CuriosityStream is one of the best video streaming services for watching educational content and intriguing documentaries. But it's not the only place to find great documentaries. There are several excellent CuriosityStream alternatives out there. In this guide, we’ll look at 8 of our favorites.
Choose Kanopy for academic content
Kanopy is a documentary and entertainment streaming platform with content for the whole family. It was launched in 2008, initially to provide films and documentaries for academic institutions. Since then, it has expanded its offering to include more than 30,000 films that users can stream on a variety of platforms and devices.
Plans & pricing
One of the best things about signing up for Kanopy is that it's completely free. You don't need to pay any monthly or annual fees like many other streaming services. However, you will need a library card or university email address in order to create your account.
Kanopy
$0/month
Content library
What can you watch on Kanopy? Well, there isn't any Kanopy original content, but you'll find an enormous range of documentaries from the likes of HBO and Paramount. There are also classic films from the likes of A24 and Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Special features
Aside from the service being completely free, Kanopy also offers great device support and a feature that allows you to make and share playlists of films. You can also create clips from films as you watch them to save and share.
Enjoy documentaries and entertainment on Hulu
Hulu is known for its original content and films. But it's also a great place to find documentaries, so it can work well as a CuriosityStream alternative if you're looking for educational content. Other advantages of Hulu include its relatively affordable monthly price and its excellent cloud DVR features.
Pricing & packages
Hulu offers 4 packages, two for Hulu on demand and two for Hulu + Live TV. You also have the option to bundle Hulu on-demand with Disney+ and ESPN+. Hulu + Live TV includes these extra streamers in both of its plans.
Hulu (with ads)
Get 3 HULU, DISNEY Plus, ESPN
- Stream on two screens
- Big movies
- Hit TV shows
- On demand content
$7.99/month
Hulu (no ads)
Get 3 HULU, DISNEY Plus, ESPN
- Stream on two screens
- Big movies
- Hit TV shows
- On demand content
- No ads
$17.99/month
Hulu Live TV only
- 90+ live channels
- Stream on two screens
$81.99/month
Hulu Live TV (with ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$82.99/month
Hulu Live TV (some ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$87.99/month
Hulu Live TV (no ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$95.99/month
Content library
Hulu is a super place to watch documentaries, especially those about celebrities and the world of entertainment. The platform features documentaries about The Beatles, for example, along with fashion designer Alexander McQueen. There are also documentaries about sport and nature, too.
Use Amazon Prime Video to enjoy a diverse range of content
Amazon Prime Video offers a great selection of documentary and educational content, making it a serious competitor to the likes of Netflix and Hulu, as well as a CuriosityStream alternative. Along with movies and original TV shows, subscribers to Prime can enjoy plenty of documentaries on this platform, with bonus features like easy offline downloads and three simultaneous streams.
Plans & pricing
In terms of cost, there are a couple of ways to pay for Amazon Prime Video. You can pay for the service as a standalone product, or you can opt for a full Amazon Prime subscription, which features Amazon Prime Video. This gives you other advantages on Amazon, like free delivery.
Prime Video
- On demand content
- Stream on three screens
$8.99/month
Content library
Amazon Prime Video features an ever-expanding collection of documentaries. The company actually makes many of its own documentaries, some of which have proven very successful, like Generation Wealth and One Child Nation. There are also plenty of documentaries about politics on Amazon Prime Video, such as All In: The Fight for Democracy, and documentaries about entertainment, too.
Choose Netflix for true crime and nature documentaries
Netflix needs no introduction and has fostered a great corner of documentaries spanning many genres, making it another CuriosityStream alternative.
Plans & pricing
Netflix offers 4 plans, starting from their Basic with ads plan, to the Premium plan, which offers more features and higher visual quality. This is more expensive than what you have to pay for CuriosityStream, but Netflix does give you much more content for that price.
Netflix Standard with Ads
- Stream on two screens
- On demand content
- HD video quality
- Downloads on up to two devices
$6.99/month
Netflix Standard
- No ads
- Stream on two screens
- HD video quality
- Downloads on up to two devices
$15.49/month
Netflix Premium
- No ads
- Stream on four screens
- HD and 4K video quality
- Downloads on up to six devices
$22.99/month
Content library
Netflix is filled with all sorts of documentaries and educational content. Major true crime documentaries like Making a Murderer and American Murder are available on the platform, along with the likes of The Tinder Swindler and Seaspiracy. In addition to the documentaries, you can find countless hours of movies, shows, and original content on Netflix.
