Cord Cutting Guide: The Best Cable TV Alternatives to Save Money in 2024

Cable and satellite monthly bills seem to increase every year. Thankfully, new technology and tons of streaming services mean there are lots of alternatives to cable TV.

This cord-cutting guide will help you decide if it will work for you, show you how you can still watch live TV and network TV, lay out the popular streaming services you may want to add, and let you know how you can still watch your favorite sports games.

Deciding If Cutting the Cord Is Right for You

It may sound obvious, but you really want to make sure that cord cutting is right for you before you take the plunge. If you change your mind, new contracts and activation fees are going to get expensive.

Before you decide to cut the cord, you'll need to figure out just how much your cable or satellite bill is. You can do this by checking your monthly statement. Since you're looking into cord cutting already, it's a good guess that it's already much higher than you would like it to be. Looking at the total of your bill will give you something to compare the other costs that you'll rack up after adding any of the options below. Of course, the goal is to make sure you're actually saving money.

While you're checking your bill, take a few minutes and see if there's a smaller bundle you may be happy with. Cable companies are starting to take cord cutting seriously and are beginning to offer slimmer bundles for a decent cost. You may just find one that you'll be happy with.

If you're going to be depending on some streaming services, you'll want to make sure your internet speed can handle it. You can run an internet speed test to find this out.

Watching Live TV Without Cable

If watching live TV is important to you, you have several options available, with more popping up all the time. You have the option of installing an antenna or subscribing to a streaming service that includes a live TV option. If you choose the latter, you'll need to figure out a way to access it either through your TV, a streaming stick, a set-top box, or a game console.

Watching Local Stations With an Antenna

The cheapest way to still get your local stations live is by hooking up an antenna. Once a thing of the past, antennas are all the rage now, and new technology has made sure they work better than the rabbit ears you may remember.

All those network stations will be free to watch, you'll just need to purchase a good antenna and follow the directions to hook it up. Keep in mind that what channels you get with an antenna are going to depend on what's available in your local area—see the FCC's DTV Reception Maps to check for signals in your area.

Even if you have live TV, you may not want to watch your shows while they're actually live, and you don't have to. There are DVRs at every price point that can record your over-the-air TV shows.

Hulu With Live TV

Hulu has a subscription option called Hulu + Live TV. You'll get to view live TV channels in your area, live sports, live news, kids' content, and access to their library of streaming content.

The cost includes an unlimited cloud DVR and two simultaneous screens. It comes with Disney+ and ESPN+, and you can add a subscription to premium networks like HBO and STARZ.

Hulu supports lots of devices, including iPhone and iPad, Android phones and tablets, Windows and Mac, Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Fire TV Stick, Chromecast, Nintendo Switch, various TVs, and more.

YouTube TV

There's also the option of YouTube TV, which lets you watch live-streaming TV from over 100 channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, CNN, and other cable channels. It also has a cloud DVR with no storage limits.

There's a free trial available, after which you'll be charged month-by-month. You can add Showtime, STARZ, CuriosityStream, NBA League Pass, AMC Premiere, Shudder, Sundance Now, Max (formerly HBO Max), Hallmark Movies Now, and other networks for additional fees.

When you sign up for YouTube TV, you're given access to six accounts within your household so that each person gets their own login. Up to three simultaneous streams are allowed.

You can use YouTube TV on just about every device.

Sling TV

With Sling TV, you can watch live TV with no contracts and your choice of three different packages with the ability to add mini bundles for comedy, sports, kids, news, lifestyle, premium channels (STARZ, Showtime, etc.), and international stations.

Sling TV is available on a wide range of devices including TV and video players, phones and tablets, gaming consoles, and computers. They use a cloud DVR, which means you can record your shows and watch them at any time.

All those options mean that you can choose the channels that you really want and stop paying for those that you never end up watching. There's a free trial for Sling TV that allows you to try it out for free first.

DirecTV

DirecTV (formerly AT&T TV Now) is an online streaming service that lets you access live TV channels. There's no contract (you pay month-by-month) and the price varies depending on which package you pick.

Max, Showtime, STARZ, and Cinemax are included in the Premier plan, along with 150+ channels.

You can use a variety of devices and browsers to access DirecTV including Chromecast, Roku, and Apple TV. There's also a cloud DVR option available on the Plus package or higher.

