Where to watch Christmas movies: Stream Elf, The Grinch, It's a Wonderful Life, and more

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The holidays have arrived, which for many means that it's time to put on a Christmas movie by the fire and snuggle up with a warm blanket. Most of the best Christmas films, including classics and newer releases, are available to watch on streaming services (so you won't need to dig through your family's DVD and VHS collections, unless you want to).

Disney Plus, Hulu, Apple TV, Peacock, Prime Video, and HBO Max offer some of the most robust and unique selections of films. Whether you're looking for something to watch after the kids go to bed or hoping to put on something for the whole family, each of these services has enough content to keep you busy and entertained throughout the holiday season.

Below, we've highlighted some of the top programs you can find on each streaming service, as well as details about prices, plans, and free trials. We've recommended these apps based on their catalogs, which include a mix of classics and newer films.

Disney Plus and Hulu

Disney Plus and Hulu have perhaps the deepest combined holiday streaming collections, with Disney Plus offering the most kid-friendly movies and Hulu helping to round out entertainment for the whole family, including adults. On Disney Plus, you can find classics like "The Santa Clause" (plus the sequels and TV series), the "Home Alone" films, and "Miracle on 34th Street," among other Christmas staples. Housed under Hulu's "Happy Huludays" section, Hulu's selection spans from "Frosty the Snowman" to "The Family Stone," "Four Christmases," "The Polar Express," and "Happiest Season."

We recommend signing up for the two services together since it costs only $1 a month more to bundle them (compared to what it would cost to subscribe to one service on its own). The ad-supported Disney Plus and Hulu bundle costs $13 a month, while the ad-free bundle goes for $20 a month.

Peacock

Not only does Peacock have a surprisingly deep cut of Christmas classics, but the streaming service gets extra credit for collecting them all in an easy-to-navigate "Holiday Favorites" section on its app. Peacock has pretty much every version of "The Grinch," as well as Rankin/Bass classics like "Frosty the Snowman" and "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town." It's not just kids' classics, either. The streamer has a wealth of holiday films for adults, including "Love Actually," "Violent Night," and "Die Hard" (yes, it's a Christmas movie). Peacock has also collected all of its sitcom holiday specials in one place, including episodes from "The Office," "Modern Family," and "30 Rock."

There are three tiers of Peacock, but we recommend Peacock Premium or Premium Plus if you want to watch movies. Peacock Premium costs $11 a month and comes with ad-supported on-demand streaming, while Premium Plus costs $17 a month and offers ad-free on-demand streaming, in addition to a 24/7 live stream of NBC.

Apple TV

Apple TV might not be the first service that comes to mind when you're ready to watch holiday content, but it has a few notable programs in its small yet impressive lineup. "Spirited," a musical retelling of "A Christmas Carol" starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell, is an original film available exclusively on Apple TV. The service also holds the rights to Charlie Brown specials, including "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown," "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown," and more. Apple TV also allows users to buy or rent movies for an additional cost, so you should be able to stream most films that aren't included in an Apple TV subscription if you don't mind paying a bit extra.

Apple TV is one of the most affordable ad-free streaming services on the market, with subscriptions going for $13 a month. It also has the rare distinction of being one of the last services with a one-week free trial for new customers.

Prime Video

There's lots to love when it comes to holiday movies on Prime Video, from classics like "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "It's a Wonderful Life" to newer Prime Video originals, including Michelle Pfeiffer's "Oh. What. Fun." These are all included with standard Prime Video subscriptions, but you can also rent or buy just about any holiday movie you can think of (for an additional fee) through the platform. The streamer has gathered all of the holiday films (including those only available to rent or buy) under a helpful seasonal collection hub.

Prime Video costs $9 a month, but the service is also included in the $15 a month Amazon Prime subscription fee. New customers can get a 30-day free trial, and users can go ad-free for an extra $3 a month.

HBO Max

HBO Max is chock-full of classic holiday films, although many of the movies are leaving the platform on December 31, so it might be a good idea to get in your streaming now. HBO Max is the home of "Elf," "Christmas with the Kranks," "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," and both the original "A Christmas Story" and the 2022 follow-up, "A Christmas Story Christmas."

Subscriptions start at just $11 a month for ad-supported on-demand streaming, but you can upgrade to an ad-free plan starting at $18.49 a month. The ad-free on-demand tiers also unlock B/R Sports live streaming (with ads), a helpful perk if you're looking to watch sports that air on TNT, TBS, or truTV.