Video streaming services have exploded in recent years, with many people ditching cable to save money. Peacock TV and Paramount+ are two leading platforms that offer lots of content for your entertainment needs.
These streaming apps have similar plans and offerings, but you may not know which one to select. We’ve tested both platforms to help you determine which is best for you.
In this guide, we’ll rate Peacock and Paramount+ on various factors, including content, user experience, and features.
What’s the Difference Between Peacock and Paramount+?
The key difference between Paramount+ and Peacock is the content they carry. You will primarily find Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS) content on the namesake service and NBCUniversal content on Peacock.
Both offer an inexpensive alternative to Netflix, along with some live content.
Here is how the two streaming services compare.
App | Parent Company | Mo. Cost | Live TV? (Y/N) | Sports |
---|---|---|---|---|
Peacock | NBCUniversal | $7.99+ | Y | Sunday Night Football & MLB |
Paramount+ | Paramount Global (CBS) | $5.99+ | Y | NFL & Champions League |
While there are a few similarities, the two apps are very different in what they offer.
Peacock vs. Paramount+: Pricing
Monthly price is an important factor when choosing a cable replacement. Both apps have multiple plans and pricing, allowing subscribers to decide which is best for their needs.
Here are the plans and pricing for the Peacock TV streaming service.
Subscription Type | Ads? (Y/N) | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Peacock Premium | Y | $7.99 | $79.99 |
Peacock Premium Plus | N | $13.99 | $139.99 |
Here are the plans and pricing for the Paramount Plus streaming service.
Subscription Type | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
---|---|---|
Limited Ads (Essential Plan) | $5.99 | $59.99 |
Ad-Free (Premium Plan) | $11.99 | $119.99 |
The similarity both platforms share is that the lower-priced plans are ad-supported.
Price winner: Tie
Free Trial
A free trial is the best way to see if a streaming app meets your needs. Paramount+ offers a seven-day free trial to test the app.
Unfortunately, Peacock doesn’t offer a free trial. While it has a free version of its platform, the content library is significantly less than what you will find on a paid tier. Furthermore, the free tier has been eliminated and it only available to grandfathered subscribers.
Read our guide on how to cancel Paramount+ if you determine the service isn’t for you after testing it with the free trial.
Free trial winner: Paramount+ because it offers a free trial.
What Can You Watch on Peacock and Paramount+?
Content libraries are essential for cord-cutters to review when choosing an on-demand streaming service.
Peacock and Paramount+ are like-minded in their respective content approach. You get access to complete seasons of popular shows, original content, movies, and some sports content.
Peacock Content Library
Peacock is the home of the NBC family of networks. This encompasses a fair number of cable networks, including:
- Bravo
- Focus Features
- MSNBC
- NBC
- NBC News
- Reelz
- Telemundo
Most shows that air on any of those networks are available to watch on the app the following day.
You also get access to on-demand content from popular hit shows, including:
- The Office
- Yellowstone
- Parks and Recreation
- Friday Night Lights
- Law & Order franchise
Furthermore, you can access original programming, including hits like Bel-Air and Rutherford Falls. The app also recently added the Hallmark Hub, which includes content from all three Hallmark networks. This offers a terrific way to watch Hallmark without cable and save money.
The app claims to have over 80,000 hours of movies, TV shows, and more. Read our Peacock review for more details.
Hulu, on the other hand, carries content from ABC and FOX. Read our Peacock vs. Hulu analysis to see how the two services compare.
Paramount+ Content Library
Paramount+ is the home of the CBS family of networks. These channels include:
- BET
- CBS
- Comedy Central
- MTV
- Nickelodeon
- Showtime (Premium plan only)
- Smithsonian Channel
Like Peacock, shows that air on any of these networks are available to watch on the app the following day.
You also get access to on-demand content from popular hit shows, including:
- NCIS
- Survivor
- Big Brother
- 60 Minutes
- The Daily Show
Original programming includes hits like 1883, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and The Twilight Zone.
