Popular Streaming Services From the Worst to the Best

If you were hoping to cut the cable cord and spend less on quality programming, you might have been surprised by the sheer volume of popular streaming services. How do you choose the best one for your family? What if you want to watch a few different shows – each on various platforms? Would you save money if you got rid of cable and satellite? 

Customers are raising various questions online. Why not see what others are saying about each one? Based on streaming services reviews, we have ranked five of the most popular providers with ratings within two stars, from the worst to the best.

Key Insights:

• The most common complaints about popularstreaming services includecustomer service and payment issues. 
• Not to choose the worst streaming services, conduct thorough analysis navigating through cost, key features, and platform content.
• Streaming services reviews and rankings are powerful assistants in choosing the right provider.

So, what is the list of popular streaming services ranked from the worst to the best?

• Paramount Plus
• Sling TV
• Hulu
• Netflix
• Amazon Prime Video
• How to choose a streaming service?

Paramount Plus Reviews – 3.6K

Paramount Plus Rating* – 2.1⭐⭐

Paramount Plus Claimed Losses - $760K

 

5. Paramount Plus: The Quality of the Streaming Is Horrible

Paramount Plus has grown from just CBS content to include material from Nickelodeon, MTV, and Comedy Central among many others. With so many years of material to work with, what is Paramount Plus’ rating among other streaming service rankings?

Paramount Plus rating

More than 3,500 Paramount Plus reviews on PissedConsumer ranked the company 2.1 out of 5. Customers mainly outline concerns with four issues. The customer satisfaction survey shows streaming service quality and interaction with Paramount Plus customer service could be better. If you value your money and want an appropriate high-quality experience, clients award the platform 2 stars for overall value for your money. Besides, only 26% of customers would recommend this streaming to a friend or colleague.

What are the top issues Paramount Plus reviews outline? 

As Paramount Plus rating has shown, the company's top issues include customer service accessibility and streaming quality. There have been more than $760,000 in losses reported by the clients, which is substantial, and almost 34,000 phone calls to the company. 19% of those calls deal specifically with account issues and another 14% are questions or concerns about Paramount Plus cancellation policy. Additional calls and complaints revolved around payments and charges as well as issues with the product and service, as evidenced by customer complaints. 

In review #4832254, a customer described Paramount as “the WORST!!!” He went on to complain:

Every show, movie I watch ends up buffering, and I have extremely high streaming services. Very annoying!!!

 He ends the review by saying that they “will not be subscribing again.” 

Customers also complained about extra charging from their Paramount Plus subscription and issues with refunds once they managed to cancel their service. 

Sling TV Reviews – 3.3K

Sling TV Rating* – 2.1 ⭐⭐

Sling TV Claimed Losses - $480K

 

4. Sling TV: Fail to Provide the Goods or Services That They Were Clearly Paid For

Many families choose Sling TV as a way to skip right over common cable debates like Comcast vs Xfinity. Sling was supposed to make it possible to watch just about anything you wanted after completely ditching cable. But where does Sling TV stand in comparison to other streaming service rankings? 

Sling TV rating

There are more than 3,300 reviews on PissedConsumer, leaving the company with a rating of 2.1 stars out of a possible five. Being billed as an alternative to cable, Sling TV is supposed to allow you to watch sporting events, your local news, and other programs. 

However, with $480,000 claimed losses, customers in Sling TV reviews have very different opinions on how it works for their families when they have left cable behind. Many Sling TV customers complain about misleading information on a trial period, a lack of customer support, and unjustified overpayments.

According to satisfaction survey results, the company has only 2 out of five possible stars for customer service, affordability, and overall value. According to reviews, only 22% of respondents would recommend Sling TV to a friend or colleague. 

What are the top issues Sling TV reviews outline? 

