around French and Québec programming, and Crave includes French-language content. Netflix, Disney+ and others offer French audio or subtitles on many titles, but not all, so check the audio menu.
Can I watch live TV on streaming services?
Mostly not on the general services, which are on-demand. Some broadcasters sell live streaming apps for their own channels, and CBC Gem streams some live programming. For a full live channel lineup with a guide, you need a live-TV service.
Are free streaming apps legal in Canada?
Ad-supported services such as CBC Gem, Pluto TV and Tubi are legal. Sites or apps offering premium channels and new releases free of charge often are not, and they carry real malware and phishing risk.
Sources
- Netflix Help Centre: plans and pricing in Canada
- CBC Gem Premium
- Statistics Canada: subscription prices and spending
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: search engine optimization poisoning
Your next step
Test the channels you actually watch.
Tell us your device, languages and preferred channels. We will help confirm availability and set up a free 24-hour trial. Read the plan and guarantee terms before paying.
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