Which Streaming Platform Is Better: Netflix or Disney+?
Updated March 22 2021, 12:33 p.m. ET
Disney+ launched on Nov. 12, 2019, in the U.S. It's the first streaming service to offer instant access to much-anticipated new releases like The Mandalorian, alongside live-action remakes of timeless classics like the Lady and The Tramp or The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
The sizeable content library is the main factor that drove audiences to make the switch.
Can the interface, the price, or the additional services beat Netflix? Netflix vs. Disney+ — is Disney+ worth it? Let's find out!
Disney+ is modeled after Netflix.
The homepage of Disney+ is similar to Amazon Prime and Netflix.
The top of the screen displays the most popular content, including the full feature that's bound to be popular among Star Wars fans, The Mandalorian, or the four-episode-long television documentary, The World According to Jeff Goldblum.
Disney+ vs. Netflix — is it worth it to buy both or is one better than the other?
Unlike Netflix, Disney+ offers themed selections tailored specifically to your personal needs. Instead of generic categories like Drama, Comedy, Foreign Movies or the sort, the content on Disney+ is divided by stronger, more carefully considered editorial decisions.
From The Muppets and Disney Through the Decades to National Geographic documentaries, the content was organized specifically with user preferences in mind.
The display emphasizes the characteristic that makes Disney+ far more appealing than Netflix: instead of the latest releases and most-exciting romantic comedies, the platform will host decades-old, all-encompassing libraries of your favorite television shows.
The platform is bound to be a big hit among die-hard Friends, Lizzie McGuire, and children's show fans – as it will provide exclusive access to every episode of these shows.
Just like Netflix, Disney+ is available on every device.
The premium subscription allows you to watch your favorite shows from four different devices at the same time, which include small screen televisions, PS4, phone applications and the like.
If you already have a Hulu, Amazon Prime or Netflix subscription, there's not much to get giddy about here. The technical details remained the same, the interface is similar, the service doesn't involve staggering inventions.
"What I learned is that the platform isn't revolutionary [...] it's basically Netflix stuffed with Disney films and TV shows," writes Frank Pallotta for CNN Business.
However, there is one service Disney+ can do that far surpasses anything available on Netflix.
If you ever hoped to watch your all-time favorite shows or movies in high quality, now is your chance.
Instead of the standard, HD format, Disney+ released a select few titles in 4K or UltraHD. This can prove particularly beneficial for users curious to learn what the tidier version of an older, lower-quality movie might look like, notes Tech Radar's Nick Pino.
Disney+ already stirred up a controversy among The Simpsons fans.
The first few seasons of the longest-running animated sitcom are available only in widescreen, instead of the traditional 4:3 format, reports The Verge.
This has a serious impact on the viewing experience – as visual jokes don't land. Needless to say, those who switched to Disney+ from Hulu just to have access to the show were not pleased after this discovery.
Based on its current content, Disney+ will be a huge hit among families and people with kids. Is it worth the $6.99? If you enjoy cult-classics, yes.