The app claims to have over 40,000 episodes of TV shows, over 2,500 movies, and more. Read our Paramount+ review for more information.
Content library winner: Peacock by a slight edge since it has more content.
Can You Watch Live TV on Peacock or Paramount+?
Most on-demand streaming apps typically don’t air live TV. However, you may get access to some live TV depending on the plan you choose with these services.
Peacock is more limited in what it offers for live TV. If you subscribe to Peacock Premium Plus, you get access to your local NBC affiliate.
If you don’t have Premium Plus, you won’t get access to live TV.
On the other hand, if you subscribe to the premium version of Paramount+, you get access to four local CBS stations. This is terrific for sports fans who may want to stream college football games or watch their local news.
An over-the-air antenna is usually the best way to watch local channels without cable, so it’s nice that both Peacock and Paramount+ offers that option.
There are no affordable live TV packages that offer local access, so this is a tie for both.
Live TV access winner: Tie
Can You Watch Live Sports on Peacock or Paramount+?
Many would-be streamers think they can’t watch live sports without cable when they cut the cord. That’s not the case when you choose Peacock or Paramount+.
Peacock carries many sporting events, including:
- Premier League
- Sunday Night Football
- WWE
- Notre Dame football
- IndyCar
- Cycling
- Select Big-Ten football games
Similarly, Paramount+ doesn’t disappoint when it comes to sporting events. Sports you can watch include:
- Locally available NFL games
- Champions League
- SEC football
- Serie A
- Europa League
Both platforms allow you to watch NFL games without cable at an affordable rate. If you don’t need ESPN, you can even avoid live TV streaming services and catch the action on Sundays, not to mention the other sports.
Live sports winner: Tie
Paramount Plus vs. Peacock TV: Interface
For many streaming platforms, a good user experience is key to keeping subscribers. Peacock TV and Paramount+ both have a smooth look and feel.
Peacock has a simple-to-use interface. It is easy to watch on a TV, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
You just need a credit card an email address to start a subscription. When you sign in using a computer or device, you’ll see several featured shows near the top of the screen and a row of options at the very top.
Channels, Browse, and Featured options are the three main ways the platform organizes its shows and movies.
Browse is the default view for bigger screens. Channels is the view you first see when you watch on your phone.
Clicking on a title opens a screen for the show. It populates with the show’s Rotten Tomatoes score and the Flixter rating.
If you see a purple triangle, that indicates the content requires a Premium account.
You can create up to six user profiles in Peacock. Additionally, you can create a PIN to block content if you have young children in your home.
The Paramount+ user interface is also easy to use. When you launch the app, you can filter content by TV shows, movies, live TV, brands, and news.
You can search for shows or movies by name using the magnifying glass icon.
A row of content by brand is under the home screen page, followed by categories of content that includes:
- Trending Shows
- Recently Added Shows
- Trending Movies
- What’s on Live Right Now on CBS
- CBS News
- CBS sports or ET Live
- Original Content
- Comedies
- Dramas
- News
- Reality TV
- Daytime TV
When you click on a show title, you’ll see that show’s page. This is where you choose a season and episode as well as see if there are any additional features like clips or outtakes.
Paramount+ allows you to create up to six profiles, making it easier to manage content in large households.
Interface winner: Paramount+ since it has a more robust user experience
Features
The available features are an important consideration when comparing streaming apps. Here is how Peacock and Paramount+ stack up when it comes to features.
What Devices Can You Watch Peacock and Paramount+ On?
Both streaming services work with almost any streaming media player. Compatible devices include:
- Amazon Fire Sticks and Cubes
- Android and iOS devices
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- Gaming consoles
- LG Smart TVs
- Roku devices
- Samsung Smart TVs
- Vizio Smart TVs
Essentially, if the device has a screen, you can watch either service on it.
Compatible devices winner: Tie
Simultaneous Streams
Being able to watch on multiple devices simultaneously is important, especially if you have a large household.
Both Peacock and Paramount+ allow for three simultaneous streams. This puts both services at or above the pack with other satellite TV alternatives.
