From Peppa Pig to Paw Patrol, are you looking for the best streaming services to watch all your favorite family shows and movies? You’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the best streaming services for watching family content, with lots of kid-friendly features and content.
In this article, we’ll cover each streaming service’s plans and pricing, content library and special features to help you decide which would be the right choice for you!
Disney+ is the most kid-friendly
Disney+ launched in 2019 and quickly became a family-favorite—the streaming service now has over 140 million subscribers. You’ll find Disney’s huge collection of family movies, but you’ll also find a ton of other kid-friendly content by Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.
Disney+ Basic
Get 3 HULU, DISNEY Plus, ESPN
- On demand content
- Stream on four screens
- HD and 4K video quality
$7.99/month
Disney Bundle Duo Basic
- Includes Disney+ and Hulu
- On demand content
- Stream on four screens
$9.99/month
Disney+ Premium
- No ads
- Stream on four screens
- HD and 4K video quality
- Offline viewing
$13.99/month
Disney Bundle Trio Basic
- Includes Disney+ Hulu and ESPN+
- On demand content
- Stream on four screens
$14.99/month
Disney Bundle Duo Premium
- Includes Disney+ and Hulu
- On demand content
- Stream on four screens
- Offline viewing
- No ads
$19.99/month
Disney Bundle Trio Premium
- Includes Disney+ Hulu and ESPN+
- No ads
- On demand content
- Stream on four screens
- Offline viewing
$24.99/month
Content library
If you’re looking for family-friendly content, Disney wins every time. You’ll get most of your favorite Disney and Pixar movies from the past, like The Lion King, Cinderella, Peter Pan and even more Disney originals. Since it owns Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic, you’ll get the latest and greatest superhero films, intergalactic sagas and wildlife documentaries.
For a full look at what shows and movies you’ll get with your Disney+ subscription, check out our guide on their content library.
Special features
Disney+’s awesome features make it an even more attractive option. You can enjoy plenty of movies in 4K UHD, and you’ll even find some IMAX-enhanced content in there as well.
You likely won’t have trouble with device compatibility. Disney+ can be watched on most web browsers, Android, iOS, Fire Tablets, all major streaming media players, Android TV, smart TVs, and STBs.
Disney+ allows four simultaneous streams, which is usually more than enough for most families. When it comes to offline viewing, you get unlimited downloads on the app on up to 10 different devices. If you have a laptop or a compatible smartphone or tablet, you should be all set for your next long flight or road trip!
Hulu has the best price for its value
Hulu launched in 2007 and has since made quite the name for itself, with over 45 million users as of April 2022. The on-demand streaming service is known for its affordability, wide range of content — including some great movies— and popular original content. Looking for the best price for value? Hulu is the perfect choice.
Hulu (with ads)
Get 3 HULU, DISNEY Plus, ESPN
- Stream on two screens
- Big movies
- Hit TV shows
- On demand content
$9.99/month
Hulu (no ads)
Get 3 HULU, DISNEY Plus, ESPN
- Stream on two screens
- Big movies
- Hit TV shows
- On demand content
- No ads
$18.99/month
Hulu Live TV only
- 90+ live channels
- Stream on two screens
$81.99/month
Hulu Live TV (with ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$82.99/month
Hulu Live TV (some ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$87.99/month
Hulu Live TV (no ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$95.99/month
Content library
Hulu has a strong content library, with thousands of hit shows, popular movies, and Hulu Originals. When it comes to family-friendly content, you won’t be disappointed. You’ll find some classic cartoons like Hey Arnold and Rugrats, some hit family movies like The Croods and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and some old favorites like Mrs. Doubtfire, and The Last Unicorn.
On the adult side, here are some popular Hulu Originals you won’t want to miss:
- Summer of Soul
- Only Murders in the Building
- The Dropout
- The Bear
- Rye Lane
Special features
If you’ve got a big family, it’s important to note that Hulu only allows you to watch on up to 2 devices at a time, with no option to upgrade to get more streams.
When it comes to offline viewing, you’ll need the ad-free plan to be able to download content for offline viewing. With that, you can download up to 25 downloads in total on up to 5 devices, and they expire after 30 days.
The best part about Hulu? It offers a generous 30-day free trial with all its features included, so you can spend a whole month testing the platform before taking the plunge. Check out our full review on Hulu for more information!
Netflix is best for the whole family
Netflix is the #1 streaming service in the world, with over 230 million subscribers in 2023. You’ll find something for everyone in the family thanks to its huge content library and ongoing stream of new original content. You’ll find a large selection of kid-friendly content, as well as tons of content for adults, including thrilling documentaries, movies in every genre and award-winning TV series.
Netflix Standard with Ads
- Stream on two screens
- On demand content
- HD video quality
- Downloads on up to two devices
$6.99/month
Netflix Standard
- No ads
- Stream on two screens
- HD video quality
- Downloads on up to two devices
$15.49/month
Netflix Premium
- No ads
- Stream on four screens
- HD and 4K video quality
- Downloads on up to six devices
$22.99/month
Content library
Due to its years of experience and large budget, Netflix’s content library is by far the largest of any streaming platform. With an unmatched range of shows, movies, documentaries, reality shows, and more, you’ll never run out of things to watch. They continue to produce an endless stream of popular and even at times award-winning original content. Currently, they offer more than 3,500 original shows and movies, and over 36,000 hours of on-demand content overall.
Some popular titles include:
- The Crown
- Cocomelon
- Bridgerton
- The Lincoln Lawyer
- Rise of the Guardians
- Russian Doll
- Nanny McPhee
- Bridesmaids
Not sure what to watch on Netflix? Check out what we think are some of the best movies and shows on Netflix.
