I canceled Netflix a year ago — here’s the unexpected alternative I finally stuck with

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I have been in a streaming rut for some time. I canceled my Netflix subscription last year after growing increasingly dissatisfied with the platform. However, finding a Netflix alternative that sticks, especially in a market with limited competition, has been a challenge.

I cycled through a few options and couldn’t find one that really kept me hooked or made me feel like I was getting my money’s worth. And the platform I finally settled on — Apple TV — was the last one I expected to capture my loyalty.

I was a Netflix loyalist for years, enjoying the platform’s content and the sheer volume of movies and TV shows I could explore. Apple TV, on the other hand, stood in contrast with its limited catalog. While I had heard about critically acclaimed shows like Ted Lasso and Severance, they were never enough to make me feel like the cost of the service was justified.

In fact, I compared local streaming prices in 2023, and Apple TV (then known as Apple TV+) stood out as the most expensive streaming service available locally on default plans.

I also don’t own any Apple devices, so I don’t get perks like a free three-month subscription when buying a new product. Even Family Sharing, which would allow me to split the subscription between different people, isn’t an option because setting up the feature requires an Apple device.

With its limited catalog, high price, and lack of incentives or sharing without an Apple device, I didn’t have much reason to subscribe to the service. If I did want to try another streamer, I’d look at Prime Video, Disney+, or a local service called Showmax. The only time I engaged with Apple TV was during a free trial to see what the fuss about Foundation was. While I loved the series, I couldn’t find enough content on the platform to justify a subscription.

While Netflix remains the top streaming platform, many users feel its golden age has passed. Price increases and the password-sharing crackdown created a very different landscape. Meanwhile, users faced series cancellations so Netflix could save costs, with an increasing amount of low-budget content, such as reality TV shows.