Best Quibi Alternatives: 12 Similar Content Apps

When the news broke on October 21, 2020, that Quibi was shutting down, it left plenty of early subscribers in a rush to find a streaming service replacement. Furthermore, a lot of people waited to add it to their subscription list after they read the reviews. Needless to say, both groups were forced to give up only six months in. So, is there a true replacement for the short-form, smartphone/tablet-accessible streaming platform?

Indeed there is, but the content isn’t solely focused on a 10 to 15-minute runtime – Quibi way unique. Luckily, there is plenty of quick-bite content on any of the best Quibi alternatives below.

Why look for a Quibi Alternative?

Quibi was many things, innovative, ambitious, and even, in some parts, ahead of its time. This is why when it crashed and burned, just months after the grand reveal, many were either shocked or said it was bound to happen. But there was a method behind its fall, and reasons for the failure of this $1.8 billion startup that can also be a lesson for others. 

Today, we are going to examine these reasons as a way for apps similar to Quibi, to avoid the same mistakes. The reasons why we should choose a Quibi alternative are as follows:

• Retrospectively, we can say that Quibi missed the mark, and not by mere inches, in fact, the entire idea of short-form video content being locked behind a paywall, especially in 2020, wasn’t going to fly.
• However, COVID-19 also played a huge role in changing the entire market, as people suddenly had much more time on their hands, so they went for proper content, instead of short-form videos.
• And lastly, the pricing. Quibi charged as much as $8 per month for providing short-term videos that one could watch elsewhere for free, such as Facebook, TikTok, and so on. Combined with their reluctance to adapt or even change their setup, the management also allowed Quibi to fall behind, in a highly competitive and oversaturated market.

Comparison of the Best Quibi Alternatives

Streaming Platform	Content Variety	Subscription Pricing	Availability	Best for
Netflix	Wide range of content including long-form and short-form	Various subscription plans	Worldwide	All-purpose streaming
Hulu	Offers a variety of content with some in-show ads	Different subscription options	United States	Varied TV show preferences
Amazon Prime Video	A mix of long-form TV shows and short videos	Free with Amazon Prime, also offers a standalone subscription	Available in multiple countries	Amazon Prime members
Disney+	Rich content library including short-form content	Competitive Pricing	Expanding to more countries	Disney and Marvel fans
Apple TV+	Diverse content including short-form shows	Affordable subscription pricing	Worldwide	Budget-conscious viewers
HBO Max	Extensive content library with high-quality shows	Higher subscription cost	United States	Fans of HBO and Warner Bros content
Sony Crackle	Offers a variety of movies and shows for free with ads	Free streaming	Available in multiple countries	Free streaming enthusiasts
Crunchyroll	Focuses on anime and manga content	Offers free and premium subscriptions	Worldwide	Anime and manga enthusiasts
Tubi TV	Over 20,000 free movies with some ads	Free with ads	Available on various devices	Budget-conscious viewers
Peacock	Diverse content, including indie genres	Free plan with ads or premium subscriptions	Requires a VPN in many regions	Variety of indie content
Acorn TV	Specializes in content from the UK, Australia, and Ireland	Subscription pricing	Limited to the United States and Canada	British and Australian content enthusiasts
Shudder	Focused on the horror and thriller genre	Subscription pricing	Worldwide	Horror genre lovers

1. Netflix

There’s no doubt who the current king of streaming is – after all, we dedicated an entire article to Netflix alternatives. Although their main focus is on long-form web shows and plenty of movies, Netflix is well-known for producing a wide variety of content, including shorter, episodic TV shows.

Best of all, not only can you watch Netflix movies, but also download Netflix movies, or, in your case, TV shows, comedy skits, and whatever strikes your fancy. Not only is Netflix available on Android and iOS, just like Quibi, but there are a plethora of VPN services for unblocking Netflix if you don’t live in the United States or Canada. If you aren’t aware, this is where Quibi (mainly) licensed their content too.

2. Hulu

Although a streaming service similar to Quibi, Hulu irks us a bit. They offer a lower price than Netflix, but it comes with in-show ads included. You can pay for an ad-free subscription, but you’ll often be doing it out of annoyance.

Speaking of available content, it will largely depend on the often exclusive, TV shows you like to watch, rather than a certain length or feature, like on Quibi. Furthermore, even though it’s large, its main catalog of content is also unavailable outside of the United States. In today’s day and age, a VPN service can solve that problem.

3. Amazon Prime Video

Amazon is determined to dabble in as many industries as possible, and streaming is no exception. It’s a go-to choice for anyone using Amazon Prime already since it’s free for them. If you’re one of those, you have a choice between watching longer-form TV shows such as Homecoming, Hanna, or Hunters and 10 to 20-minute sitcoms and other types of short videos.

Just like Netflix and Hulu, they offer a 1-month free trial and are available on iPhones, iPads, tablets, and Android devices. Plus, you can stream on 3 devices at once!

