Which streaming service is right for you?

It's been about four years since we got rid of our cable and I can't say I miss it at all. And who would with all the streaming services out there? 

You can still watch great TV at a fraction of the price. But which one is right for you? 

First things first:  

You will need a  streaming device like Roku or Amazon Fire stick to use the numerous streaming programs now available if you want to watch them on your TV. You can stream all of these on a computer, tablet, or smart phone. 

Pros: There are a lot of "free" channels are available on boxes like Roku. Channels like PBS, PBS Kids and Crackle, which shows movies with limited commercials. 

You can also stream YouTube on these devices as well. 

Cons: Each box is different as to what services it will and won't let you use. For example you cannot stream Amazon Prime on Apple TV because it competes with iTunes rentals. 

Also, we found the Roku stick to be slow and we had a lot of buffering issues. It got sold and new device was purchased. 

Let's look at streaming services: 

Amazon Prime. For just $99 a year you can get a TON of movies, TV shows and other great features through Amazon. 

If you don't know what all is available through your prime membership you can read a post I wrote about it. 

Pro: Lots of bonus features like two day shipping on Amazon orders, free books and unlimited music. 

Includes great PBS kids content, original kid's content, shows from TNT and USA. 

Cons: You pay $99 all up front. Content seems older and limited sometimes. 

Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial

Netflix. We all know (and love Netflix). For just $9.99 a month you can watch as many TV shows and movies as you want. And the original content is good too. 

Pros: A great value at just $9.99 a month and totally commercial free. New content is added each week and the exclusive content is pretty great (Longmire, Stranger Things etc.)

Cons: You do have to wait for a season to end it's current run to watch it. 

Hulu. This is another one that runs just $7.99. There are tons of great TV shows you can watch just the day after they air. Plus you can cancel at any time. 

Pros: Near-immediate access to new, hit shows. For example, if you want to watch The Goldbergs but can't watch it when it play LIVE on Wednesday, just wait til Thursday morning. 

Cons: Commercials. Yup, you are paying $7.99 a month to watch content with commercials. But you can upgrade to commercial free for just $4 more a month. 

Sling. For $20 a month and NO contract you can stream live cable channels. You get access to TNT, ESPN, Disney, Food network. The list goes on. So it's all your favorite channels for a fraction of cable. 

Pros: Again, way cheaper than cable and you can watch LIVE SPORTING EVENTS! This is perfect for Football season. 

Cons: You do watch commercials. And depending on your internet connection it can buffer for long periods of time. 

As you can see there are a LOT of alternatives to pricy cable and satellite plans. 

What about you? What service do you use?