Which service is best for you?

Netflix

Price: $12.99 per month for HD streaming Price: $119 per year Click here to learn how to get Prime for less.

Hulu

Price: $7.99 per month Hulu has been making steady progress in attracting subscribers. It isn’t as big as Netflix, but has gotten a boost from a move into original television shows, including an upcoming Stephen King-based series called “Castle Rock.” Just keep in mind the $7.99 plan, while cheaper than Netflix, comes with commercials. To dump the ads, you’ll need to move up to the $11.99 plan.

Vudu

Price: Per rental/purchase Vudu is a dark-horse candidate when it comes to streaming. It’s owned by Walmart and operates more like iTunes in that you pay for what you want to watch. Rentals start at under a buck. There’s no monthly fee and Vudu boasts that it gets access to movies even earlier than services like Netflix and Redbox. Vudu also offers a selection of movies that are free with the inclusion of ads. It’s hard to beat that price, but it depends on your tolerance for commercials. Here’s how to watch your movies while you’re traveling.

So which service wins?

As much as we’d like to declare a definite winner, the answer is “It depends.” Prime makes sense if you plan to take advantage of the other features, including shipping, photo storage, and music. The annual price isn’t as attractive if all you want to do is watch videos. You’ll get more bang for your buck from Netflix. Netflix is insanely popular because it offers a wide mix of programming alongside an ever-growing slate of original shows and movies. If you want access to Marvel superheroes in TV shows, this is the place to go. If you’re only looking to subscribe to one streaming service, then Netflix is probably your best bet. Hulu doesn’t quite have the depth of Netflix, but it’s made a splash with the hit show “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Hulu is still the go-to place to catch up on recent network shows. If that’s important to you, then take a close look at Hulu.

Pick and choose

There’s a reason why many people subscribe to more than one service. You may have Prime mainly for the shipping and other perks, but also subscribe to Netflix for the wider range of programming. Or perhaps you’re a fan of a particular hit show on Hulu, but get the rest of your streaming fix from another source. Just be sure to reevaluate your streaming subscriptions from time to time. If you’re not getting much use out of it, then cancel it and save yourself the money.