Best Streaming Services for Kids

Best Streaming Services for Kids

If you have kids you most likely have every song from Spongebob Squarepants memorized or may be familiar with the beloved animals of Paw Patrol. With dozens of TV shows on multiple streaming service to keep your kids entertained, finding the best streaming service for kids may seem impossible.

Platforms like Disney Plus and Netflix offer something for the entire family to watch -- from young kids to picky teenagers and grown-ups -- and are often the exclusive home of popular franchises you can't find on YouTube.

Each streaming service is stacked with great TV shows and movies, with some acting as headquarters for your kids' favorite characters. Here's a guide for choosing which kids streaming service may be the best fit for your family.

Walt Disney Pictures

Where do we begin? With a wealth of content rated PG-13 and below, Disney Plus has a large catalog of kid-friendly series and films. In addition to carrying Disney Junior, Disney Channel and everything else with the Disney stamp, you'll find Pixar, National Geographic, Marvel and Star Wars titles on the platform. 

Toddlers can be mesmerized with the animated and live-action versions of Disney classics, or binge on every piece of content starring Bluey, Tinkerbell or another favorite character. Tweens and teens can enjoy The Simpsons, Gravity Falls, Turning Red and Encanto, and movies from the Disney Channel or the company's blockbuster lineup are a click away. Animated tales like Lightyear, Marvel live-action picks and nature series will keep them busy for hours.

To navigate Disney Plus's library, you can click on a designated tile for Pixar, Marvel, etc., or search by title, character, or genre. Kids and parents can scroll through the platform's special collections (such as Ice Age and Black Stories), musicals, movies, and exclusive originals and shows from every decade of Disney.

Parental controls allow you to add a four-digit PIN and set ratings limits for each regular profile. But creating a kid's profile automatically curates content that's appropriate for all ages. To add an extra layer of security, toggle the Kid-Proof exit feature that prevents kids from switching profiles. Disney Plus is entirely ad-free for $8 a month.

Paramount Pictures

While Disney is flush with beloved shows and movies Paramount Plus has its own stash of iconic characters and series. It's basically Nickelodeon central. SpongeBob, iCarly, Rugrats, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig and other Nick superstars sit beside Paramount Plus originals Big Nate and Star Trek: Prodigy on the platform.

While there isn't a designated kids' menu, it's simple to locate Noggin, Nick Jr. and all other Nickelodeon content on Paramount Plus. Additionally, there are five live channels that run content 24/7 for kids, including dedicated hubs for SpongeBob, Paw Patrol and "Kids and Family Fun." 

But many family-friendly movies are mixed in with the streamer's genre lists, so if you're searching for Rumble or Clifford, check the comedy or trending section. Starting this summer, Showtime's content will also be available on the Paramount Plus app. Though the network is adult-oriented, a select number of family movies will be added to the lineup. 

Paramount Plus enables parents to create kids' profiles by activating "Kids Mode." Choose an avatar and specify whether it's for older kids or younger kids, and the content will adjust ratings based on your selection. Subscriptions cost $5 for the ad-supported Essential version and $10 for ad-free Premium.

Netflix

Netflix offers a range of kids' titles in the realm of music, education and entertainment, all without ads. The platform caters to every age and stage in your child's life. Popular series include CoComelon, Octonauts, Ask the Storybots and Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir. The streamer routinely drops new originals including The Sea Beast, The Cuphead Show and Boss Baby spinoffs, but there are plenty of Dreamworks titles on Netflix, too, such as Camp Cretaceous. Upcoming releases include Sonic Prime, Pinocchio and an Ivy & Bean adaptation. 

Resulting from a partnership with Nickelodeon, kids can stream favorites like Invader Zim, Big Time Rush, Avatar: The Last Airbender or new Loud House features. And Netflix's search function allows you to drill for niche content like kiddo-friendly movie adaptations, cooking stuff or coming-of-age stories. Type in a specific term and you're likely to find a match.

Where the streamer stands out is with its kids' profile. While you can set up parental controls on each profile with ratings restrictions, the Netflix Kids Experience comes with a bright logo and a ready-made batch of content. No need to handpick shows and movies for young ones, because the streamer does it for you. If you select titles outside the ratings limits for Kids Experience, the logo is removed and the profile type is automatically changed.

