Netflix, Steam, YouTube, Facebook, Hulu, Spotify, Bovada—these online streaming and entertainment sites have become household names, and often for good reason. They offer unmatched videos, games, and entertainment… or do they?
Although mainstream entertainment sites have thousands of subscribers for a reason, each of these sites has an alternative that can rival them. These alternative sites are often more affordable, have niche offerings, or are simply still undiscovered.
1. Movie Streaming Services
The mainstream movie, TV series, and video streaming sites include Netflix, AppleTV, YouTube, HBO, and Peacock. However, these platforms have several alternatives which appeal to specific audiences.
One alternative that comes to mind is hoopla. This platform is an alternative to most subscription-based services, offering almost a million movies, music albums, books, TV shows, and children’s shows. The reason for hoopla’s appeal? It is completely free.
Popular streaming sites commonly require monthly payments, with each new user added to the account incurring an additional cost. There are dozens of free alternatives available, including Vudu, IMDb TV, and Pluto.
Then there are niche services that only cater to a specific audience. For example, Kidoodle.TV offers safe shows for kids, while GuideDoc offers prestige documentaries. Avoiding the popular sites allows you to find content specifically catering to your needs.
2. iGaming
Bovada is one of the largest online casinos in the world, along with Stake, Bet365, and BetMGM. These platforms are popular for several reasons; they offer thousands of casino games, are user-friendly, and attract players with generous bonuses and promotions.
But the best Bovada alternatives can rival even these casino giants. In attempts to attract and retain new users, alternative platforms to popular casino sites, like BetWhale and Black Lotus, offer daily free spins, no-deposit bonuses, and several payment options.
3. Gaming Platforms
Steam is without a doubt the largest platform to purchase offline and online video games for PC. Where console players are often limited to their console’s game store, PC gamers have more variety and can shop and play online on various platforms.
These alternatives often feature indie games created by smaller studios or undiscovered gems that have not yet gotten mainstream attention. For example, Itch.io is an independent gaming platform committed only to indie games. GOG Galaxy takes a unique approach—all games purchased are DRM-free, meaning they are completely yours and you can install them on your hard drive or burn them to a disk.
By accessing alternative gaming platforms, you will expose yourself to many more games than you could find on Steam or the Microsoft Store.
4. Music Streaming
Spotify and Apple Music are dominating the music streaming industry. These sites allow users to listen to podcasts, save music for offline listening and even read song lyrics in real-time. But, they are also on the costly side, at $11.99 and $10.99 per month to listen ad-free, respectively.
There are also news reports that Spotify artists are not paid their dues, despite millions of streams. If you value music and the people who produce the songs, then it is time to consider alternatives.
Bandcamp has taken an interesting approach to music streaming. Joining the platform is free, but you purchase your music based on prices set by the artists. This ensures that artists are paid fairly. YouTube Music and Soundcloud are two alternatives where listeners can enjoy songs and albums for free if they don’t mind the occasional ad.
5. Social Media
The main social media platforms are without a doubt Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok. But, with the ongoing political climate in the states, an almost-ban of TikTok, and fact-checkers monitoring posts, many users are looking for alternative social media platforms where free speech is welcomed.
BlueSky was developed by X co-founder Jack Dorsey. This transparent platform focuses on the community without corporate control. This platform has grown significantly in the past few months, spurred on by The Guardian’s announcement that it was abandoning X.
NextDoor offers a more personal social media experience which may appeal to many. Instead of filtering through local Facebook groups, NextDoor is a platform dedicated to local communities.
Conclusion
Alternatives to popular entertainment sites and services have appeal because they tend to cater to smaller audiences, focusing on niche interests or specific communities. This idea of a more intimate setting or curated experience attracts many users to these platforms. Many of the alternatives also offer as many options (whether movies, games, or music) as the mainstream sites, but at a lower cost.