In recent years, there has been this ongoing ‘battle’ related to Disney Plus vs Netflix. These two giant entertainment companies are seriously competing against each other for the title of the ‘best entertainment king’ in the business. In case you don’t know it, the entertainment world is one lucrative and promising business that has a lot of profitable potentials. It’s no wonder if the competition between those two giants is quite fierce.
But then again, it is up to us, the users, to decide which one is more likable. For some people, Netflix is unbeatable. For others, however, Disney Plus brings out a new type of entertainment. It is refreshing. It is fun. And it is growing. Although Netflix has set its claw in the industry way too long before the existence of similar streaming services, Disney Plus can deliver something refreshing and new. In the end, it would depend on you whether to choose Disney or Netflix. That’s why we are going to discuss several different elements to help you make a solid decision.
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Disney Plus vs Netflix Competition: The Important Factors to Consider about
The Development of Netflix and Disney Plus
One of the crucial elements in Disney Plus vs Netflix is about the history. Netflix was first launched in the industry in August 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. They started the company in California (in Scotts Valley) as a movie rental service. Users could order movies over the site and then the DVDs would be sent through the post. Along the DVDs, there would be provided envelopes to send those DVDs back. So, once the users were done with the movies, they could return those DVDs back with the envelopes.
The service grew and developed, and it has around millions of paid subscribers (try 151 million) within 190 different countries. The name Netflix is actually a combination of two words ‘net’ and ‘flix (from flick). Net is from the internet while flick means movie. Right now, the platform offers featured films, documentaries, original productions, and also TV series in different languages and genres.
Disney Plus is basically a newer ‘kid’ in the business. Before 2019, the company had worked together with Netflix. It had been a part of the streaming program, giving Netflix streaming rights to some of its movies. Disney also had its own original shows (on Netflix), which include many of Marvel TV shows in the platform.
However, the era has come to an end. Disney is now separating itself from Netflix and it has a main focus on family-friendly contents, which will differentiate its service from the others, especially from its former counterparts. The contents (in Disney) may not be as huge as Netflix, but then again, it is a growing and developing platform. Give it time, and Disney Plus may be able to topple off Netflix. The history and development of both platforms are some of the differences of Disney Plus vs Netflix.
Disney Plus is now offering their own original movies and shows, and they don’t have it elsewhere. You can watch The Mandalorian, a Star Wars action part, which increases in popularity. More contents are even coming, including Pixar, Marvel, and also Star Wars-based shows.
You may not have to decide if you can afford both subscriptions. Unfortunately, not everyone is that lucky. If you have to choose between the two, you need to understand the basic features of both services, so you can finally decide which one would be perfect for your devices; whether it is a smart TV, gaming console, mobile phone, tablet, or the set-top box.
The Price of Disney Plus vs Netflix
You have to admit that the price is one of the most important elements in understanding the differences of Disney Plus vs Netflix. After all, the price tag would be the determining factor in choosing a particular service.
For the annual subscription, you need to spend around $80 a year. If you prefer the monthly spending, it would be around $8 per month. If you go with the annual pricing tag, it saves you more. There are also bundle offers where you can get Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu (the ads type) if you are willing to pay for $14 a month. It means that you need to pay an extra of $6 on a monthly basis, but you can get 3 different services at once. If you want to enjoy the free-ads Hulu, then you will have to spend around $20 a month.
As if it weren’t enough, you can also enjoy the access with Verizon wireless service. If you go with Verizon wireless pricing plan, you can access Disney Plus for free for at least 6 months – in some events, you can enjoy a free service up to a year. It offers an extension to Verizon’s home internet 5G and Fios.
This is where Disney Plus vs Netflix is quite different. You have to admit that Netflix’s subscription tag is costlier. Although it has several subscription plan, the lowest one would cost you a good $9 a month, but only for one stream and with 480p of resolution. If you want more streams (2 streams) and higher resolution (1080p), then you need to pick the second tier, which will cost you around $14 a month. If you want even more streams (up to 4) and with 4K resolution, you need to choose the third tier, and it costs you $18 a month. But Netflix offers free trial period for 30 days, but only in the US areas. Rumor has it that Netflix is no longer offering free trial period in other areas.
However, they do make experiments with subscription for mobile only application, but it only applies in certain areas. The price tag would be lower because it only applies to tablets and smartphones. It costs not more than $5 per month. But then again, such a service isn’t available in all areas and countries.
In this price factor, it’s obvious that Disney Plus wins the battle. If you want the best service only, $20 for Netflix is only applicable for Netflix platform only. But $20 for Disney Plus can connect you to 3 platforms altogether: Disney Plus, ESPN, and Hulu.