Special features
Netflix’s device support is grade A—you can watch on basically any device. For a full list of supported devices, check out our Netflix supported devices article.
When it comes to offline viewing, Netflix allows up to 100 active downloads on as many devices as your plan allows. Most downloads will expire within a week, but some expire after 48 hours.
One great Netflix feature (especially for families with children) is the ability to create “kid profiles” with parental controls. Netflix even lets you block certain shows or movies, so you can avoid having your 7-year-old accidentally stumble upon Black Mirror. Interested in more? Check out our full review for Netflix.
Paramount+ is the home of Nickelodeon
Paramount+ is one of the fastest-growing streaming services. It’s also one of the best streaming services for watching kids’ cartoons and films. In fact, this service boasts some of the most popular kids’ shows of all.
Little ones will be able to enjoy most of Nickelodeon’s back catalog, including shows like Peppa Pig, Blue’s Clues, Paw Patrol and SpongeBob SquarePants. The service also offers great family-friendly films, too, with new content added all the time to expand and improve the service for kids of all ages.
Paramount+ also offers plenty for older kids and adults, too, housing tons of hit blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick and original series like Tulsa King, Special Ops: Lioness, and Criminal Minds: Evolution. Not to mention, you can watch as much Star Trek content as you could possibly want.
Content library
Paramount+ has over 50 kids and family movies or TV shows to enjoy. With a wide range of shows, movies, documentaries, reality shows, and more, your family will enjoy their varied offerings.
Paramount+ provides over 8000 hours of content, much of it drawn from CBS, Viacom and Paramount-owned platforms and channels like Showtime, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickleodeon, BET and Paramount Pictures.
Some popular titles include:
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- The Lost City
- Big Brother
- iCarly
- Scream
- Avatar: The Last Airbender
Special features
In terms of general quality, Paramount+ supports streaming in up to 4K quality for some of its movies and shows, and full HD for everything else. Paramount+ also supports most devices, including Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and others.
While there’s no DVR, Paramount+ does provide an offline viewing option. Only available with the Paramount w/ Showtime plan, you can download and play on-demand TV show episodes and movies.
For more, check out our full Paramount+ review.
Get access to Cartoon Network and plenty more with Max
Max is another popular streaming service for kids’ shows. This service may be better-known for its adult content, with shows like The Wire and Game of Thrones. However, it has quite an extensive kids’ section, too.
Shows like Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Looney Tunes and Young Justice all feature on the platform, with many more shows from DC, Cartoon Network and Sesame Workshop also available.
All of this makes Max a good choice for families, and there are strong parental controls parents can use to prevent the kids from accessing the more mature content on the service.
Content library
Whether it's educational, animated, or anything in between, Max has movies and shows for all ages! You can stream classic kids cartoons, iconic teen dramas, and so much more.
Some popular titles include:
- Marley & Me
- The Book of Life
- Teen Titans
- Howl’s Moving Castle
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- The Lego Movie
Special features
Max’s list of supported devices isn’t as robust as some streaming services, but it should be good for most people. The With Ads plan doesn’t let you download content to watch offline, but you can with the Ad-Free and Ultimate Ad-Free options. This makes it perfect for long flights or when you’re going someplace without internet access.
Check out our review on it for more information!
Amazon Prime Video is another great option for low cost
Amazon Prime Video is another contender to consider among the best streaming services for watching kids’ cartoons. It has a huge and ever-expanding library of content, including a good range of movies and kid-friendly programming.
Some of the top shows on Amazon Prime Video include SpongeBob SquarePants and Peppa Pig. Wallace & Gromit, Invader Zim and H2O are also available through the service, so kids of all ages will find something to make them smile.
A great thing about Amazon Prime Video is that you can get it included in the cost of a standard Amazon Prime subscription. So if you already shop a lot with Amazon, this is a no-brainer.
Content library
Not only does Amazon Prime have a lot of great kid-friendly content—including lots of originals—,they also offer content for the rest of the family as well. Between their original films and shows and all of their licensed content, the entire family will have plenty to choose from.
Some popular titles include:
- Fleabag
- The Boys
- Nope
- Jury Duty
- The Pink Panther
- Paddington
Special features
Amazon Prime Video has great device support. You can watch it on iOS and Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku, web browsers, and quite a few smart TVs and Blu-Ray players from various manufacturers like Sony, Vizio and Samsung. You can watch on up to 3 devices at once, so it’s easy to share your subscription with family members or housemates.
Amazon Prime Video also allows you to download shows for offline viewing and view them without an internet connection, which is great if you are traveling or live somewhere with spotty internet service.
Check out our full review on Amazon Prime Video for more information!
Prime Video
- On demand content
- Stream on three screens
$8.99/month
Desiree Wu • Author
Desiree is a full-time Honours Business Administration student at Ivey Business School at Western University. She also served as an Editorial Intern at Flixed. Desiree is based in London, Ontario.
Davan Hamilton • Editor
Davan Hamilton is an editor and writer based in Jacksonville, FL. Holding a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, her writing spans a wide range, from essays on film criticism and analysis to surreal poetry. Now, she works for Flixed as an editor, continuing to ignore the list of passion projects she’s accumulated. When she’s not glued to her computer, you can find her building endless amounts of Lego sets, binge-reading manga, or playing with (fighting) her cat.
How To Watch
Flixed.io's contributors and editorial team will often recommend products we believe to be useful for our readers. We may receive an affiliate commission from product sales generated through these affiliate links.