Netflix, Disney Plus, Joyn Plus, Mubi or Apple TV Plus? In Germany, too, there are more and more providers of streaming subscriptions. We look at what the services offer, what they cost, and what the differences are.

It is currently pretty clear which two companies are most successful in Germany’s streaming market: Amazon’s paid customer loyalty program Prime made im October 2019 almost 47 percent of all paid video streaming subscriptions; Netflix came to 35.7 percent. The other providers, however, could not even break the six percent mark. This is based on an estimate by Goldmedia.

Amazon and Netflix also let go of daily use the competition far behind. Here, however, the picture is somewhat different: Netflix collects 58.6 percent of daily streaming usage, while Prime only comes to 36 percent. The discrepancy can be explained by the fact that on average more than three people use a Netflix account. With Prime, however, there were only 2.1 people per Amazon account in October 2019.

Since this survey, however, a lot has happened on the market. Apple TV Plus will also be launched in Germany at the end of 2019, and Disney Plus will follow on March 24, 2020. In addition, Prosiebensat1 and Discovery launched another payment service, Joyn Plus, which in turn is intended to replace Maxdome’s existing offer in the long term.

Overview of German streaming subscriptions

In addition, there are more streaming offers in Germany that are sometimes more and sometimes less differ from each other. So that you know which provider is the right one for you, we have gathered the most important information on 14 German streaming services for you on the following pages. To ensure comparability, we focus exclusively on subscription offers in the overview. Purely advertising-financed streaming services are therefore just as excluded as online video libraries or the media libraries of public broadcasters.

Netflix

When a company sets the standards in video streaming , then Netflix. The provider has 167 million paying customers in 190 countries around the world. They want to be entertained and so the company from Los Gatos, California, not only relies on licensed content, but also increasingly produces its own content. For this, Netflix lets billions jump over a year, which works well. The series “Stranger Things” was a worldwide hit and the Noah Baumbach film “Marriage Story” was nominated for a total of six Oscars. Netflix is ​​also increasingly relying on international productions. With “Dark” the first German Netflix production was released in 2017.

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Netflix is ​​available in the browser, as a mobile app, via Chromecast and for pretty much all major smart TV platforms, set-top boxes and game consoles. Basically everyone interested in streaming should have a compatible device in their home. Netflix is ​​offering a 30-day free trial membership. After that, prices start at 7.99 euros. But there is neither HD nor 4K resolution. In addition, only one program can be streamed at a time. HD content is currently available for 12.99 euros and up to two programs can be streamed at the same time. At a price of 17.99 euros, there is also 4K resolution, and up to four content can be streamed simultaneously via one account. The option is often used to share a Netflix account. Officially, however, this is not allowed – even if the provider has not actively taken action against it, despite claims to the contrary. All Netflix subscriptions can be canceled on a monthly basis.

Amazon Prime Video

Amazon’s streaming service Prime Video is basically just one of many components of the paid customer loyalty program Prime. In addition to films and series, customers can use premium delivery at no additional cost, receive special discount campaigns, borrow e-books free of charge and have access to the music streaming service Prime Music, whose catalog cannot compete with services such as Spotify or Apple Music . Like Netflix, Amazon is also increasingly investing in in-house productions. The e-commerce giant is also making billions for it, but the company does not spend as much as Netflix.

Interested customers can also test Prime for 30 days free of charge *. After that, the retail giant charges 69 euros a year, which translates into 5.75 euros per month over the twelve months of the year. If you want, you can also pay for Prime monthly. That then costs 7.99 euros per month and is therefore almost 27 euros more expensive over the year. In contrast to Netflix, Amazon also offers a discount for students. They can use the service for a full twelve months for free. Thereafter, 34 euros are due annually.

Disney Plus

The entertainment giant Walt Disney is new to the market. Whose Disney Plus

baptized streaming service benefits on the one hand from the huge archive catalog of the group, on the other hand from the popularity of the Hollywood giant’s various media brands. In addition to cartoon classics from Disney, which have never been streamed before, the platform also includes the popular Pixar animated films, the films from the Star Wars and Marvel series. In addition, there is also exclusive content, for which the group also uses the entertainment brands that have made Disney the market leader at the box office in recent years. For example, Disney Plus is showing the first non-animated Star Wars series with “The Mandalorian”. The principle is also continued with a remake of “Lady and the Tramp” and series based on the Marvel or the “High School Musical” series. From February 23rd, Disney Plus is also expanding its program to include the Star channel, which is aimed specifically at adult users with series such as “Lost” and “How I Met Your Mother”.

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Disney Plus is available on the web, on iOS and Android as well as on the latest Smart TVs based on Android, WebOS and Tizen. Google’s Chromecast, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Magenta TV, Playstation 4 and Xbox One are also supported. There is also a free trial period, but it only lasts seven days. The price for a monthly cancelable subscription is now 8.99 euros. There is also a discounted annual subscription for just under 90 euros. People in a household should be able to use up to four streams at the same time. It remains to be seen whether Disney Plus will punish a possible abuse of multiple streams more than Netflix.

Apple TV Plus

It was long suspected that Apple could have its own Schedule Netflix killers. When the iPhone company presented its Apple TV Plus streaming service, it quickly became clear that the strategy was different: Apple TV Plus only shows its own productions – and not very many. At the start in November 2019 there were just seven series and one documentary on the platform. There is now more content, but compared to all the other streaming providers on this list, the selection is still tiny.

