Disney Plus Vs Netflix Best Streaming Service in 2024
Netflix has easily been the top dog in streaming services for years now. Its other large competitor has been Hulu, but Netflix has still managed to come out on top, largely because of the vast amount of content it has. Not only does it have plenty of its own content, but it’s generally the place to go to find many of the new movie releases as well — like Avengers: End Game and other Disney films.
However, now that Disney+ is just over the horizon, Netflix is going to have some steep competition to deal with. And with just about everyone loving Disney and what they have to offer, plenty of subscribers might be planning jumping ship, too. But, if you’re on the fence, you might be wondering which one is truly better.
And that’s just what we’re going to dive into today. Follow along below, and we’ll guide you through the difference between Disney+ and Netflix, and then show you which one is the best streaming service in 2024. Let’s get started, shall we?
Difference between Disney+ and Netflix
Disney Plus isn’t even out yet, but it’s still already vying for the position of best streaming service in 2024 and beyond. How, you might wonder? Disney owns some of the biggest names and brands in entertainment, and Netflix, well, doesn’t.
Netflix still has a lot of great content on it, don’t get us wrong. However, Disney Plus could very well outshine it with having characters, brands, and titles that are much more attractive and loved by the general public. We’re talking brands like Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Simpsons (because Disney bought pretty much all the big Fox titles), etc.
Disney is planning that, within a year of launching Disney Plus, to have all of its titles and content on its own streaming platform. Suffice to say, you’ll see, the already hard-to-find Star Wars and Disney titles disappear from places like Netflix, with Disney+ the only place to watch them.
The biggest difference between Disney Plus and Netflix is likely going to be that Disney will be pumping money into existing universes that fans already love, and Netflix is going to continue to spend billions on original programming that sets itself apart from an already fierce and competitive industry.
So which one is going to be the best streaming service? Let’s compare the two now.
Disney Plus
Disney is planning a November launch for Disney Plus. Upon launch, customers will be able to watch around 7,000 episodes of television and between 400 and 500 movies. To put that in perspectives, that’s one fifth of the television episodes that Netflix offers, and one eight of Netflix’s feature films.
The amount of content may not necessarily be a problem, because many of these television series and movies from Disney are already established and loved by fans all around the world. As far as fan recognition goes, a Star Wars live action TV series is much more attractive than some new original programming that Netflix is trying.
Disney Plus is going to house some of the biggest names in television and entertainment. It will be the new digital home for all Marvel movies at first. And then, as deals and contracts expire — such as the one with Netflix — you’ll see the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe joining the streaming platform, too.
In addition to Marvel, you can expect to see every Disney animated film on Disney Plus, too. And with the fairly recent acquisition of 21st Century Fox, you’ll see all 30 seasons of The Simpsons, as well as other Fox properties on Disney Plus.
Original programming
Aside from all of the big name properties coming to Disney+, Disney has plans for a lot of original programming based off of those properties, too. They have plans for an Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries, which is set to start filming in 2024. In addition to that, Disney is planning The Mandalorian, which will be a live-action Star Wars series.
The Mandalorian is actually being produced by director Jon Favreau. It takes us seven years after the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi (remember the Ewoks?), and will follow “a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.” This is going to be available on Launch Day, and reports already say that Season 2 is currently filming.
There’s going to be a Cassian Andor series as well. It will be set after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, but before Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This also takes place before Rogue One, where Cassian Andor, the Rebel spy, appears.
You’re also going to see the seventh series of Star Wars: Clone Wars, which is set to air on Disney+ in February 2020. There are some other Star Wars Universe films and series planned for Disney+ as well, but these three are a for-sure thing so far.
In addition, you can expect to see plenty of original programming from the Marvel universe as well. Jeremy Renner will show up in his own live-action TV series Hawkeye on Disney+, and then there will also be a Loki series.
Disney has confirmed other characters getting their own series on Disney+ as well — this includes SheHulk, Ms, Marvel, Moon Knight, Falcon and The Winter Soldier, WandaVision — a series with The Scarlet Witch and Vision — and plenty more up their sleeves.
Netflix
Disney+ certainly isn’t going to put Netflix out of business. Netflix has poured billions into its own original programming, and because of that, there’s no other place where you’re going to find the insane titles like Stranger Things, The Crown, and Black Mirror.
Netflix also has tons of amazing feature films that you won’t find anywhere else as well — like the Ted Bundy docudrama, Spectral, Roma, and more. Netflix has thousands upon thousands of movies and television episodes for people to watch — you’ll never be able to get through all of that content. It’s never-ending, with tons of new content being added every month.
And, of course, you cannot count out the big television properties that Netflix houses as well — like The Office and and Friends, at least for now.
Price and content
Netflix and Disney+ are essentially aimed at two different markets. You’re going to find many established properties, characters, and stories on Disney+, making the content much more relatable. And with a giant like Disney behind it, the content is usually going to be good and at high production levels. You’re not really going to see anything bad on there, per se.
As far Netflix, the content is going to be way more eclectic. You’re going to see a wide range of genres and styles on Netflix, and many movies and TV series on the platform will be a hit or miss.
That said, as far as content goes, consumers might be looking at keeping both. Netflix is great for those TV shows and movies that are more unique, but Disney+ will have a lot of established universes that we already love so much.
Disney+ isn’t going to be the “Netflix” killer that many outlets are heralding, at least not straight away. Disney has lots of plans for original content on the new streaming platform, which may definitely bring some Netflix users over to the Disney+ side. Netflix still makes a lot of one-hit wonders — like Stranger Things — which will likely keep people staying.
Some of the real competition is going to come straight down to price. Right now, a Netflix subscription will set you back $9 a year, or more if you want to be able to watch on more screens and stream in higher quality. In contrast, Disney+ will start you off at $7 per month, or $70 a year. We don’t doubt that prices will increase over time, but Disney is really banking on that initial push to bring in most subscribers.
If we had to throw our opinion in the mix, Disney+ will definitely be the better platform, as it will easily feature higher quality content and be a whole lot cheaper, at least at first.
Verdict
So, who wins? As you can see, Disney+ has a lot going for it right out of the gate. Not only are you going to see a lot of your favorites on the platform right away, but Disney is keeping things fresh by making a ton of original content available on launch day, too.
From a content standpoint, we think Disney+ takes the cake, not because of the quantity of movies and shows available, but because of the high production quality. Disney+ also stays competitive by coming in at just under the cost of a Netflix subscription, despite having arguably higher production costs here.
Folks will likely keep both platforms simultaneously, as Disney+ and Netflix both have great content to offer. And Disney+ is cheap enough right now to where an extra $7 per month isn’t going to bother a whole lot of people.
Do you have a favorite already? Who do you think wins in this competition — Disney+ or Netflix? Let us know in the comments below.