Peacock Review

Introduced in early 2020, Peacock quickly appeared onto the public's radar as a popular and affordable streaming service. With an impressive on-demand library for such a new service, it's easy to see why so many people have signed up. Peacock stands out among its competitors for free streaming. Yes, you read that right -- free streaming! And with two upgrade plan options, you can customize your plan even more to build the right service for you. Keep reading to learn more about Peacock, how it compares to other streaming services, and whether it's worth it.

Peacock compared to other TV streaming services

*Streaming service package information accurate as of 01/18/2022

Despite being one of the newest streaming services, Peacock still stacks up well against the competition. The most obvious selling point of Peacock is the price. You can sign up and start streaming for free (though there are also paid plans that offer additional upgrades). It's clear that Peacock has a far smaller content library than its competitors, which is to be expected given its age and price. However, the library continues to grow.

How much does Peacock cost?

When you sign up for Peacock, you can stream for free. It's not just a free trial -- it's a free subscription. The free plan gives you access to a wide range of ad-supported movies and TV shows.

If you want to stream without ads or want access to a larger selection of content, then you can upgrade to one of the paid plans. Peacock charges $5/mo. for the Premium plan, which offers limited ads. This plan also includes access to live sports and events -- such as Sunday Night Football games, Premier League matches, and WWE pay-per-view events -- and next-day access to current NBC hits like This Is Us, American Auto, Grand Crew, New Amsterdam, and more.

Finally, the Premium Plus plan has a price tag of $10/mo. It comes with everything the Premium plan offers, as well as near ad-free streaming (live TV still comes with ad breaks) and the ability to download and watch select titles offline.

Peacock content and add-ons

Peacock offers more than 60,000 hours of on-demand movies and television shows to stream. With the free plan, you can access plenty of popular television shows like Law & Order, 30 Rock, Downton Abbey, Chicago Fire, and much more -- not to mention many popular Universal Pictures movies, such as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Lost in Translation, and more.

With the paid plans, you'll have even more options. Peacock is well-known for carrying many top sitcoms, including The Office, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, and more. For NBC shows currently on the air, you'll even have next-day streaming ability. In addition, the paid plans come with an even larger library of movies.

One area where Peacock is really starting to improve is with original content. While it still lags behind other major streaming services, there are an increasing number of Peacock originals available on the service, including MacGruber, Wolf Like Me, Dr. Death, Girls5Eva, Rutherford Falls, and much more.

Peacock features

Offline streaming

A newer development on Peacock is the ability to download select titles and watch them later when you're offline. It's important to note this feature isn't available for all titles, and it's only available for the Premium Plus plan -- which is the most expensive at $10/mo.

Simultaneous streams

Like most streaming services, Peacock allows your family to stream from more than one device at the same time. No matter which plan you have, you can have three screens running at once, meaning the whole family can be watching something they enjoy.

Live channels

All Peacock subscriptions come with access to 50 specialty live TV channels. While these channels aren't the ones you'd look for with your traditional cable or live TV streaming service, there are plenty of unique options, including AFV Family, SNL Vault, NBC News Now, Sky News, LOL! Network, and much more.

Peacock supported devices

Peacock is compatible with many different streaming devices. Chances are that you'll be able to stream from one of the devices already in your home. Here's a full list of Peacock's compatible devices:

• Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari web browser

• iPhone and Android phones

• Amazon Fire TV and Fire Tablet devices

• Android smart TVs

• Apple TV

• Chromecast

• Hisense VIDAA

• LG Smart TV

• Playstation 4 and 5

• Roku 2, 3, and 4

• Roku Streaming Stick

• Roku Express/Express+

• Roku Premiere/Premiere+

• Roku Ultra/Ultra LT

• Roku TV and Smart Soundbar

• Samsung TV

• Sony TV

• Vizio TV

• Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

• Cox cable box

• Xfinity cable box

Is Peacock worth it?

Peacock is one of the newest streaming services, but it's quickly growing in popularity. Subscribers especially love the free streaming and large number of popular shows, especially those available for next-day streaming.

So you might be wondering, is Peacock worth it? We think it is. First, because Peacock has a free plan, it can fit into literally any budget. And even if you want access to the full content library, the next plan up is only $5/mo., making it one of the cheapest streaming services. 

Peacock is especially worth it for NBC fans and popular sitcom fans. When you sign up for the Premium or Premium Plus plans, you'll have access to stream current NBC shows the day after they air.