To cap it off, the platform showcases a Top 10 row for kids' programming and sends out biweekly emails to parents with recommendations and other child-centric tools. And in May 2022, Netflix introduced a "Mystery Box" feature on kids' profiles which surprises them with a new title to check out.

WarnerMedia/HBO Max

Don't sleep on HBO Max. Not only is it the place to stream Cartoon Network favorites like We Bare Bears and Adventure Time, but also Sesame Street, Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and animated DC superheroes. That includes the OG Teen Titans. For Sesame Street fans, all 50-plus seasons of the show -- along with new episodes -- are available to stream on HBO Max.

HBO Max allows you to select Kids & Family from its menu and then you'll be taken to its dedicated page. To make it easy to find content, you can click on a character's icon -- like Elmo, Scooby Doo, the Powerpuff Girls and Batman -- for a program lineup featuring said characters.

Prefer to search a different way? HBO Max divides content into categories for kiddos ages 2-5, 6-9, 10-12, and 13 and up. You can also browse titles from A-Z or search specifically for series or movies. The streamer also announced the addition of CoComelon, Lellobee City Farm, Blippi and Vlad & Niki for its preschool Cartoonito audience. But don't forget that  and other movies are available for teens who need a break from animation.

While you can watch TV with your children, you can also just give them their own kid profile on HBO Max. The service requires adults to log a four-digit PIN in order to create it, and then provide birthdate information so the system can customize age-appropriate content. Subscribe to HBO Max for $10 a month with ads or $15 for the ad-free version. 

PBS

For decades, PBS Kids has been the destination for Sesame Street and other childhood favorites. Elmo, Arthur, Daniel the Tiger and Curious George are among the characters who entertain while teaching lessons. While SpongeBob and Disney get a lot of love, it's noteworthy that Arthur is the longest-running animated kids' show in history. The 8-year-old aardvark is a PBS rock star. And though Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO own Sesame Street, new episodes are still available to watch on PBS Kids.

PBS Kids is available to Prime Video subscribers for free, and it's also available to watch 24/7 on The Roku Channel. But parents, you can also download the stand-alone PBS Kids video app for free on your mobile device or TV. That means your children can stream Elmo or Wild Kratts when you're on a road trip or visiting family. 

A Parent Media Co. Inc.

Like PBS Kids, Kidoodle TV offers free entertainment that's geared toward younger children up to age 12. Some of the content is educational, and some is purely recreational. The app features licensed TV shows and movies from properties such as Lego, My Little Pony, SpongeBob, Pokemon and Baby Shark.

But there are also videos from the Dodo about nature and animals, game-themed content with Mario, Minecraft and Roblox, and a host of crafting tutorials. YouTube favorites like Ryan's World are nestled in with picks that focus on learning. Kidoodle also has a set of originals that launched in 2020, including StoryRaps from Wes Tank. Another plus is that parents can choose videos from Little Pim that teach five different foreign languages: French, German, Spanish, Russian and Mandarin.

You can watch for free as a guest on Kidoodle without registering. But if you sign up, you're able to create accounts for kid or parent users. Everything on the app is age-appropriate, vetted by Kidoodle parents and staff. The Freemium account includes family-friendly ads, but if you want to skip the commercials, you can get the Premium version for $5 per month.

PIN-enabled parental controls enable you to set screen time limits, choose titles or set curfews with the option to automatically turn the app off. And the analytics feature gives you a glimpse at viewing habits. Kidoodle is available on Roku, FireTV, smart TVs and other devices.

Kids streaming services FAQ

Are Hulu and Amazon's Prime Video great for kids too?

We considered both streaming services for this list but examined content offerings as well as user-friendly interfaces. While Prime Video has some original content, it gleans much of its kids' programming from Nickelodeon, PBS Kids and other Viacom properties. The same holds true for Hulu. It's easier to access these shows and movies directly through Paramount Plus or PBS. 

What if you don't want your kids watching ads while streaming?

