Overview
- Jump To Details
Kanopy
Best for Educational and Family Content - Jump To Details
Netflix
Best for Original Programming - Jump To Details
Curiosity Stream
Best for HD & 4K Documentaries - Jump To Details
Hulu
Best for On-Demand and Live TV Streaming - Jump To Details
Amazon Prime Video
Best for Original Programming and Purchase Options - Jump To Details
History Vault
Best for Fans of Military History Documentaries - Jump To Details
MagellanTV
Best for Discovering New Documentaries - Jump To Details
PBS Documentaries
Best for Popular Documentary Enthusiasts - Jump To Details
GuideDoc
Best for Prestige Documentaries - Jump To Details
Mubi
Best for Film Appreciation and Discovery - Jump To Details
Nebula
Best for Indie YouTube Fans - Jump To Details
Ovid.tv
Best for Indie films and documentaries - Jump To Details
PBS Video
Best for Exploring Local Cultures
You Can Trust Our Reviews
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Kanopy
Best for Educational and Family ContentBottom Line:
Kanopy is a top-tier streaming video service that offers a wealth of independent, ad-free educational and entertainment content. Even better, a library card or university email address lets you access the shows and movies for free.Pros
- Thousands of on-demand films and shows
- Free with a library card or university email address
- Lacks ads
- Unlimited access to Kanopy Kids content
- Can create and share/embed clips and playlists
- No limit on simultaneous streaming from a single account
Cons
- You can only stream a handful of Play Credit titles a month
- Does not support offline downloads on mobile devices
Learn MoreKanopy ReviewNetflix
Best for Original ProgrammingBottom Line:
Netflix's large collection of TV shows and movies, including critically acclaimed originals, make it one of the best video streaming services you can subscribe to.Pros
- High-quality original programming
- Excellent apps and features
- Offline downloads on mobile
- Free mobile games
Cons
- Ad-based tier doesn't include full library
- Little to no information about changes to the availability of content
Learn MoreNetflix ReviewCuriosity Stream
Best for HD & 4K DocumentariesBottom Line:
Documentary-dedicated streaming service Curiosity Stream has all the content you need to satisfy your hunger for knowledge and inspire new adventures.Pros
- Thousands of titles
- Impressive originals
- Apps for most major streaming platforms
- Entries are either in HD or 4K quality
- Available worldwide
- Affordable
Cons
- Limited language options beyond English
- Somewhat narrow focus
Learn MoreCuriosity Stream ReviewHulu
Best for On-Demand and Live TV StreamingBottom Line:
Hulu is an excellent video streaming service that features on-demand content, live TV, and mainstream entertainment that's too mature for Disney+.Pros
- Excellent selection of TV series
- Extensive live TV channel lineup
- Robust cloud DVR option
- Available on nearly every media streaming device
- Appealing bundle deals
Cons
- Base on-demand plan includes ads
- Offline downloads feature requires premium account
- Fewer high-quality originals than competitors
- Missing most SportsNet and all Bally Sports RSNs
Learn MoreHulu ReviewAmazon Prime Video
Best for Original Programming and Purchase OptionsBottom Line:
Amazon Prime Video features many prestige movies and TV shows, live Thursday Night Football, and capabilities such as 4K HDR streaming and the ability to buy or rent programs.Pros
- Excellent original content
- 4K and HDR streaming
- Live Thursday Night Football and WNBA games
- Supports offline downloads, multiple viewer profiles, and audio descriptions
- Lets you rent or buy movies and TV shows
Cons
- Continues to lose third-party content to other services
- Not as many high-quality TV shows as competitors
Learn MoreAmazon Prime Video ReviewHistory Vault
Best for Fans of Military History DocumentariesBottom Line:
History Vault is an excellent investment for History Channel fans thanks to the streaming video service's rich documentary library, infotainment, and low price.Pros
- Many high-quality historical documentaries
- Available on many platforms
- Numerous original series and shows
- Affordably priced
Cons
- Only available in the US
- Few accessibility options
- Lacks parental controls
