Some of these services are free to access, while others require a paid subscription. And if you don't mind your child seeing ads while streaming, you can choose a free platform or low-cost plan to save money each month. Not every streamer shows commercials on kids' content, but prepare to pay more for a service like Paramount Plus or Disney Plus to stream without ads.
For any streaming service, you'll want to know how many screens you can watch at a time. For example, Netflix's ad-based plan allows two simultaneous streams, but you have to upgrade to the premium version if your family needs four screens. Look for platform offerings that let your household stream on multiple devices at once if that's what you need.
Streaming services that house mature content — such as Max and Netflix — provide ways for parents to restrict what programming kids can watch. Others offer children's-only content with customizable settings that allow you to block certain titles. Check for parental controls that aren't easily bypassed, like PINs or curated kids' profiles.
Netflix and Disney Plus may be the go-to streamers in your household, which wouldn't be surprising since each platform sports a diverse selection of family-friendly TV shows and movies. But there are other streaming services with worthwhile kids entertainment to consider. To decide on a winner, we looked at streamers that offer a mix of educational and fun programming, while also providing parental tools to ensure the content being watched is age-appropriate. Disney Plus is the standout; however, it's certainly not the only option.
Disney Plus offers a wide variety of family-friendly content, including shows and movies from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic, Disney Junior and Disney Channel. Everything is easily accessible through the streamer's navigation menu, which can be broken down by category, title, character or genre.
Paramount Plus has a nice collection of iconic characters and series. It's basically Nickelodeon central. SpongeBob, iCarly, Rugrats, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig and other Nick superstars sit beside Paramount Plus originals Big Nate and Star Trek: Prodigy.
Netflix caters to every age and stage in your child's life and offers a variety of entertaining and educational titles, including popular series like Sesame Street, CoComelon and Octonauts, originals like KPop Demon Hunters, Carmen Sandiego and Pokemon Journeys, and DreamWorks titles such as How to Train Your Dragon and The Wild Robot.
Don't sleep on HBO Max. It offers Cartoon Network favorites like We Bare Bears and Adventure Time, as well as some seasons of Sesame Street, Looney Tunes and animated DC superheroes, including OG Teen Titans.
PBS Kids has been the go-to for childhood favorites like Sesame Street for decades. Characters like Elmo, Arthur (the longest-running animated kids' show in history), Daniel the Tiger and Curious George entertain and teach. Despite Netflix being the new home for Sesame Street, new episodes are still available on PBS Kids.
HappyKids is a streaming app offering 110,000 titles for children from babies to tweens. It includes live channels, movies, popular kid vloggers and TV shows like Blippi, Cocomelon, Total Drama Island, Winx Club and The Wiggles.
Kidoodle TV, similar to PBS Kids, provides free entertainment for kids up to age 12. It includes educational and recreational content featuring licensed shows and movies like Lego, My Little Pony, SpongeBob and Pokemon.
We put each of the streaming platforms in our list, below, to the test, based on subscription cost, content libraries, ad load times and safety features like parental controls. Each streamer featured in this list is jam-packed with solid TV shows and movies, with some operating as entertainment hubs for your kids' favorite characters. If you're on the hunt for the streaming service that may be the right fit for your family, read on for our in-depth guide.
Disney Photo Gallery 1/1 Disney Best varied, kid-friendly library Disney Plus Pros Wide catalog of popular TV and movies from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and National Geographic; Ability to choose content ratings; Simple interface with some 4K titles available; Low price with ads Cons Little customization of kids' profiles; Long wait times for new, original TV series Disney Plus offers a wide variety of family-friendly content, including shows and movies from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic, Disney Junior and Disney Channel. Everything is easily accessible through the streamer's navigation menu, which can be broken down by category, title, character or genre.
Keep toddlers occupied with animated and live-action Disney classics. Tweens and teens can enjoy The Proud Family, Bluey, Spidey and his Amazing Friends, Gravity Falls, Turning Red and the Mouse House's lineup of blockbusters.
Parents can add a four-digit PIN to set rating limits on profiles. Creating a kid's profile automatically curates appropriate content for all ages. The Kid-Proof exit feature adds an extra layer of security, preventing profile switching. Disney Plus' $12 ad-supported tier features commercials on many titles. However, there are several ways to enjoy ad-free streaming.
