How the Reviews team tests streaming services at Business Insider

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We realize that finding the right streaming service for your household's needs can be hard, and it gets trickier every year. New ones are constantly launching or getting folded into each other, and existing apps face frequent price hikes. It's no longer feasible to subscribe to every service. To help you decide what services might be worth your money, Business Insider's Reviews team spends countless hours putting the top streaming apps to the test.

Our team of streaming experts includes in-house editors, supported by coverage from contributing freelance reporters. Together, our editors have decades of cumulative experience evaluating streaming services, deals, and developing buying guides. Our recommendations and guides cover both live TV streaming packages and stand-alone streaming services.

Our approach to testing streaming services

Our approach to testing streaming services considers each service's individual merit and how it holds up in an increasingly crowded market of similar offerings. We evaluate specific features across multiple devices, but we also consider how well a service works with day-to-day use.

Streaming services also often undergo price hikes, so we routinely check back in to see whether a service is still worth your money (or if it might be time to downgrade or cancel). We regularly update our buying guides with the latest information on available prices, content, channels, and features. We also track new streaming deals and bundles on services we already recommend.

What we look for

Different kinds of streaming services have various metrics by which we evaluate them, but all of our streaming reviews and buying guides take these elements into account:

• On-demand and/or live content
• User-friendliness and app functionality
• Cross-device compatability
• Video and audio quality
• DVR and/or offline downloading
• Simultaneous streaming and password-sharing policies
• Price and overall value

Final recommendations reflect how the service holds up in testing, how it compares to similar services, and the overall value given the price.

Editorial independence and standards

Our recommendations are editorially independent. We do not accept payment in exchange for guaranteed coverage or positive reviews, and brands do not review our content before publication. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission, and you'll always see a disclaimer on Reviews stories about this.

Our editors develop and refine testing methodologies in-house and collaborate to ensure consistent standards across our streaming coverage. As part of Business Insider — a global newsroom read by millions each month — our Reviews team follows established journalistic standards focused on accuracy, fairness, and transparency.

Read more about the Reviews team.

Streaming services we cover

Live TV streaming services: Live TV streaming services are the closest alternatives to true cable subscriptions, meant to cut down on clunky equipment, long-term contracts, and steep prices. These subscriptions carry several popular channels, instead of just on-demand content or a single live-streamed network. We look at several features — including the channel line-up (and any notable omissions), the user interface, and DVR capabilities — when we evaluate popular services like DirecTV, Fubo, Sling TV, Philo, and Hulu + Live TV.

Stand-alone streaming services: Standalone streaming services are the more traditional streaming apps, like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, and Peacock. These services are typically more centered on their on-demand offerings, although they've increasingly begun to carry select live streaming options in the pricier premium tiers. When testing the best streaming services, we look at several features, including the streamer's selection of shows and movies (including new original programming and existing back catalogs of licensed content), offline downloading capabilities, the user interface, and how well any potential live streaming options work.

How we test streaming services

We test these services in our own homes on a variety of devices, including TVs from various brands, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. We look at the entire process of using the streaming service, including how intuitive and user-friendly it is from the moment you activate and log in for the first time. Depending on the service, we might also consider how easy or difficult it is to cancel.

Our testing process varies between the two categories of streaming services. For live TV packages, we're most interested in how well the live streams actually work (including any potential buffering or audio and video lags). Live TV services let you DVR programming, so we put this feature through the wringer to see how well it records scheduled programming and whether there are any playback issues when you finally get around to streaming it, including whether you can easily fast-forward through commercials. We also look at total DVR storage, including whether it's unlimited and how long you'll have access to it.

In an age of seemingly constant carriage disputes and channel blackouts, we're also always checking to see what's in a live TV line-up. If a live TV service has a lot of missing channels, we consider this against any niche networks it may offer and the overall price. Fubo, for example, is missing Warner Bros. networks, AMC, and now NBCUniversal channels, but the service offers some niche international sports options that are hard to find on other apps. Philo doesn't have much in the way of sports and news, but it's such a budget-friendly service that we still think it's a great option for entertainment and lifestyle fans.

When it comes to stand-alone streaming services, we're much more interested in the on-demand programming available on the app. This includes both the back-catalog of existing and licensed TV shows and movies, as well as original programming. For example, Apple TV doesn't offer much when it comes to licensed on-demand programming from other studios, but the streaming service boasts one of the most impressive original content slates currently on the market.

Most stand-alone streaming services offer at least two tiers (one with ads and one without), so we compare the two options and account for any added perks that come with premium tiers. We also look at how well any potential live streaming options actually work, and whether the app is successful at supporting major live events or if it crashes and buffers during high-demand moments.

We continue to use many of these services for long periods, so our tips and recommendations often come with years of hands-on user experience. This allows us to home in on the nitty-gritty details that only come when you incorporate a service into your everyday life.

Meet our expert streaming team

Our team has years of experience testing and reviewing a variety of streaming services, from live TV packages to stand-alone streamers.

Brendan Griffiths, Senior Commerce Director

Brendan Griffiths is the Senior Commerce Director of Business Insider's Reviews team. He oversees verticals focused on deals, streaming, and VPNs.

Brendan previously worked as the Managing Editor of Hardware & eCommerce at GamesRadar before joining Future's mobile tech division as the eCommerce Content Director for Android Central, iMore, and Windows Central.

With more than 17 years of industry experience, Brendan is an expert at crafting in-depth buying guides and reviews for a host of product categories, including tech and streaming. Throughout his career, Brendan has written about many tech devices, including folding smartphones, gaming controllers, and Kindles.

Lillian Brown, Senior Associate Editor of Streaming

Lillian Brown is the Senior Associate Editor of Streaming on the Business Insider Reviews team. She tests and develops buying guides for a variety of streaming services and writes and edits how-to-watch viewing guides for TV shows, movies, and sporting events.

Lillian started her career at The Boston Globe, where she wrote about arts, lifestyle, and entertainment. Her work has appeared in Vulture, TV Guide, Esquire, Time, Apartment Therapy, and The Daily Beast, among other online publications.

With over seven years of experience writing about what you watch, Lillian is an expert at knowing which services are worth your money and which ones you can probably skip. She also supports Business Insider's deals and tech verticals, including coverage of VPNs, smartphones, and other subscription services.

Sarah Saril, Deals Editor

Sarah Saril is the Editor of Deals and Tickets for Business Insider Reviews. She is the team's deals expert, spearheading any and all discount coverage, year-round — including streaming services. Additionally, she covers the Tickets vertical, offering readers tips on securing the most affordable seats for major concerts, sporting events, and more.

Previously a Deals Writer at Wirecutter, a New York Times Company, before joining Business Insider Reviews as a Deals Reporter, Sarah has dozens of major sales events under her belt. She's covered every angle of sale shopping, from holiday savings to everyday coupons.

Thanks to her nine years of experience in the deals-writing game, you can trust Sarah to highlight only the best discounts on products we love. She knows that life doesn't wait for Black Friday, sharing worthwhile price cuts on everything from streaming services and subscriptions to home goods and more, year-round.