PBS Documentaries is a documentary-oriented platform
PBS Documentaries is a documentary-oriented streaming platform, a lot like CuriosityStream. It was created by the PBS network and aims to offer users easy access to hundreds of hours of educational content on a wide range of subjects. It's also one of the most affordable CuriosityStream alternatives out there. And if you're interested in PBS in general, read our guide on how to watch PBS without cable.
Pricing
Users will need to pay just $3.99 per month for PBS Documentaries. This gives you full access to the platform's content, without any adds or extras to worry about. The low price is one of the best aspects of PBS Documentaries.
Content library
In terms of content, PBS Documentaries is 100% documentary-oriented. It offers over 1,000 hours in total of educational content, made up of documentaries that have been shown on PBS over the last 50 years. Studios like American Experience, Frontline, and Independent Lens are featured on this platform, as well as documentary directors like Ken Buns.
MagellanTV offers educational content on a budget
MagellanTV is another documentary streaming service that has emerged as a major CuriosityStream competitor. It offers over 5,000 titles on various subjects, and a lot of its content is in 4K resolution for the best possible quality. Plus, new shows are added to the service all the time.
Pricing
There are a couple of ways to pay for MagellanTV. You can either opt for a monthly fee of $5.99 and get a 7-day free trial. Or you can pay yearly ($59.98 per year) to save a little bit of money and get a 14-day free trial.
Content library
As stated above, there are over 5,000 titles on MagellanTV, with more being added all the time. Subjects covered include everything from nature to space to true crime and travel. You won't find many of the biggest and most famous documentaries on MagellanTV, but it's a good place to find more under-the-radar stories and lesser-known documentaries.
The History Vault is ideal for history documentaries
History Vault is an online streaming service provided by The History Channel. It offers users a huge number of documentaries and educational shows to inspire, entertain, and inform. For those interested in history, this is a super CuriosityStream alternative to choose.
Pricing
If you want to subscribe to History Vault, you'll need to pay a monthly fee of $4.99 or an annual fee of $49.99. The annual fee works out slightly cheaper than the monthly fee over the long-term, so it may be the best investment for users who plan on maintaining their subscriptions for a year or longer.
Content library
On the History Vault, users will find thousands of hours of official History Channel documentaries and shows. Most of the documentaries on this platform refer to history, society, and culture in some way. There are many documentaries on famous conflicts and historical events like World War II, for example. Most content is available in 1080p, but not 4K.
Choose GuideDoc for an ad-free experience
There's also GuideDoc to consider when looking at CuriosityStream alternatives. GuideDoc is a documentary-oriented streaming service that offers quite a lot of content on a range of different subjects, with new content added daily and no ads to worry about.
Pricing
You'll need to pay $7.99 per month for a GuideDoc subscription. This is quite pricey when compared to CuriosityStream, but one bonus of using GuideDoc is that 50% of all cash raised goes straight to the documentary filmmakers themselves. So, by becoming a GuideDoc subscriber, you can help to fund more great documentaries for the future.
Content library
There are over 1,000 documentaries featured on GuideDoc, including many documentaries that have won awards and been featured at major film festivals like Cannes and Sundance. From true crime to military documentaries, there are lots of options here. GuideDoc also features a lot of classic movies from the 20th century.
There are many CuriosityStream alternatives to choose from
As you can see, there are plenty of other great streaming services to choose from if you enjoy the documentaries and fascinating educational content of CuriosityStream. Whether you want more diverse content, documentaries on a budget, or a better viewing experience, you can take your pick from any of these excellent platforms. And make sure to read through our CuriosityStream review to learn more about this service.
Khadija Bilal • Author
Khadija Bilal is an accomplished writer with over a decade of experience under her belt. Having developed a versatile writing style that allows her to tackle a wide range of topics, Khadija has several publications to her name. Khadija’s expertise includes in-depth guides and how-to articles.
Davan Hamilton • Editor
Davan Hamilton is an editor and writer based in Jacksonville, FL. Holding a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, her writing spans a wide range, from essays on film criticism and analysis to surreal poetry. Now, she works for Flixed as an editor, continuing to ignore the list of passion projects she’s accumulated. When she’s not glued to her computer, you can find her building endless amounts of Lego sets, binge-reading manga, or playing with (fighting) her cat.
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