Streaming services are quickly becoming a household staple over traditional cable TV. It's not hard to see why - with special features like DVR, app support so you can watch on the go and large on-demand libraries, streaming services are becoming the best way to watch.
But with their booming popularity comes more and more competition every year. So how do you decide which streaming service is worth spending your money on?
In this guide, we'll compare Paramount+ and Peacock in detail to help you made the best choice for you.
Quick Overview: Paramount+ vs Peacock
Paramount+, formerly CBS All Access, went through its latest rebranding in 2021. It now focuses mostly on providing on-demand content, but does offer some live TV options. With a growing list of original programming and access to live sports through CBS Sports, it's a great budget option.
Having launched in 2020, Peacock is another relatively new streaming service. It focuses on content produced by NBC, and with NBCUniversal’s huge lineup of sports, news and entertainment channels, you get a pretty good bang for your buck—especially if you go with their free plan.
| Paramount+ | Peacock | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Essential: $4.99/month | |
| Premium: $9.99/month | Free: Free with ads | |
| Premium: $4.99/month | ||
| Plus: $9.99/month | ||
| Free Trial Length | 7 days | 7 days |
| Number of Channels | 20+ | 50+ |
| DVR Capacity | No | No |
| Device Support | Apple TV, Chromecast, Play Station 4, Xbox, select smart TVs and more | Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, Cox Contour, Xbox, certain smart TVs, Play Station 5 and more |
| Simultaneous Streams | 3 | 3 |
Best Pricing: Paramount+ vs. Peacock
When it comes to pricing, nothing beats free. That's why Peacock wins in this category. Peacock's free plan is ad-supported and doesn't offer some live channels, but still gives you access to over 13,000 hours of content.
With the exception of the free plan, Paramount+ and Peacock's pricing plans are almost identical.
For Paramount+ subscribers, the cheapest available package is the Essential plan. With the Essential plan, you get to watch some live sports, the entire Paramount+ on-demand library and other live TV. However, you won't get local channels and you'll have to sit through ads unless you subscribe to the Premium plan.
Peacock has 3 plans: free, Premium, and Plus. To get access to all the perks Peacock has to offer, all you need is Peacock Premium. The only downside is you'll still have to sit through ads. The priciest Plus package is still affordable, removes ads and gives you the option to download some titles to watch offline.
Best free trial: Paramount+ vs. Peacock
Both Paramount+ and Peacock offer a 7-day free trial, which should be enough for you to get a feel of what both services have to offer.
Best channels and add-ons: Paramount+ vs. Peacock
If we're only considering channel lineup, Peacock wins this one, with over 30 more channels than what Paramount+ offers.
However, Paramount+ still offers a ton of great content and an awesome Showtime bundle, so the decision should come down to which content interests you better. Let's break it down.
What to watch on Paramount+
Paramount+ offers around 20 live TV channels to enjoy that are organized by category. For example, on the Crime & Justice channel, you'll find popular CBS crime shows like CSI: Miami and The Good Wife. Meanwhile, on the Nostalgic Hits channel, you'll find classic shows from past decades, like Beverly Hills 90210 and Frasier.
But the on-demand content remains Paramount+'s focus, with over 30,000 episodes in its library, including originals like The Twilight Zone, 1883, and more.
Paramount+ also offers a Showtime bundle, which gives you access to its repertoire of award-winning series and groundbreaking documentaries, like Dexter, The Tudors, Shameless, Homeland, and more.
Want to see Paramount+'s full channel lineup? Here it is.
What to watch on Peacock
Peacock primarily focuses on NBC channels, but it's certainly not all it has to offer. The service hosts over 50+ channels in its lineup across many genres, like Hell's Kitchen, Nickelodeon, E!, Bravo, and more.
Whether you're looking for sports channels, entertainment, or kid's content, you'll find it all on Peacock. For sports fans, you can watch Premier League matches, WWE, the Super Bowl, and more.
And their on-demand library surely doesn't disappoint. You'll find over 40,000 hours of shows and movies as soon as you sign up, including classic series' like Friends, The Office, 21 Jump Street, and tons more from the last few decades.
Want to see Peacock's full channel lineup? We've got you covered.
Best DVR and offline viewing: Paramount+ vs. Peacock
Unfortunately, at the time of this article being written, neither Paramount+ or Peacock offer any DVR, even for live channels. But since they are both primarily on-demand services, you can already watch most of their content without needing to record it. Therefore, the lack of DVR shouldn't be too much of an issue.
That said, both services do offer offline viewing with their most expensive plans. With both Paramount+ and Peacock's highest tier plans, you can download shows and movies to watch on the go.
You can check out the full DVR and offline viewing details for Paramount+ here.
Best device support: Paramount+ vs. Peacock
Both Paramount+ and Peacock both both have pretty great device support - you shouldn't have trouble finding ways to watch either one. However, Paramount+ lacks Amazon TV, and Peacock lacks Chromecast.
So the decision on which one is better will depend on which device support you need.
To check out the full device support for each streaming service, check out our complete Paramount+ and Peacock supported devices lists.
Best simultaneous streaming: Paramount+ vs. Peacock
Both Paramount+ and Peacock offer 3 simultaneous streams with each of their plans. Neither plan offers any upgrades for more streams. However, this should be enough for to share with a partner, a roommate or even as a small family.
Which is better: Paramount+ vs. Peacock?
This one was a close one, but overall, Peacock wins. With a free option to watch and more channels, it prevails as the better deal over Paramount+.
But since these two competitors are so similar in so many ways, your best option is to pick based on the kind of content you enjoy.
Peacock is owned by NBC, meaning you'll get classic comedy shows like Saturday Night Live, Friends, Cheers, and Frasier, as well as local news and live sports if you go with their pricier plan.
Paramount+ is owned by CBS, meaning you'll get shows like Survivor, Star Trek, and a handful of reality TV shows like Jersey Shore and RuPaul's Drag Race. But probably the best perk that Paramount+ offers is its Showtime bundle. For a few extra dollars a month, you can get Showtime's huge library of amazing shows at your disposal. So if that appeals to you, Paramount+ might be just what you need.
Tara Khudairi • Author
Tara Khudairi is a freelance content writer and copywriter based in Toronto. Since 2014, she has contributed to brands and blogs alike to tackle popular topics relating to technology, personal finance, entertainment, travel and lifestyle. Whether it’s the latest streaming service or cryptocurrency, she’s passionate about making the complex simple. When she’s not busy typing away, you’ll find Tara watching Netflix’s latest true crime doc or a classic 90’s horror flick.
Lisa Holden • Editor
Lisa Holden is an editor and creative based in Houston, TX. Lisa holds a BA in African-American Studies from Temple University and has spent her career working in news publications and magazines, even founding a magazine herself. She began working as an editor for Flixed in 2023. When she’s not editing or working on one of her many creative endeavors (whenever that is), she enjoys traveling to new places and biking on sunny days.
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