Learn MoreHistory Vault ReviewMagellanTV
Best for Discovering New DocumentariesBottom Line:
MagellanTV's library of 3,000 documentaries is sure to impress documentary fans, especially as many are in 4K. However, its under-the-radar titles may not appeal to those looking for the most popular documentaries.Pros
- Excellent selection of documentaries
- Plenty of 4K content
- Inexpensive
- No ads
- Supports offline downloads on mobile devices
- Allows five simultaneous streams per account
Cons
- Few major award-winning documentaries or well-known titles
- Limited accessibility features
Learn MoreMagellanTVPBS Documentaries
Best for Popular Documentary EnthusiastsBottom Line:
Although it's only available as an Amazon Prime Video add-on, PBS Documentaries is an excellent streaming video service with a selection of films and original television series that should entertain history and culture buffs.Pros
- Impressive selection of popular content
- No ads
- Supports offline downloads
- Inexpensive
Cons
- Only accessible through Amazon Prime Video
- No Audio Descriptions available for content
Learn MorePBS DocumentariesGuideDoc
Best for Prestige DocumentariesBottom Line:
GuideDoc offers hundreds of award-winning films, but the service makes it difficult to discover everything in the catalog and does not support offline downloads on mobile devices.Pros
- Extensive selection of award-winning documentaries
- No ads
Cons
- Site organization makes searching for genres cumbersome
- Cannot download movies for offline viewing
- Limited platform support
Learn MoreGuideDocMubi
Best for Film Appreciation and DiscoveryBottom Line:
Part video streaming service, part movie community, Mubi is meant for true cinephiles. Mubi's particular brand of indie and foreign films may limit its appeal to wider audiences, though, and the service is missing some standard features.Pros
- New film added every day to curated lineup
- Extensive catalog of films
- Community features
- 1080p streaming
- Offline downloads on mobile
Cons
- No support for multiple viewing profiles
- Limited closed captioning options
Learn MoreMubi ReviewNebula
Best for Indie YouTube FansBottom Line:
Notable YouTubers strike out on their own with Nebula, a limited but exciting indie streaming site for entertaining educational videos, podcasts, and online classes.Pros
- High-quality educational videos and podcasts from popular creators
- Online classes
- Support creators through merchandise store
- Offline mobile downloads
- Ad-free
Cons
- Most of the library is free on YouTube
- Expensive online class tier
- Lacks parental controls
Learn MoreNebula ReviewOvid.tv
Best for Indie films and documentariesBottom Line:
Streaming service Ovid.tv builds its library from several indie and arthouse film distribution services, and as a result, has a large and diverse lineup of titles. Limited country availability and subtitle options are its biggest drawbacks.Pros
- Inexpensive
- Extensive streaming collection
- Excellent web interface and mobile apps
- Offline downloads on mobile devices
Cons
- Limited to the US and Canada
- Subtitles are not customizable
Learn MoreOvid.tv ReviewPBS Video
Best for Exploring Local CulturesBottom Line:
PBS Video gives you a substantial on-demand streaming library and access to live, local PBS broadcasts for free, but you need to pay to watch the network’s most popular programming.Pros
- Free
- Varied on-demand streaming library
- Includes access to live streams from local PBS broadcast stations
Cons
- Paid PBS Passport subscription required to watch the most popular PBS shows
- No support for offline downloads on mobile devices
- Most programming is only available in the US
Learn MorePBS Video
Buying Guide: The Best Documentary Streaming Services for 2024
How Much Do Documentary Streaming Services Cost?
Niche documentary streaming services are typically less expensive than full-service on-demand streaming sites, though not by a dramatic margin. For instance, CuriosityStream starts at $4.99 per month. PBS Documentaries costs $4.99 per month, too. MagellanTV is $5.99 per month, Ovid.tv is $6.99 per month, and GuideDoc is $7.99 per month. Mubi ($14.99 per month) is the most expensive of the streaming services in this roundup dedicated to documentaries.