We know that screen time is not the only area of concern, because advertising impacts kids too. Disney Plus and Netflix are wholly ad-free, but HBO Max, Kidoodle and Paramount Plus offer more expensive plans if you want to watch without commercials. The PBS Kids app is ad-free.

Which streaming service has the best parental controls?

While you can set parental controls on streaming devices from providers like Amazon, Roku and Apple, you can also monitor and restrict what your kids watch directly on the services. Netflix, Disney Plus and HBO Max have the best features for allowing you to set maturity ratings and PINs for kids' profiles.

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If Your TV Streaming Costs Are Too High, Follow This Smart Tip

If Your TV Streaming Costs Are Too High, Follow This Smart Tip

You may have found your TV-watching sweet spot with choices like House of the Dragon or She-Hulk, but how much are you spending? There are lots of great shows and movies across dozens of streaming services, but even subscribing to five of them could easily cost you more than $50 a month. (Just look at the latest pricing news for Disney Plus.) We're going to show you a trick that can help save you money.

Think about this: You subscribe to one or more services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus or HBO Max, stream until your favorite series ends its season run, then look for the next thing to watch. But is it worth keeping multiple subscriptions active if you're not actively watching anything on them? I don't think so. 

Here's a breakdown on our money-saving strategy and some tips on how to become a master at it. 

Read more: Best Live TV Streaming Service for Cord Cutting in 2022

Rotate your streaming services

For cord-cutters, leaving pricey cable packages behind in favor of streaming is a win for the wallet. Because we're able to sign up for monthly plans, it's easy to jump into a streaming service and jump out when prices increase or content dries up. According to Deloitte's 2022 Media Trends report, the biggest reasons people cancel their streaming subscriptions are because of pricing and lack of fresh content. Media companies call this behavior "churn." We're calling this the rotation method. 

The benefits? You save cash and avoid content droughts. Let's say a hot title like House of the Dragon or The Real Housewives is set to premiere on a service. Note the total episode count and wait until they're all available at once on a platform. You cancel HBO Max, Disney Plus or other service and then, once the episodes are available, resubscribe to catch up on your faves. Alternatively, you can start streaming a show midseason to cut costs. My monthly guide on which streaming services to cancel can help you keep up.

The downside? You won't have immediate access to every show you want to watch and will have to wait until the full season airs. And since many streaming services release new episodes weekly, rather than all at once, you might not be caught up at the same time as your friends. If you're someone who prefers to watch episodes immediately when they drop, you may decide it's worth it to have multiple subscriptions at a time. If you have patience, however, you can save some money. 

Read more: Best Streaming Device for 2022: Our Picks from Roku, Google, Fire TV and Apple

The strategy can also work if you have a live TV streaming service to keep up with a particular sport. Once the season wraps up, cancel the service and save big, or move to a cheaper platform with fewer channels like Sling TV.

Would you want to pay for three months of Disney Plus to watch Andor when you can catch all 12 episodes in November for the price of one month? 

Lucasfilm

Tip No. 1: Cancel your streaming subscription before getting charged 

Set calendar reminders for your billing cycle and upcoming TV show or movie release dates. Give yourself enough warning to begin or end a subscription. Apps such as JustWatch, TV Time and Hobi help you track when and where TV shows and movies appear on a streaming service. 

Tip No. 2: Snag a streaming service deal

Look for discounts on streaming services. For example, Starz is offering a special rate of $5 per month for three months, which cuts its regular monthly rate of $9 nearly in half. You can also take advantage of the Disney Bundle, which provides access to Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus in one package for a reduced price. And eligible Hulu subscribers can add on Disney Plus for $3. Lastly, be sure to check with your mobile carrier to see which ones offer free streaming subscriptions.

Read more:  Best Streaming Service Deals From Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile

Tip No. 3: Pick one or two default streamers

Subscribe to one or two must-have services for the year, and select only one or two more options to fit your monthly budget. Rotate the bonus service(s) according to what you want to watch, ensuring you don't miss your favorite shows while sticking to your monthly spending cap.

Tip No. 4: Stick to monthly billing

Avoid annual subscriptions and pay attention to your auto-renewal payment dates. Your billing cycle can help determine when it's the best time to quit a service, even if you've only signed up for a free trial.

