It was only a matter of time before documentary streaming services carved out their niche, given the explosive popularity of video streaming services across all content categories. There are several on-demand services for documentaries, such as Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video, to meet the diverse needs of documentary fans. Documentaries are great for the classroom, passing the time, or losing yourself. This list will give you a breakdown of all the platforms that have a great selection of documentary movies and TV series available for the free trial, so you can watch them all back-to-back if you want. The following is the list of the top ten documentary streaming services.
1. HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription-based on-demand platform available only in the United States. New subscribers pay $15 per month, with an annual subscription option. HBO MAX includes DC, Criterion Collection, Looney Tunes, Studio Ghibli, Turner Classic Movies, and Crunchyroll content, along with HBO’s world-class exclusives, such as The Wire and Game of Thrones.
2. Kanopy
Kanopy provides a wealth of independent educational and entertainment content for children and adults, without advertisements, and for free—all you need is a library card. However, we could do without the monthly streaming limits. Kanopy is a streaming platform that features over 30,000 independent films and documentaries from distribution powerhouses like A24, Bleecker Street, HBO Documentary Films, Paramount, PBS, and Samuel Goldwyn Films. Popular series from A&E, History, PBS, and The Criterion Collection are available.
3. Curiosity Stream
Curiosity Stream is the best streaming service for documentaries. Curiosity Stream is a documentary-focused streaming service founded in 2015 by John S. Hendricks, the same man who founded Discovery Channel. This service is jam-packed with educational content, with thousands of titles – many of which are in 4K quality – covering a wide range of topics.
4. AMC+
As with AMC Premiere, AMC Plus includes the same benefits as AMC Premiere. The service is only available in the US for $8.99 a month. You can subscribe at a discounted rate if you already have an AMC channel subscription through Xfinity, Dish Network, or Sling TV.
5. Netflix
There are numerous popular documentaries on Netflix about well-known people. It is the home of Taylor Swift’s Miss Americana, Becoming, a documentary about Michelle Obama, and even Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning Homecoming. Netflix also has nature documentaries like the magnificent Our Planet and the controversial Blackfish, as well as conversation starters like Being Elmo and FYRE.
6. Daring Docs
Daring Docs brings you cutting-edge documentaries that have garnered attention for good and bad reasons. Dive into potentially contentious topics. The collection includes several award-winning films, including Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, Cropsey, and Zeitgeist. Expect to find no factual learning content like science and nature, history, or technology. The documentaries are more focused on stories and daring topics. Although the content is limited, much of it is well worth viewing. Amazon Channels has Daring Docs available.
7. Paramount
Following that is Paramount+, one of the fastest-growing streaming services. Although it is best known for its shows and movies, Paramount+ also has an impressive collection of documentaries. It’s an excellent platform for music, political, social, health, and entertainment documentaries.
8. FlixFling
FlixFling is a versatile video-on-demand streaming platform in the United States. A subscription costs $7.99 per month (or $95 per year) and includes streaming access across five devices and on-demand access to movies and shows. You can still access on-demand rentals/purchases ranging from $0.99 to $7.99 without a subscription. Meanwhile, on-demand subscribers must pay for various titles available as premium rentals.
9. Hulu
Fyre Fraud, the story of the ill-fated 2017 Fyre Festival, and Free Solo, the acclaimed film about free solo mountain climbers, can be found on Hulu. In addition, the service includes some family-friendly programming, such as the well-known nature documentary March of the Penguins. The entertainment industry is Hulu’s documentary specialty.
10. Epix Now
Epix Now is the Epix Premium Network’s on-demand service, with a library of over 2000 shows, series, and movies. In comparison, its documentary selection is limited, with approximately 100 documentaries on demand at the time of writing. The documentary content will rotate regularly, but there will always be a good selection. There is no specific genre or category of content available, only what Epix has at the time. A variety of cord-cutting services, as well as Amazon Channels, allowing viewers to access Epix directly.