Mainstream services such as Hulu ($7.99 per month), Netflix ($6.99 per month), and Prime Video ($8.99 per month) start somewhere in the middle of that range. However, Hulu and Netflix require you to pay for more expensive tiers to get all the best features. For instance, Hulu's ad-free plan is $17.99 per month and Netflix charges $22.99 per month for its Premium plan, which unlocks 4K content. CuriosityStream is the only niche service that locks functionality behind a more expensive tier; its 4K streaming tier is $9.99 per month. None of the documentary-focused services serve ads, however.
The least expensive option, Kanopy, is completely free with a library card or university email address. If you are after free documentaries and short films, Vimeo may be another option worth exploring. Our roundup of the best free video streaming services has an even broader range of free movies and shows.
Some of the documentary-streaming sites have profit-sharing models that pay filmmakers for the streaming rights to their films. Others pay for the documentaries upfront and keep them in their libraries indefinitely. Still others have their own vault of content, like PBS, which has documentary movies and TV series from 50 years of public broadcasting.
What Can You Watch on Documentary Streaming Services?
Choosing which service to use comes down to what you want to get out of your subscription. Some documentary streaming sites specialize in educational content, while others focus on award-winning films. There are some hybrid documentary streaming apps, like Kanopy, that offer both educational viewing experiences and award-winning entertainment films.
In the streaming wars, content rules. The biggest difference between the subscription services is the size of their respective libraries. Kanopy leads the pack with a collection of more than 30,000 films from its array of high-profile content partners. On the other end of the spectrum is GuideDoc, a prestige documentary subscription service that features hundreds of films chosen because they won or were nominated for major festival awards.
Where Can You Watch Documentary Streaming Services?
Most of the documentary streaming services support just about every platform you can imagine, from web browsers to mobile devices (Android and iOS) to media streaming devices (Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku). However, not every service supports every media streaming device. Hulu, Netflix, PBS Documentaries, and Prime Video offer the most complete device support.
All the services we reviewed support at least two simultaneous streams per account, which means that one person can watch on the TV while another watches via a different device. Kanopy supports unlimited simultaneous streams, which is an excellent feature for large households, but it does not offer unlimited streaming access to its full catalog each month. MagellanTV supports five simultaneous streams per account without any catalog restrictions.
If your internet connection is spotty or you want to watch documentaries on a plane, you’ll want a service that lets you download content for offline viewing. CuriosityStream, MagellanTV, Mubi, Netflix, Ovid.tv, PBS Documentaries, and Prime Video let you download media from their services at no extra charge. Hulu makes you pay for its ad-free tier to get this capability.
What's the Best Documentary Streaming Service?
Like any other video streaming service category, documentary streaming services must have an appealing content library. However, other features like community engagement, parental controls, and accessibility can put a service over the top. Some of the streaming services we reviewed offer extra content, usually in the form of community-building measures, articles, or blog posts. MagellanTV offers a wealth of information about an array of topics related to the content it offers, with many articles about science, culture, and history. GuideDoc and Ovid.tv have blogs that highlight the services' new content and recommend related programs. Ovid.tv's website has interviews with filmmakers, along with other articles and film reviews. Mubi has the most complete range of supporting materials and the most active community discussion boards of any of the services. Kanopy has a rating system for films and shows, so you can become a critic.
Although parental control tools are not common for the category, given the nature of the content, Kanopy includes a separate section for children, Kanopy Kids, that features documentaries and educational programming. Netflix, as it has a broader range of content, offers top-notch, profile-based, parental control tools.
All the services in this roundup offer closed captions for most of their content, but not all of them let you customize them or choose a language other than English. Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video lead the others in accessibility features because they support audio descriptions.
For even more on streaming, check out five reasons to ditch your video subscription and keep cable. Learn how to pick streaming services that fit your budget, and enjoy all sorts of reality show trash. Finally, check out our recommended streaming video guides if you don’t know what to watch.