The Platform
Another factor in Disney Plus vs Netflix competition should be about the platform, and how you can access it. You should be able to access Disney Plus through iOS and Android mobile devices. You should have no problem accessing Chromecast, as well as the devices supporting it. It is accessible through set-top boxes (such as Nvidia Shield) as well as Android TVs. It is said that it can also be accessed and streamed on a regular browser on PCs, but they haven’t mentioned any specific details.
To sweeten the deal, the app is also offered for Xbox device (Xbox X/S Series and Xbox One) and also PS 4 and PS 5, as well as Fire TV sticks, Samsung smart TV, LG smart TV, Vizio, streaming sticks, and also Roku TV. For now, there has been zero confirmation about the app for Nintendo Switch although there had been an event in 2019 that showed the app on the platform.
For Netflix, it seems that all kinds of consoles, devices, and platforms support it. The real question is: What device that doesn’t support the app? Aside from the fact that it is accessible through Android and iOS devices (tablets, smartphones, etc), it is also available for Amazon Fire devices, Roku, Chromecast (including TVs having Chromecast system in it), set-top boxes, and also smart TVs with Android base. Not to mention that Netflix is also offered through various browsers (which means that you can access it through desktops and also laptops).
These devices don’t do justice of the easy access, because the Netflix app is also accessible through gaming consoles. We are talking about PS 4 and 5, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, cable boxes, BlueRay players, Xbox devices, and also different types of smart TVs. From these options and available lists, it’s obvious who the winner is for Disney Plus vs Netflix. For now, Netflix wins the battle, but there is always a possible that Disney Plus would catch up soon enough.
The Availability
There is no doubt that Netflix wins this part. First of all, Netflix has a very long head-start when compared to Disney Plus. For now, the service is available in 190 different countries. There are only 4 countries currently that don’t have Netflix in their areas, and they are Syria, Crimea, North Korea, and China.
In the difference of Disney Plus vs Netflix, Disney Plus was launched in New Zealand, Australia, Netherlands, Canada, and the USA. Afterwards, it expanded to other European areas, such as Spain, Ireland, the UK, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Italy, and then in India in (March) 2020. Later, the service was added to France in April 2020, continued with another service in Japan. In September (with the same year), it was launched in the Nordics, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Belgium. It was planned that the service extended to the eastern part of Europe as well as the remaining Asia Pacific in 2021.
The Content Library
When it comes to Disney Plus vs Netflix, let’s not forget about the content library. From Netflix, there is no need to have doubts about the library. Aside from the huge library (consisting of original shows as well as older movies and TV series), they always add up their contents continuously. However, some contents may be lost to the growing competitors like Peacock, Hulu, or HBO Max, but then again, you need to remember that Netflix has a huge resource to make sure that they still offer exclusive movies and shows for their overall service.
Innovations and developments started in 2019 when they launched the Irishman, along with The Witcher series. There are also 6 Underground, Da 5 Bloods, the Queen’s Gambit, Space Force, Bridgerton, and others. If you prefer older flicks and originals, you can still check Russian Doll, Black Mirror, or Stranger Things as they are always available. Let’s not forget about the hugely popular title now: The Squid Game. Whether it is exclusive or classic, all kinds of movies and entertainments are available, regardless the audience and age range.
On the other hand, you can say that Disney Plus had a relatively easy and smooth start. When it comes to content, it doesn’t lack of anything. They can get as many collections as possible from their Marvel divisions, along with Star Wars, Disney, and also National Geographic divisions. The company bought 20th Century Fox, which adds up its shows and movies collections. From this fact alone, Disney Plus has thousands of flicks and TV shows episodes that are ready for smooth streaming. So, when it comes to the competition in this sector, Disney Plus has enough ‘ammo’ just like Netflix.
Other Supporting Features
There are also other things to consider when you are about to use their services:
- Ads absence. Both services don’t have ads during the use, which adds the convenience factor for usage. They also support downloading flexibility, which is great for offline experience. Both also have 4K streaming feature although you will have to pay extra for Netflix.
- Easy access and connection. You can stream to 10 devices altogether for Disney Plus, while Netflix limits it to ‘only’ 4 people for a single account. But for Netflix, again, you have to spend extra. Disney Plus allows 7 customized (individual) profiles for each account, while Netflix only offers 5 profiles. This feature enables every member of the family to watch different shows. For instance, parents can watch their favorite action movies while kids can watch their kids contents – and parents can still monitor what their kids are watching.
- Safety and control features. Disney Plus has Kids Mode, where parents can control what their kids are allowed to watch. The same control is also incorporated on Netflix, but parents can even block the chosen content on Netflix. Parents love this ability so much!
Conclusion
It seems that many would have both subscriptions, considering that each service has its own strength and benefit. But if you do have to choose between the two, these differentiating elements of Disney Plus vs Netflix should count.