4. Disney+

We’d be surprised if you haven’t heard of Disney Plus. After all, they reported having just under 74 million subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2020. Besides well-known content such as the Star Wars franchise, and stuff produced by Pixar and Marvel, you’ll find plenty of short-form content to entertain you.

The price is also about 30% to 50% cheaper than any of the three alternatives to Quibi above. Plus, it’s in line with the former Quibi monthly subscription price itself. Even better, it’s slowly expanding support to countries outside of Canada and the United States.

5. Apple TV+

Apple is similar to Amazon (and Google) when it comes to trying to dominate as many industries as they can. Their streaming service shares a lot of similarities with Quibi. And, unlike the price of their tech products, it’s about 50% to 75% cheaper than our top three candidates. Plus, there are no compromises, surprisingly – it works like Netflix.

The only difference is that there’s only a 7-day trial instead of what you might be used to, a month. That’s not a flaw, per se, a week is enough for you to determine whether you like it or not, plus it’s very affordable if you do.

6. HBO Max

HBO makes things confusing with services such as GO and Now. But you must’ve heard of HBO Max when Warner Bros. announced all of their 2021 movies will concurrently be released in theaters and on the platform. With that said, HBO Max landed the sixth spot not because they lack catalog entries. It’s because the price of this streaming service is not nearly as low as any of the entries above.

The other downside is the inability to change streaming resolution, which can eat up your mobile data on the go.

7. Sony Crackle

You’ve waited long enough – here’s a free Quibi alternative. In fact, Sony Crackle is also at the top of our list of best free movie sites, too. You probably know the quality is decent, too, since Sony Pictures owns it. There might not be enough shorter movies and TV shows for your taste, and they’re mainly from the period between 1950 and 2000.

But give it a try, trust us. New stuff is constantly added, and the content is licensed, high-quality, well-rated, and most importantly, available on smart devices. The only “downside” is the presence of ads. Quibi also had them, and they still charged you on top of them.

8. Crunchyroll

As one of the world’s leading Anime and Manga platforms, Crunchyroll is a streaming website with tons of featured and exclusive content. The platform hosts some rich yet older classics and the latest seasonal shows.

Furthermore, the anime platform caters to a global audience. Hence, it subs and dubs the native shows into multiple languages. The greatest thing about Crunchyroll is its free plan. Yes, the streaming platform offers numerous subscription plans, the highest being able to provide tons of features, including the latest shows just one hour after TV airing. There are anime-related news, games, and access to Manga.

Free users can also enjoy shows, but with regular ads. Lastly, we have to include that while the platform is almost heaven-sent for hardcore anime fans, casual users might find it a bit overwhelming for their tastes.

9. Tubi TV

Tubi TV offers more than 20,000 movies for you to watch. Best of all, they’re all free of charge. Yes, there are ads included, although not as many as Quibi had. It’s the second-best free alternative to Quibi, and some consider it better than Sony Crackle.

We see where they’re coming from – Tubi TV is available on smartphones, tablets, Chromecast, smart TVs, and even consoles. Plus, you don’t need to use a VPN or even register an account, since the content isn’t geo-restricted.

10. Peacock

Peacock is unavailable in many regions worldwide so you need to change your IP address using a VPN. Unlike the first five entries on our list, Peacock doesn’t have strong anti-VPN measures, so any will do.

With that said, this service is one of the most diverse out there, which means there are a lot of indie genres to watch. You’ll be surprised how many of those are Hollywood-produced, actually. Some are free with ads, others require a subscription, but at least you have a choice.

11. Acorn TV

We’re finishing up with a service that has the same price as Quibi once offered. On the other hand, it has no ads, although there are free plans with ads too. It consists almost solely of the content produced in and for the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland. Although they offer a 7-day free trial, Acorn TV is only available in the United States and Canada.

To be fair, any of the VPN for watching British TV will work too. Another downside is that you can only enjoy their content in 720p resolution. Great for data consumption, but likely an inferior viewing experience.

12. Shudder

Shudder is a platform that directly caters to the horror genre. It has a vast library of horror and thriller movies to enrich the life of an enthusiast. Shudder is an AMC undertaking and works similarly to other streaming platforms. The movie library consists of works from around the globe, including Hollywood classics, Asian 80s horror, and even cheesy thrillers.

The platform also hosts regular podcasts on the horror subgenre and a built-in review system to keep the community engaged. However, one of the drawbacks of the website is that it doesn’t support offline downloads.

Our recommendation for Quibi Alternatives

We recommend alternatives for Quibi, because even with it dead, people would want something where they could watch their favorite movies and TV shows.

For this, we are recommending a few names, the first of which is obviously Netflix, the streaming platform that is dominating the entire movie, series, and documentary industry. You can find content from pretty much any genre on this platform, and view it on multiple devices. Then we also have Amazon Prime, yet another streaming service that is second only to Netflix. 

Those who are fans of anime can look for Crunchyroll. And finally, we have Tubi TV, which is an ad-supported, free streaming platform with a collection of more than thousands of movies.