Paramount Photo Gallery 1/1 Paramount Best for franchises like SpongeBob, iCarly, Paw Patrol, Rugrats Paramount Plus Pros Strong stable of kids' content from Nickelodeon; Streams some major movies soon after theater release; Broad catalog of familiar shows and movies; Lower price Cons Not many must-see originals; Paramount Plus has a nice collection of iconic characters and series. It's basically Nickelodeon central. SpongeBob, iCarly, Rugrats, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig and other Nick superstars sit beside Paramount Plus originals Big Nate and Star Trek: Prodigy.
The menus feature a kids section for the shows or movies tabs, but you can also search for Noggin, Nick Jr., or other branded content. A selection of curated live channels stream 24/7 kids content, including dedicated hubs for SpongeBob, Paw Patrol and Kids and Family Fun.
“Kids Mode” allows parents to create kids' profiles with character-based avatars and to specify a profile's age range. The content adjusts ratings based on your selection. Subscriptions cost $9 for the ad-supported Essential version and $14 for ad-free Premium.
Netflix Photo Gallery 1/1 Netflix Best range of ad-free content and curated kids profiles Netflix Pros Strong recommendation engine; Easy to use across different devices; Extensive list of movies and shows for kids Cons Cost for premium plans is on the higher end; Can't watch shows as they air on other networks; Missing content on ad-based plan Netflix caters to every age and stage in your child's life and offers a variety of entertaining and educational titles, including popular series like Sesame Street, CoComelon and Octonauts, originals like KPop Demon Hunters, Carmen Sandiego and Pokemon Journeys, and DreamWorks titles such as How to Train Your Dragon and The Wild Robot.
You can set up parent controls with age restrictions on each profile. Netflix Kids Experience offers pre-selected, age-appropriate content with a distinct logo. If you choose titles outside the Kids Experience ratings, the logo is removed and the profile type is changed automatically.
To cap it off, the platform showcases a Top 10 row for kids' programming and sends out biweekly emails to parents with recommendations and other child-centric tools. Go ad-free for $20 per month or try the ad-based plan at $9 a month.
WarnerMedia/HBO Max Photo Gallery 1/1 WarnerMedia/HBO Max Best for Cartoon Network, feature films and DC titles HBO Max Pros Huge library that covers every era and viewers of all ages; Kids' content lineup and parental control features; User-friendly interface Cons High price, even with ads Don't sleep on HBO Max. It offers Cartoon Network favorites like We Bare Bears and Adventure Time, as well as some seasons of Sesame Street, Looney Tunes and animated DC superheroes, including OG Teen Titans.
You can easily find content by selecting the Kids & Family category or clicking on a character's icon – like Elmo, Scooby Doo and Batman. HBO Max also organizes content by age groups (2-5, 6-9, 10-12 and 13 and up) and has popular shows like Blippi and Vlad & Niki for its preschool Cartoonito viewers. Additionally, there are plenty of titles available for teens who need a break from animation.
You can create a separate kid profile on HBO Max for your children to access age-appropriate content. Adults need to log a four-digit PIN and provide birthdate information. HBO Max offers three subscription options: $11 a month with ads, $18.49 for ad-free or $23 for ad-free with 4K titles.
PBS Photo Gallery 1/1 PBS Best free app for educational shows PBS Kids Pros Free access; Library full of age-appropriate content, popular characters; No ads; Easy to use across devices Cons Some full episodes not available PBS Kids has been the go-to for childhood favorites like Sesame Street for decades. Characters like Elmo, Arthur (the longest-running animated kids' show in history), Daniel the Tiger and Curious George entertain and teach. Despite Netflix being the new home for Sesame Street, new episodes are still available on PBS Kids.
Happy Kids Photo Gallery 1/1 Happy Kids Best free platform with mainstream characters HappyKids Pros All titles are for kids; Good parental controls; Easy for kids to use Cons Some episodes missing HappyKids is a streaming app offering 110,000 titles for children from babies to tweens. It includes live channels, movies, popular kid vloggers and TV shows like Blippi, Cocomelon, Total Drama Island, Winx Club and The Wiggles.
