Netflix vs. Disney Plus: Which is the Better Platform?

Netflix vs. Disney Plus is a comparison many families, including mine, are making these days. Ever since news broke that a new Disney streaming service was coming, people have been wondering who has the best content at the best price.

Netflix vs. Disney Plus

Rather than diving deep into either service, we’re going to stick to a high level overview of Disney Plus vs. Netflix. We’ll cover:

• Disney+ price vs. that of Netflix
• Netflix original shows and content vs. that of Disney+
• Devices that will run both services
• A comparison of the menus and user experiences
• Availability and parental controls
• The best of each platform

Read our Disney+ review to learn more.

Price

You may not want to pay for both platforms, so you need to know which is the better deal.

• Disney+ costs $7.99 per month
• Netflix starts at $6.99 per month and goes up to $19.99

A quick overview of features provides an at-a-glance view of what features come with each service.

As you can see, Disney+ is cheaper than Netflix. Its one subscription option offers nearly all the benefits and features of Netflix’s highest tier subscription.

*Related: Do you want to save money on your subscription? Read our guide on Netflix hacks to use to slash your bill.

You receive 4K streaming and up to seven profiles, for less than half of what it would cost you to get the same level of service from Netflix.

The one catch is the content, which we discuss next.

Content

Do you like Star Wars? Are you a Marvel movie nut? Do you have kids?

If your answer is ‘yes’ to any of those questions, you will likely prefer Disney Plus’ content over that of Netflix. On top of Star Wars and Marvel movies, Disney+ content includes:

• Pixar
• All the Disney Princess movies
• All the Disney animated movies
• The Mandalorian
• National Geographic content
• The Simpsons

While this content is great, something is missing. Adult content. Netflix wins that battle.

With more titles and original content, Netflix has far more to offer adults. Disney+ has 500 movies and 7,500 TV episodes.

Netflix dwarfs that with 4,000 movies and 47,000 TV episodes. While Disney+ has less content, overall what it does have is of higher quality.

From Netflix original series like Orange is the New Black to Netflix original shows like 7 Seconds and The Irishman, Netflix has a much wider offering than Disney+.

If you like gritty dramas, crime serials or even adult comedies, you’ll want a subscription to Netflix.

It all depends on who will be watching and what they like to watch. If you’re subscribing to a streaming service mostly for your kids, you’ll want to go with Disney+.

However, if you’re looking for something for the whole family and which offers more robust parental controls, you may prefer Netflix.

Devices

Both Netflix and Disney+ are available on all major streaming devices, including:

• Apple TV, tvOS, and iOS
• Google Chromecast, Android, and Android TV
• PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
• Roku
• Amazon Fire TV
• Samsung smart TVs nd LG smart TVs

Both apps are free to install on the device of your choice. Once you sign up for a subscription, you can start watching content.

User Interface

Disney+ benefited from Netflix’s years of trial and fine-tuning its user interface. Both streaming services are intuitive and easy to use.

When you launch either, a large image appears of a featured movie or series. Beneath that are “tiles” of additional content.

On Disney+ the first row beneath the featured image is of the brands on its network.

Beneath that you’ll see titles recommended for you, following by original content, titles you’re already watching or in the middle of, hit movies, and more.

On Netflix, you’ll see items you’ve added to your list, followed by other categories of content Netflix thinks you’ll like or what’s popular in various categories like drama, comedy, documentaries and so forth.

Both Netflix and Disney+ also offer a convenient search function that lets you type in any title you’re looking for. If the service has it, you’re just one click away from watching.

Availability

Netflix gets the win here. It’s been around much longer than Disney+ and so is available in more countries. Currently, you can stream Netflix in 190 countries.

In fact, only four countries or places don’t have Netflix (North Korea, China, Crimea and Syria).

By contrast, when Disney+ launched, it was only available in the U.S., Canada, and the Netherlands. It has since expanded to include Australia and New Zealand.

By the end of March, Disney Plus will be available in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. The service is expanding to more of Europe on September 15th, including Belgium, Sweden, and Denmark.

In due time, Disney+ should catch up to Netflix. For now, if you live in the U.S. (and soon the UK) you’ll have no problem getting Disney+ and Netflix.

Parental Controls

Here, Netflix wins the contest by providing more robust parental controls than Disney+. It may be that Disney doesn’t anticipate parents wanting controls.

It has no TV-MA or R-rated content. So, there may be nothing to filter out.

Netflix lets parents lock mature content with a PIN number. That’s good, since Netflix has plenty of mature content, inappropriate for children to view.

The catch is that users need to do this on every account, not just those their children use. Unfortunately, neither streaming service offers time management options on accounts.

Still, if locking mature content matters to you, you’ll want to go with Netflix over Disney+.

Where Netflix Shines

While it may not have Star Wars or Marvel content, Netflix stands out above Disney+ in a number of areas. In the Netflix vs. Disney+ contest, we give the edge to Netflix in the following three areas:

• Availability – Netflix is currently available in far more countries.
• Original content – Disney will surely add more as time goes on, but for now, Netflix has not only far more content, but more original content as well.
• Supported devices – A slight nod goes to Netflix here as it is available on more smart TV models.

Netflix also shines in its ability to offer a wider range of content. If you have to subscribe to only one service, you’ll find more movies and shows for every member of your household to enjoy.

Where Disney+ Shines

While Netflix may edge Disney+ out in a few areas, there are spots where Disney Plus wins. Those areas are:

• Price – If cost is the greatest factor for you, Disney+ is the better choice. At $7.99 a month it’s a steal. It’s rate is cheaper than Netflix’s lowest model and offers nearly all the capabilities of Netflix’s highest rate, for half the cost.
• Disney content – If you love Disney movies, you need Disney+. Star Wars, Disney Princess movies, Marvel, and everything by decade out of Disney’s vault is yours to devour on Disney+.
• Hulu packaging – Disney+ has an advantage Netflix doesn’t. It offers a great bundle deal. For just $12.99 per month, you receive Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. That’s a well-rounded content package that all but replaces cable TV. For a fraction of the cost, you get everything except live TV. Read our Hulu Live vs. Hulu guide to learn what you get with Hulu on-demand.

If family-oriented content is king for you, you’ll be happy with Disney+.

Summary

You might be hoping for us to declare an outright winner. Many reviews do that. In our opinion, it really comes down to what you want.

• Are you looking for lots of family-oriented content? Disney+ wins.
• Do you want shows and movies for the whole family? Choose Netflix.
• Is cost critical? Disney+ is only $7.99 a month.
• Looking for an affordable, bundle solution? Go with the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ bundle. Add an antenna for local channels and you’ll be set for under $15 per month.

In the contest of Netflix vs Disney+, it’s a tie. So go with what feels right to you.

You can always try Disney+ for a month and try Netflix free for a month. Keep the one you prefer and cut the one you don’t.

No matter which streaming provider you select, you’ll save money over cable.

What do you look for when choosing a streaming service? How many streaming services do you subscribe to?