Tip No. 5: Don't cancel your streaming service, pause it

Hulu allows you to pause your subscription for up to 12 weeks, and Sling has a similar option with stipulations. Check with your streaming provider to see if you can take a temporary break without canceling.

Give it a shot, and if you don't like it you can always resubscribe. For more excellent tips on streaming TV, check out this guide to Netflix's hidden tricks and our recommendations for the best internet services.

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Best Horror Movie Streaming Services: Where to Watch the Ultimate Screams

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Best Horror Movie Streaming Services: Where to Watch the Ultimate Screams

True horror fans know that scary movies are for life, not just for Halloween. Why wait until October to indulge in a slasher movie binge session or monster mashup? If you prefer to get your scary kicks in every month of the year, there are streaming services that can meet your demand. You can take in all the John Carpenter, Wes Craven or Stanley Kubrick films that you want.

Instead of heading to the movie theater for every new release, you can watch horror movies right from the comfort of your couch -- plus, you can keep the lights on. Here are some of the best places to stream everything from zombie thrillers to supernatural encounters to monster attacks to iconic classics.

Shudder

If it's an all-you-can-eat horror buffet you're seeking, then Shudder is a great place to have your fill -- and all of it is ad-free. Owned by AMC Networks, the niche streaming platform has more than 350 horror flicks in its library as well as TV series. Shudder offers a quality lineup of originals, classics, international gems and modern frights, including V/H/S/94, The Seed, Phantasm, Halloween, Children of the Corn and Train to Busan. Choose from aliens, slashers, vampires, hauntings, horror comedies and more.

You can sign up for Shudder as a stand-alone subscription for $6 per month, and it comes with a free seven-day trial. It is also included as part of the AMC Plus five-channel package, which runs $7, and Shudder is a Prime Video add-on channel that costs $6 monthly. A handful of titles are available on the Roku Channel for free, but you'll need to pay to access the majority of Shudder's library. We recommend downloading the Shudder app directly on your phone, tablet, FireTV device or smart TV.

Screenshot by Kourtnee Jackson/CNET

A free streaming service, Tubi offers way more than B-movie horror selections. With a dedicated category that houses 450-plus titles, including originals, famous franchises and retro favorites, you can scare yourself all day and night. You can find 1980s and '90s cult hits like Puppet Master and Bride of Chucky alongside Annabelle: Creation, Insidious, Slender Man, 2022's The Jack in the Box: Awakening and every Resident Evil movie.

Though Tubi is an ad-supported service, you can watch it on virtually any device. Register an account to access its entire catalog.

James Martin/CNET

WarnerMedia's streaming service grants you access to the Warner Bros. catalog and content from DC and HBO. On top of that, the app is sleek and easy to use on any device. If you love scary movies, there's plenty to watch on HBO Max.

HBO Max's selection ranges from older classics to newer horror releases, including Cat's Eye, Poltergeist, American Psycho, The Shining, Malignant, every It movie, M. Night Shyamalan's Old, the Conjuring universe and the whole Final Destination collection. Slasher superstars Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers are all represented. There's also more light-hearted fare like Gremlins and the original Godzilla movies, plus horror mysteries like Last Night in Soho. HBO Max also has an easy-to-find horror collection where you can access groups of franchise films with one click, such as I Know What You Did Last Summer, Underworld and Mimic.

Just open the app and navigate to the horror section to start your binge-watching session. HBO Max costs $10 monthly (with ads) or $15 for the ad-free experience.

Screenshot by Kourtnee Jackson/CNET

Admittedly, Crackle is sort of a B-movie paradise where you can stack your watchlist with films like Killer Mermaid, Malevolence 2, Return of the Scarecrow and Lake Placid: The Final Chapter. But the streaming service is free and also carries more mainstream titles like Resident Evil and An American Werewolf in Paris. And if you're a fan of mutant monsters who wreak havoc, you'll find multiple Sharktopus movies, giant spiders and piranhas. Crackle has films from the 1950s (like The Blob) up to 2021, and you can click through horror subgenres like comedy, action, mysteries or monsters for easier navigation.

