In this article, we will introduce and compare the strengths and weaknesses of the best streaming services of 2025, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube Gaming, Twitch, and more.
What is a video streaming platform?
Before we start introducing the platforms, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the concept of streaming video. Streaming video means playing and watching videos online. Instead of downloading the entire file, in streaming video, the file is loaded gradually and while watching. So what does this mean? In simpler terms, streaming video gives you the ability to watch your video online without wasting much time and waiting.
Amazon Prime Video
The Amazon Prime platform was created in 2006 with the aim of providing access to a variety of video content for users. The initial goal of creating Amazon was to give its subscribers access to the platform’s own original videos, and then it was decided to add sports videos to it. It was not far from the idea that Amazon Prime would also become a very popular video streaming platform because the Amazon platform itself, which was for selling books, became very popular in the United States. So that it now has over 200 million monthly subscribers. Of course, it should be noted that Amazon is a paid platform and requires a subscription.
Advantages:
- Provides free cloud storage space for users.
- Has an affordable monthly subscription for a cost of ($ 13).
- Provides access to the music and photo library after purchasing a subscription.
- Provides the ability to download offline and use content offline.
- Supports the highest quality video streaming currently, which is 4k.
- Some videos are original and have a variety of original video styles.
Disadvantages:
- Provides free cloud storage space for users.
- Subscription costs are increasing, which seems natural given inflation.
- The presence of ads has been reported by users even after purchasing a subscription and paying an additional $ 3 fee.
- High traffic in the first minutes of watching videos is a common problem among people, especially with weak Internet connections.
- Security and privacy issues are at risk compared to other programs introduced.
- Very simple and repetitive user interface, Amazon has not paid much attention to the appearance of its platform.
Netflix
The Netflix platform was created in 2007 with the aim of providing movies to people all over the world. Netflix was initially just a platform that archived videos and movies from other companies. Then it thought of producing its own original content. Netflix is also a paid video streaming platform and must be purchased to use it and currently has over 282 million visitors.
Advantages:
- It has different types of subscriptions depending on the visitor’s interests.
- It offers frequent updates and fixes for previous bugs.
- No ads if you buy a subscription, which is very useful.
- Netflix’s very accurate recommendation and personalization algorithm will help increase your views and channel.
- Compatible with almost all smart devices, it can be run with almost the lowest Android and the weakest system.
- It has a strong and professional support team to provide services and questions and answers.
Disadvantages:
- Geographical restriction, each video is recommended based on your geography.
- Too much attention to the number of viewers, it can easily delete and cancel low-view videos altogether.
- It has lower video quality if you have a poor connection.
- It uses a lot of internet, because it always tries to play videos with the highest quality.
- It has relatively expensive subscriptions, almost $ 20 per month compared to other platforms. The Netflix platform was created in 2007 with the aim of providing movies to people all over the world. Netflix was initially just a platform that archived videos and movies from other companies. Then it thought of producing its own original content. Netflix is also a paid video streaming platform and must be purchased to use that subscription and currently has over 282 million visitors.
Twitch
The Twitch platform was founded in 2011 by Justin Kahn and Emmett Shear. This video streaming platform was created for gamers to broadcast their video games live, but today it hosts a variety of content including music, sports, etc. Twitch is today a popular video streaming platform with about 15 million monthly active users.
Advantages:
- You will have the opportunity to give gifts to your favorite streamer.
- It provides live streaming of all events and chat with your favorite streamer.
- The widest variety of content, educational and even cooking, can be seen on Twitch.
- Compatibility with smart devices and the simplicity of the program are other advantages.
- Supports different video qualities ranging from 480p to 1080p and even 60 fps.
- The platform is free, only in certain circumstances does it require an account to be purchased.
Disadvantages:
- Has inappropriate and irrelevant ads to the content being streamed.
Severe copyright issues have been observed.
Inappropriate content publishing, controlling this amount of content per day may be a bit difficult.
Requires a strong and high-speed connection.
Streamers have reported a lot of lag and technical issues.
Hulu
Hulu was founded in 2007 with the motto of providing access to TV content in a sustainable way. Of course, it also had significant growth, so that by March 2024, it had 50 million monthly users. Hulu is also a paid video streaming platform and to use it, you must purchase one of two main types of subscriptions, the platform.
Advantages:
- You will have multiple viewing with one account on multiple smart devices.
- Provides a very strong and accurate personalization algorithm for users.
- Provides offline access to content.
- It has affordable subscriptions ($ 6 per month).
- Supports different streaming services including Disney +, NBC, FOX.
- It has a very simple and convenient user interface.
Disadvantages:
- You will need a strong and fast connection.
- The high video quality of this platform will require a compatible and new device.
- The lack of a free user trial is one of the biggest disadvantages of this platform.
- It has a small dedicated memory of less than 10 videos.
- Limited access to different countries due to international regulations is another disadvantage of this platform.
YouTube Gaming
YouTube Gaming was founded by Google in 2015. The main purpose of creating this platform is to provide users with video content related to games, including live content and online videos. The number of monthly active users of YouTube Gaming, which is a video streaming platform under YouTube, is more than 200 million daily users.
Advantages:
- The popularity of this platform and its availability.
- It provides gifting and donating to your favorite streamer.
- It brings high security and secure uploading.
- You will have the opportunity to discover new games.
- It personalizes updates to notify users.
- It is accessible to everyone, even with the lowest Android and operating systems.
Disadvantages:
There is an excessive focus on popular games and the neglect of other content.
The database is rich in all areas, you have to constantly produce updated content.
The recommendation algorithm is very weak and irrelevant to people’s interests, unlike the YouTube platform.
The presence of advertisements in the free version has been reported.
There are severe and very strict copyright issues on this platform.
Choosing the right video streaming platform can vary depending on the type of activity and interests of each person. First, you need to determine what the costs and upload or download speeds of these platforms are. If you are looking for a video streaming platform with a suitable and responsive support team to upload your videos, YouTube and Netflix are the best choices. If your goal is to stream games, Twitch is a good option because, as mentioned, it provides the best user experience and interaction with the viewer and the streamer.
If you are looking for a free and low-cost video streaming platform and do not want to spend a lot of money, Hulu will be the best choice, offering the cheapest accounts at $ 6 per month. Finally, if you have content that needs to be reviewed and edited before uploading or downloading, we recommend using the Amazon Prime video streaming platform, which offers you at least 6 GB of free cloud space.
If you need a professional video streaming service with affordable prices and great features, we recommend that you definitely check out Mediacast video hosting plans. If you have any questions or are facing any problems or challenges while setting up your video streaming platform service, just contact our support team and get free advice and guidance from our experts. Also, if you know of a better video streaming platform or have any experiences using these platforms, please share them with us in the comments section.