When you open the app, you'll have 12 categories to choose from. Pick an age group, or click on Lego Corner, movies and TV, gaming videos, learning or Spanish content. Some titles are from YouTube, but there are also new episodes, films and shorts available. Parental controls allow you to block specific titles or disable access to certain genres or topics.
HappyKids is ad-based, so your child may encounter commercials for everything from Star Wars Legos to Juicy Drop. The streamer is free and available on most devices, including Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and mobile devices.
A Parent Media Co. Inc. Photo Gallery 1/1 A Parent Media Co. Inc. Best free streaming for kids 12 and under Kidoodle TV Pros Free content just for kids of any age; No subscription needed unless you want to upgrade; Catalog is vetted Cons Contains ads; No downloads Kidoodle TV, similar to PBS Kids, provides free entertainment for kids up to age 12. It includes educational and recreational content featuring licensed shows and movies like Lego, My Little Pony, SpongeBob and Pokemon.
The app also offers nature and animal videos from the Dodo, game-themed content with Mario, Minecraft and Roblox, as well as crafting tutorials. Parents can find YouTube favorites like Ryan's World and choose from a range of educational videos. Kidoodle TV also offers original content – like StoryRaps from Wes Tank – and has language-learning videos in French, German, Spanish, Russian and Mandarin from Little Pim.
You can watch Kidoodle for free as a guest, but signing up allows you to create accounts for kids and parents. The app offers age-appropriate content vetted by Kidoodle parents and staff. The Freemium account includes family-friendly ads, or you can upgrade to the Premium version for $5 per month to skip commercials. Parental controls let you set screen time limits, choose titles and monitor viewing habits, along with an automatic shut-off option. Kidoodle is available on Roku, FireTV, smart TVs and other devices.
It's likely you've heard of most of the platforms on this list, but it's by no means comprehensive. There are plenty of other ways to stream and hundreds of other choices out there. As we evaluated these streaming options, we kept certain things in mind for kids.
We first considered how much, what type and the quality of content available on each service for every age group. We tested parental control settings and kid profiles. In addition to catalog size and maturity settings, we looked at design (i.e.: ease of use across different TV and mobile platforms for kids), ads, features (like mobile downloads, recommendations, watch lists and number of streams) and value (price compared with these other factors). Click through to the full reviews for more details.
Prime Video: This service is easily accessible for Prime members with a catalog that combines Freevee, Amazon originals and some licensed content, such as the uber-popular Peppa Pig. Though Prime Video has a decent selection of movies and TV shows, it gleans much of its kids' programming from Nickelodeon, PBS Kids and other Viacom properties.
Hulu: Like Prime Video, Hulu offers originals (such as Animaniacs) and titles for every age. Much of it comes from other networks. Compared with its rivals, Hulu's price and content lineup are less appealing for a spot on this best list. But our perspective may change when Hulu and Disney Plus begin offering a single app option that will bring titles from both streaming services into one platform.
If you prefer a streaming experience that's similar to linear TV, you may want to consider a live TV streaming service such as YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV or Sling. They cost more than on-demand services, and each offers a roster of family-friendly channels and a set of parental controls, but it depends on the service. You may find a suite of Disney Channel offerings, Cartoon Network, PBS, Animal Planet or other live channels that pique your kids' interest, but you may find it's cheaper to get Disney Plus or Max. Check out our channel guide for live streaming services to see which platforms have what you want.
That said, when compared to other paid streaming services on this list, we felt they offer more variety than Amazon Kids Plus when it comes to TV shows and movies.
We know that screen time is not the only area of concern, because advertising affects kids, too. Disney Plus has an ad-supported plan that includes commercials in its kid-friendly content. But Netflix's ad-based plan keeps ads out of children's titles. Both services — in addition to Max, Kidoodle and Paramount Plus — offer more expensive plans if you want to watch all content without commercials. The PBS Kids app is ad-free.
Kourtnee Jackson Senior Editor Kourtnee Jackson Senior Editor Kourtnee covers TV streaming services and home entertainment. She previously worked as an entertainment reporter at Showbiz Cheat Sheet, where she wrote about film, television, music, celebrities and streaming platforms.