Apple charges 4.99 euros for a monthly subscription. That is actually quite cheap – but only if you don’t allocate the membership fee from Netflix and Co to their film selection and then compare it with Apple TV Plus. The streaming service from the computer manufacturer is logically available on Mac, iPhone and iPad. The following set-top boxes from the manufacturer are also supported: Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD and the third generation Apple TV. If you don’t have an Apple device at all, you can use the service via your web browser.

Sky Ticket

The streaming service Sky Ticket works according to the modular principle. In other words: A separate fee is required for series and film streams. There is also an additional sports broadcast package. The series package called entertainment benefits not least from the fact that Sky holds the rights to the series of the US pay-TV broadcaster HBO in this country. The series “Game of Thrones”, “The Wire” and “The Sopranos” originate from him. The cinema package, in turn, often offers cinema films much earlier than other streaming providers.

Sky Ticket prices usually start at 9 , 99 euros per month. If you want to stream series and films, you pay 14.99 euros per month. After all, there are often time-limited combined offers. Sky Ticket supports the common smartphone operating systems, the Xbox One and Playstation 4 game consoles, Apple TV and also offers apps for various smart TV devices. With the Sky Ticket TV Stick, there is also its own stick modeled on Chromecast and Fire TV.

Joyn Plus

Joyn is an ad-supported Streaming offer from Prosiebensat1 and Discovery. The service offers live streams from dozens of television channels as well as a streaming catalog. Joyn Plus

is the paid premium offer of the service. In contrast to the free version, there is a larger selection of series and films that can be streamed on demand. In addition, the live TV streams can also be called up in HD and there is also access to pay TV channels.

The target group of the service are apparently those who still like to watch linear private television, but do not have a television connection – and occasionally watch a program on demand. The service can currently be tested for three months free of charge. Then the provider wants to have 6.99 euros per month. The contract can be canceled on a monthly basis. Joyn Plus can be used in the browser, via iOS and Android apps as well as via various smart TV devices and Amazon’s Fire TV stick.

TV Now Premium

TV Now is basically the Joyn counterpart of the RTL group. Here, too, you can stream TV broadcasts live or choose the content yourself from a catalog of films and series. In addition to the purely advertising-financed basic service, TV Now also offers a paid upgrade. In addition to exclusive content, there are also RTL formats before the TV broadcast. TV Now Premium offers apps for Android and iOS. You can also use the service via Fire TV, Chromecast, Android TV and a number of set-top boxes. The price is 4.99 euros per month for a stream. If you want to stream on two devices at the same time, you pay 7.99 euros per month. There is also a free test phase here.

Netzkino Plus

Netzkino originally relied exclusively on YouTube as a film distribution channel, but now also offers its own advertising-financed platform. For the price of 3.75 euros per month, there is at least part of the offer under the name Netzkino Plus without advertising. With the network cinema sales model, excessive license fees are likely to quickly become unprofitable, which also explains the selection of films available. You won’t find Hollywood blockbusters here, but from time to time one or the other forgotten cinema gem.

Mubi

Mubi targets movie buffs who mainly want to see art house films and classics. The service has a constantly changing selection of films. A new film is added every day and can be viewed for a total of 30 days. Then it disappears again. The selection of films is not random, but there are always various retrospectives in which films by selected directors are shown. Mubi costs 9.99 euros a month and there are apps for Android and iOS. It also supports Chromecast, Fire TV, Apple TV, and some smart TVs. You can test Mubi for seven days free of charge. Prime customers can also book Mubi directly as a so-called Prime Channel via Amazon.

Sooner

Sooner focuses on European films and Series. The service cooperates with film schools and film festivals in order to show the works of young talent. After the 14-day trial period has expired, the monthly fee is 7.95 euros. In addition to a web interface, Sooner also offers apps for iOS and Android. The films can also be transmitted to the television using Airplay and Google Cast.

Arthouse CNMA

Arthouse CNMA is one of three streaming services operated by the German media company Leonine. As the name suggests, the range mainly includes art-house films. According to the company, around 250 films can be downloaded from Arthouse CNMA. After the 14-day trial period has expired, the provider charges the moderate price of 3.99 euros per month. The streaming service has apps for Android, iOS, Android TV and Fire TV. Arthouse CNMA can also be booked via Amazon as a Prime Channel.

Filmtastic

Filmtastic also comes from Leonine and offers one colorful mixture of films and a few series. As with Arthouse CNMA, you pay 3.99 euros per month for the subscription. The selection of apps and the option of booking Filmtastic as a Prime Channel to an existing Amazon subscription are also identical.

Home of Horror

The last of the three streaming subscriptions from Munich is Home of Horror. The name says it all and it’s all about horror and scary films. There are also a couple of series from the horror area. Price and app availability correspond to the sister services Arthouse CNMA and Filmtastic.

Alleskino – Mein Filmclub

All-round cinema functions primarily as an online video library for German feature films and documentaries. A streaming subscription is also offered under the name Mein Filmclub. Krautkino fans can test the subscription for 30 days free of charge. Thereafter, 4.99 euros per month are due when taking out an annual subscription. With a contract term of one month, the price increases to 6.99 euros.

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