You can come across a lot of online streaming services nowadays. Some of them offer free access while some others charge a fee for their contents. The big question is ‘Do you need to pay for online streaming?’ A lot of people pay to listen to their favorite songs or watch their favorite shows online. A generalized answer cannot be given because priorities, tastes and preferences differ from person to person. Such is the rage for streaming services that lesser people are subscribing to cable subscriptions than ever before. There are a range of services available in this area as of now. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Acorn, DirecTV Now and Sling TV are some of the popular names fighting for screen space on our devices.

So, how do you find the best streaming services for yourself? Let’s find out. Firstly, ensure that you know your interests. Based on that, it’s easier to identify what kind of streaming services suit you best. For instance, it you want to enjoy sitcoms, Netflix could be the best. However, if you are looking to watch movies, Amazon Prime could be a better bet. For those who rarely watch shows or movies, a pay-per-view service such as FandangoNow or Vudu would work better.

Safely one can say that for those who like to watch a lot of television, a pay TV service remains a better option. That’s because you enjoy a bouquet of content that you can choose from. This will give you the content of your choice and will stay well within your budget. Let’s find out more about the most popular streaming services.

Acorn TV
Completely flexible on pricing, this one is available at a wide range of prices starting from $5 a month to $50 a year. If you are fond of the British TV fare, this one is for you.

Amazon Prime Video
Want to watch videos on the go? This one is a steal as it offers a subscription at $99 per year or $11 per month. The video-only subscription comes at a neat $9. If you are already paying the Amazon Prime membership, this one is for you. They now have an amazing roster of shows such as Z and The Grand Tour. They have also launched some exclusive series like Downton Abbey and The Americans.

CBS All Access
Find the best of CBS program here as it gives you great network content at the convenience of your screens. They have full-length episodes of CBS programs and also offer live programming streaming of local affiliate channels from as many as 124 markets. If you take the CBS All Access package, you will also be able to access their catalogs of new titles. It’s great for fans of Star Trek, NFL games and The Good Wife.

DirecTV Now
A replacement for satellite dish, this one offers about 60 channels. They are continually upgrading themselves, acquiring content from majors like CBS, local ABC, NBC, and Fox affiliates. Currently, DirecTV is at a beta testing stage to check the working of a cloud DVR for DirecTV Now subscribers. They have also planned 4K programming with HDR for the coming year of 2018.

You have to decide whether you have to choose a free streaming site or paid one. It is an individual decision you need to make. Your interests, preferences and tastes decide what you stream and download. One of the limiting factors of free streaming sites is that they offer only limited content, but top paid websites offer unlimited access to different types of entertainment, educational and recreational contents. They even allow you to stream the most important events and you can watch your favorite sports events through these streaming sites. When it comes to making payment to the site, you can choose a method that you find convenient. It is needless to say that streaming sites offer a lot of quality and interesting contents and a large number of people have become ardent fans of these types of services.