Netflix – Gold Award

Netflix is chockful of content. The platform that really set kicked things off remains the cream of the streams – even when facing down the likes of Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video. Priced between £5.99 and £11.99, Netflix continues to be an attractive offering – especially when sharing with family or grabbing it as part of a pay-TV package.

Related: Big fan of Netflix? Have your say on the best streaming service

What we love – 4K and HDR support, so much choice and easy-to-use UI

Netflix has long been the default streaming service. Ask your mates what streaming services they have and you’ll likely get the answer: “Netflix and…”. Other streaming services may offer high quality or different attractive features but none have the same “pick-up-and-play” feeling that Netflix offers – and that’s down to its sheer breadth of content.

From the gluttonous delights of Ugly Delicious to reality TV-style fixes like Tiger King and Too Hot To Handle and, even, more acclaimed hits like Dark and The Witcher – the range of Netflix is obscenely good.

While it doesn’t always get things right, Netflix has one of the best recommendation systems around – combined with the easy-to-use UI. Netflix will whack the stuff you’ve been watching, categories recommended for you and the top hits in your territory right near the top of the page.  Yes, Netflix has a search function but you rarely have to use it – something to draw you in is often right in front of you from the off.

Netflix also offers decent support across all modern standards – from Dolby Atmos to HDR10+ and 4K support – you’ll be able to find some content to get the best out of your gear.

What we don’t like – Pricing and lack of true greats

Netflix price has steadily grown over the past decade – as you’d expect – however, Amazon Prime Video is a service that has managed to keep its pricing down and it comes bundled with the excellent Amazon Prime service. Then there is Disney Plus, which comes in at a singular low price and offers similar support as Netflix’s premium offering. These appealing offers from competitors may mean Netflix isn’t as obvious of a buy as it once was.

Another thing rivals are often able to laud over Netflix is critically acclaimed hits. While Netflix gets people talking and is often the creator of “water cooler talk” around the world, the service lacks the big franchises of Disney Plus or the award winners of Amazon Prime. You can definitely argue Netflix don’t need it and its wide breadth of content works just fine, but a quality smash hit wouldn’t go a miss.

Verdict

Think of streaming services and you think of Netflix. Despite fierce competition emerging in recent years, Netflix has managed to stay ahead of the pack – with its simple UI and seemingly endless content library.