The top Sling complaints range from a misleading free trial period to issues with customer service. Customers are frustrated about being treated poorly by customer support and by discovering overpayments or complicated issues canceling what they thought was a free trial

Some customers have reported their dissatisfaction regarding signing up for what they believed was a free trial, based on marketing, only to discover unexpected charges later. Others have complained that they have been charged after canceling the service. Additionally, customers have expressed frustration that the company is fine taking payment for services but fails to follow through with the promised streaming. When attempting to contact the company, customers also have trouble finding someone to respond to their concerns. On average, customer calls last for 5 minutes and 25 seconds. However, only 30% of the issues raised in the 46,000 customer calls have been resolved.

One customer left a Sling review and several updates about their experience with the company. According to them, they called the company and did “not appreciate being left on hold for over and hour and disconnected.” After calling back, they were placed on hold for “an additional several hours” before “that call was disconnected too.” The customer claims he feels 

completely ripped off, scammed and cheated by SlingTV because for the two years I have been a customer Ive had nothing but service issues and complaints...

Hulu Reviews – 11.2K

Hulu Rating* – 2.5 ⭐⭐⭐

Hulu Claimed Losses - $1004M

 

3. Hulu: No Problem to Subscribe but Cancellation Is Impossible

With offerings ranging from classic films to live streaming of sports and special events, Hulu has a bit of everything for everyone. So, what is Hulu’s rating against other streaming services rankings?

Hulu rating

With more than 11,000 Hulu reviews on PissedConsumer, the company is ranked 2.5 out of 5. According to customer satisfaction analysis, the quality of customer support and services leaves much to be desired and has received a low rating of 2 stars. While Hulu only earned 2 out of a possible 5 stars on the website’s user-friendliness and ease of interaction, it did get 3 stars on affordability, and 49% of customers polled would recommend the streaming platform to a friend or colleague, which is an improvement over other platforms listed above. 

What are the top issues Hulu reviews outline? 

While a popular platform due to its bundling with ESPN and Disney+ as well as the live TV options, it is not complaint-free, however. Hulu customers have claimed $1004M in losses and expressed concerns about billing issues, canceling services, and contacting customer service in a timely manner. 

Despite more than 190,000 calls to the company through the PissedConsumer platform, only 17% of customers could resolve their issues. A full 24% of calls were questions or problems with Hulu accounts, followed closely by 17% of calls dealing with payments and charges. 

One customer in Hulu review #4828735 found a way to skip the customer service and cancellation drama by simply canceling the payment method for Hulu instead of the service. According to the customer there is 

No problem to subscribe but cancellation is impossible. Just canceled your payment method.

 They found such a way “ much easier” than anything else. 

Netflix Reviews – 4.7K

Netflix Rating* – 2.6⭐⭐⭐

Netflix Claimed Losses - $690K

 

2. Netflix: Why Does Netflix Make It So Difficult to Cancel?

Netflix is likely one of the popular streaming services, but that might not make it the best choice among other options. How does Netflix compare to other streaming service rankings? 

Netflix rating

More than 4,600 Netflix reviews on PissedConsumer give the streaming service a total rating of 2.6 out of a possible five stars. The customer satisfaction survey shows that Netflix customer service needs improvements compared to other issues, ranking it 2 out of 5. At the same time, clients note a satisfactory level of price affordability, convenience of navigating the website, and diversity of the service. As a result, 59% of users would likely recommend Netflix to a friend or colleague.

What are the top issues Netflix reviews outline?

With more than $690,000 in claimed losses, there are many Netflix complaints overcharging and issues with customer service. There are many concerns about being unable to watch Netflix on multiple devices, which likely reflects updated plans offered by the company designed to limit account sharing and unprofessional service.

Additionally, many customers complain that it is very challenging to cancel your Netflix service - it’s difficult to reach an employee when they are ready to cancel. If they do manage to connect, they might wind up speaking with an unqualified customer service representative. 25% of calls to the company pertain to payments and charges and 11% are questions or concerns about cancellation. Of the almost 67,000 calls made to Netflix customer service, only 24% were resolved, which is reflected in the various complaints left on PissedConsumer. 

One customer in Netflix review #4810507 complained that

 Im no longer a Netflix customer, not because I didnt want your service, but your customer service representative could not make my account work.

