Netflix

Netflix is the world's leading subscription streaming service, offering a vast library of movies, TV series, documentaries, stand-up comedy, and original content across all genres. Founded in 1997 as a DVD-by-mail service and pivoting to streaming in 2007, Netflix fundamentally transformed how the world consumes entertainment and pioneered the subscription video-on-demand model that competitors now replicate.

Netflix originals—produced exclusively for the platform—have become a significant competitive differentiator, spanning prestige drama, international content, anime, documentary series, and blockbuster films. The platform's recommendation algorithm and user interface are designed around binge-watching discovery, making it particularly strong for serialized drama and comedy series consumption.

Netflix pricing tiers offer meaningful trade-offs: the ad-supported Standard plan provides substantial savings over ad-free plans while delivering the same content library with intermittent commercials. Household sharing restrictions have tightened in recent years, making it essential to understand the current paid-sharing policies before subscribing. Comparing value against Disney+, Max, and Apple TV+ helps optimize streaming subscriptions to match viewing preferences.