Simultaneous streams winner: Tie
Which Service Has Parental Controls?
If you have young children in your home, you may want to keep certain types of content from them. Thankfully, both services offer parental controls.
This is good for larger families and those with growing children. Both services also allow you to create up to six user profiles, which is helpful for setting separate watchlists.
Parental controls winner: Tie
Playback
Nothing is worse when watching your favorite shows than getting pixelation, lagging, or fuzzy sound. Both streaming apps offer 4K streaming capabilities, but you must sign up for the respective premium plans to get it.
However, it is important to remember that older shows and movies might not be available in 4K.
Peacock currently only supports Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Paramount+ supports up to Dolby Atmos if you have the Premium plan.
Playback winner: Tie, since Paramount+ requires a Premium subscription to get Dolby Atmos.
Recommended Internet Speeds
Fast internet is a necessity when streaming. Thankfully, both apps don’t require much bandwidth.
Here are the internet speed requirements for Peacock.
Video Quality | Min. Speed |
---|---|
SD | 2.5 Mbps |
HD | 5 Mbps |
Here are the internet speed requirements for Paramount+.
Video Quality | Min. Speed |
---|---|
HD | 4 Mbps |
Read our guide on minimum speed requirements for most alternatives to cable TV to learn more.
Recommended speed winner: Paramount+
Ads
Commercials are a necessary evil for most content. Streaming services know this and try to balance the need to monetize content with not annoying users.
You will see ads on both platforms. Peacock includes ads in all plans, with the exception of the Premium Plus plan.
However, some shows will still include ads, regardless of having Premium Plus.
Paramount+ includes ads in its Essential plan but not Premium. If you have Premium, you will still see ads on live content you’re viewing since you’re watching local networks.
Both platforms claim to run less than five minutes of ads per hour of content. We found that to be generally true in our testing. Ads were in smaller chunks, and they had progress wheels.
Ads winner: Tie
Offline Viewing
Do you like to watch shows or movies on the go? If so, you will need offline viewing capabilities and a compatible device.
You can download content on Peacock, but you must have the Premium Plus plan to do so. Additionally, it’s only available for select content.
Paramount+ also requires you to have their Premium plan for offline viewing. Fortunately, it’s available on most of their content, not just certain shows.
Both platforms allow you to download up to 25 titles at once.
Offline viewing winner: Paramount+
Which is Better: Peacock or Paramount+?
Both streaming apps are excellent alternatives to cable and satellite TV providers. Peacock and Paramount+ air live sports and lots of content from popular TV shows.
Here is how the two streaming services compare in all of our categories:
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Price | Tie |
Free trial | Paramount+ |
Content library | Peacock |
Live TV | Tie |
Live sports | Tie |
Interface | Paramount+ |
Compatible devices | Tie |
Simultaneous streams | Tie |
Parental controls | Paramount+ |
Playback | Tie |
Internet speed | Paramount+ |
Ads | Tie |
Offline viewing | Paramount+ |
The best one for you comes down to what you want to watch.
Both platforms allow access to your local CBS and NBC stations, but you must pay for it.
Both air live sports, have lots of original content and offer thousands of titles.
You may find that you like both and that, when combined, you don’t need any other app. This could provide significant savings versus choosing one of the available live TV streaming services on the market.
Bottom Line
An expensive cable package is no longer necessary to watch your favorite shows or live sports. You can often pair apps to net significant savings.
If you’re on the fence about Peacock or Paramount+, try them out for a month or free trial to see which is best for you. Both have robust features and no contracts, so you can cancel when you want.
What’s your favorite streaming service?
I’m John Schmoll, a former stockbroker, MBA-grad, published finance writer, and founder of Frugal Rules.
As a veteran of the financial services industry, I’ve worked as a mutual fund administrator, banker, and stockbroker and was Series 7 and 63-licensed, but I left all that behind in 2012 to help people learn how to manage their money.
My goal is to help you gain the knowledge you need to become financially independent with personally-tested financial tools and money-saving solutions.