Apparently the customer service representative “could not take the trouble to fix the problem” with the account and just canceled it instead, against the will of the customer. 

Amazon Prime Video Reviews – 3.9K

Amazon Prime Video Rating* – 2.6⭐⭐⭐

Amazon Prime Video Claimed Losses - $820K

 

1. Amazon Prime Video: This Is Not Customer Service But a Waste of People’s Time

The top option in our list of streaming services, Amazon Prime Video, has the best rating of all the products listed here. Despite that, it still has a fair number of concerns left in customer online reviews. So, where does Amazon Prime Video stand in comparison to other streaming service rankings?

Amazon Prime Video rating

There are more than 3,800 Amazon Prime Video reviews on PissedConsumer.com, which ranked the service 2.6 stars out of 5. As a major retailer, customers are comfortable with Amazon and often add it to their accounts, which makes the service offering rather streamlined. 

The customer satisfaction data shows that Amazon Prime Video performance has received mixed feedback. Regarding customer service and billing practices, the rating is a modest 2 out of 5 stars, leaving room for improvement. Streaming service quality and the website’s user-friendliness is ranked better - 3 out of 5, indicating that navigating Netflix's platform is relatively easy and its services are mainly satisfactory. So. 41% of users would likely recommend Amazon Prime Video to a friend or colleague.

What are the top issues Amazon Prime Video reviews outline? 

There have been a total of 66,300 calls through PissedConsumer to Amazon Prime Video yet only 15% of customer issues have been resolved despite customers spending an average of 6 minutes and 42 seconds connected to customer service.

Various Amazon Prime Video complaints include concerns about long holds when they call customer service, unexpected and unauthorized charges to credit cards, a lack of real customer service professionals to speak with when you call the customer service line for help, and streaming quality. The total sum of claimed losses, $820,000, is also a cause for concern. 

One customer left an Amazon Prime Video review #4807119 explaining that his interaction with the company was “the worst customer service answer I have received in a long long time.” The customer called to ask about a show that wouldn’t play. After being on hold and “waiting 20 minutes to talk to someone,” the customer service representative 

puts me on hold and comes back after two minutes reading the same exact message I had read to her at the beginning of the call.

According to the frustrated customer, this “is not customer service but a waste of people’s time.” 

How to Choose a Streaming Service for Your Needs

There are a significant number of customers expressing their streaming service complaints regarding certain challenges they face. It’s hard to know which platform to commit to and how many you might need. As you navigate the streaming service rankings to find the right fit, there are a few key elements to consider.

Your shows

The primary consideration for many streaming services is simply which shows you want or plan to watch. Many of the platforms have proprietary content, so if you’re hoping to watch a particular show, you’ll need a specific platform to do so.

Cost

Streaming services prices are always a consideration as well. The cheapest streaming service may not be money well spent if it’s not giving you the shows you want, or the quality is terrible. Look closely at costs and options available with the platforms you’re considering to find the best deal. 

Features

Not all streaming services offer streaming options for multiple devices or downloads if you’re going to be without the internet. Check to be sure you’re getting the features you want before you sign up.

Customer Reviews

Streaming services reviews are a powerful part of the selection process. Before signing up, check out what others have said. This might help you avoid unexpected charges or headaches with canceling a service down the road if you’re planning to only subscribe for one or two months at a time. 

Finding the perfect fit for streaming systems can be complicated. The best streaming services might not have the shows you want, and the worst streaming services might still be worth it if you’re dying to catch the next season of an exclusive offering. 

Nowadays, a wide choice of popular streaming services can make a consumer’s life pretty challenging. What should be preferred, and what should be avoided? Streaming services reviews and rankings from worst to best can be helpful when evaluating what each is offering and what to expect when you sign up or try to cancel. What was your experience? You may leave a public review sharing your opinions of what’s out there now to choose from. 

*The company ratings on the PissedConsumer website are calculated using a mathematical algorithm that evaluates the information in the company’s profile. The algorithm parameters are: users’ rating, the number of resolved issues, the number of company responses and more. The PissedConsumer algorithm is also subject to change in the future.