Philo

Philo has live and on-demand TV, over 70 channels, unlimited recording, and no contract. You can add Epix, STARZ, and others for an additional monthly fee.

Philo can be used on the web, your Apple TV, iOS or Android device, Roku, and other devices. It streams from three devices at the same time and supports up to 10 profiles per account.

It's free for a short time if you want to take advantage of the trial.

fuboTV

fuboTV is another option for watching live TV on the internet without a traditional cable service. Depending on the plan you choose, it could come with 1,000 hours of DVR space.

There are four primary plans to pick from at a range of prices.

Add-ons are available, so you can boost your DVR space, include more simultaneous streams, and get additional channels and news, sports, etc.

You can try fuboTV free for seven days. See the Channel Lineup page for details on what you'll get. The service works through several devices.

Watching Network TV and Premium Channels Without a Cable Plan

If you don't want to miss out on network TV, you have quite a few options. You don't need to wait years to get the shows you want, either; many of them are available a few days after they air and sometimes even immediately.

You'll also want to explore where you can stream TV shows for free, such as on Crackle, Tubi, and Pluto TV.

Network Websites

You can visit some of the network websites to catch up on your favorite shows. They all have certain limitations, and you'll need to watch commercials. You can watch full episodes of shows on FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS, The CW, and PBS.

Paramount+

Paramount+ (previously CBS All Access) will give you thousands of full episodes, live TV, and some programming. You can view all the shows and movies through that link, even before you make an account.

Showtime is available for an additional monthly cost. There's a Paramount+ trial you can get for free.

HBO and STARZ

If you don't want to miss your premium cable channels when you cut the cord, you don't have to. HBO and STARZ all have their own standalone subscription services that you can subscribe to without having a cable or satellite contract. 

HBO Max offers a cheaper, ad-supported version, but two other plans are available that feature offline access and no ads. There's a free 7-day trial.

STARZ streaming is also available for a low monthly cost.

Cutting the Cord and Adding Streaming Services

Streaming services are very popular with cord cutters, and it's no surprise. They have tons of content including TV shows along with movies. In addition to the below selections, you can review our list of best streaming apps and services.

Before you subscribe to a streaming service, you'll want to make sure you have something to stream it on. Visit each service you're interested in and make sure you have the device, or don't mind investing in a device, that will let you access the titles.

If you're really interested in streaming movies, first check out this list of the best places to stream free movies online.

There's also the option of renting DVDs of your favorite movies and TV shows, with the library being a great place to start since you can get rentals for free. There are also ways to get free Redbox codes.

Netflix

Netflix is by far the most popular streaming service available right now. You can choose from three plans with different options for ads, HD content, and the number of screens that can be streaming at the same time.

All Netflix plans have a 1-month free trial.

Hulu

Hulu is another popular streaming service that has a huge library of movies, TV shows, and original content. Basic plans are available, as well as a Live TV option with extras like ESPN+.

Add-ons for Hulu include STARZ, Showtime, Cinemax, and HBO. If you go with the Live TV plan, you can add other features like enhanced cloud DVR, unlimited screens, and an entertainment add-on.

The cheaper Hulu plan (and its no-ads version) has a free 1-month trial, and Hulu With Live TV is free for the first seven days.

Amazon Prime

A subscription to Amazon Prime includes streaming access to TV shows and movies with no cost on top of your Prime membership, called Prime Video. You also can rent or buy new releases of movies and TV shows within the player.

Prime membership offers more perks than just streaming video: free two-day shipping, on-demand music streaming, unlimited reading of thousands of books, free unlimited photo storage, and more.

Prime Video can also be purchased alone for a lower monthly cost.

Vudu

Vudu gives you more flexibility than other streaming services because there's no subscription plan; you only pay for movies and TV shows that you want to buy or rent.

You can also use Vudu 100 percent free since there are lots of free movies available for streaming.

Watching Sports Without a Cable Plan

Cutting the cord can be tough for sports fans if nothing compares to the variety of local and national sports that you'll get with your cable or satellite subscription, but you do have a few options.

Installing an antenna for your local stations will get you access to the local games that air in your area on the networks, so this is a great option for those.

Almost every major sports channel also has a streaming subscription offer that you can take advantage of. Keep in mind that these can be very expensive and if you want several of them, it may be cheaper to stick with your cable subscription.