David Katzmaier/CNET

Whether you own a Roku device or have the Roku Channel as a stand-alone app on another device, it's easy to mine for thrills and chills. There's a dedicated horror category where you can stream Roku Originals like The Stranger as well as titles such as Leviathan, The Colony, Horns and Flowers in the Attic. Within the Roku Channel, there are several "live" channels where you can watch scary movies around the clock, including Bloody Disgusting TV, FilmRise Horror and Horrorfy.

James Martin/CNET

Prime Video has an abundance of movie titles, and its horror offerings include exclusive, original releases from Blumhouse, the production company known for projects like Get Out, Paranormal Activity, The Purge, Happy Death Day and Ma. In addition to streaming Amazon Originals like Evil Eye and Suspiria, you can watch free movies on Freevee or other flicks like Mother! or The Hills Have Eyes that are included with your Prime membership. You also have the option to buy or rent the latest titles available on Prime Video. Catch 2022 films such as The Black Phone, Firestarter and The Cursed or rent media from years past like It: Chapter Two or Village of the Damned. Browse Prime Video's rotating selection by clicking on the horror category, or check out our recommendations for the best scary flicks on the platform.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Paramount Plus may not be the first streamer to come to mind for horror, but it's home to several popular franchises, including Scream, A Quiet Place and Paranormal Activity. You can stream every movie from each series. 

But the service also has a few nostalgic classics in the vault like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Carnival of Souls, Rosemary's Baby, Pet Sematary, Night of the Living Dead and 1980's Friday the 13th. Viewers will find roughly 200 scary movies on Paramount Plus, with many of them being recent releases. While Orphan and World War Z are among the familiar titles, there's an assortment of lesser known films too. Paramount Plus is $5 for the ad-supported version.

Other services we tested

Of course Netflix has its share of engaging horror movies too, but we wanted to focus on services that are either free or have deep investments in the genre -- like Shudder. We also looked at Peacock and it's appealing because of its Universal Pictures and SyFy catalog, but its library is smaller than most with roughly 160 movies. However, if you're a Comcast Xfinity Flex or X1 customer you can get Peacock Premium for free, so take advantage of its offerings.

We also checked out Showtime and Starz. Though both services provide a solid roster of new and old frights, the price isn't necessarily worth it when you can stream many of their titles on other services. However, HBO Max and Paramount Plus made the cut due to owning their own heavy franchise collections. HBO Max is also notable for its inclusion of animated and family-friendly scary movies.

Horror movie streaming service FAQs

Do suspense thrillers count in this horror streaming lineup?

No. Though horror includes subgenres like comedy (Shaun of the Dead), the paranormal, psychopathic killers and alien invasions, we didn't count thrillers such as Black Swan and Joker for this category. Instead, this listing focuses on platforms with a variety of straightforward horror titles.

Which service has the most classic horror movies?

If you want to watch some films from past eras for free, your best bet is Tubi, but if you don't mind paying for old-school creepiness, you should roll with Shudder.

Which service is best for blockbuster horror titles?

You're bound to run into some big-name movies on virtually any streaming service, but when it comes to the most up-to-date blockbusters, expect to pay a premium. Services like Prime Video, HBO Max and Paramount Plus will typically offer the films after their theatrical runs for rent or with your paid subscription plan.

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Best Laptop for 2022: The 15 Laptops We Recommend

Best Laptop for 2022: The 15 Laptops We Recommend

Choosing a new laptop, whether it's for work, home or going back to school, isn't an easy decision, but CNET's list of the best laptops for 2022 is a great place to start with our top picks across brands, operating systems, budgets and categories. Many of the models from 2021 have been updated for 2022 with the latest chips from Intel and AMD, and Apple's new M2 chips, too.   

Our top laptop choice for most people is the updated Apple MacBook Air M2. It offers a great combination of everything we look for when we're testing: reliable everyday performance, long battery life and a design that works for a broad range of users. The latest MacBook Air starts at $1,199, which is why we still recommend the 2020 MacBook Air M1 as a lower-cost alternative to the newest Air model, as it's still an all-around excellent laptop. For those looking for a more value-oriented option, Acer's Swift 3 is our current recommendation. Well-configured older versions are available for under $550, while new models start under $800, and fully loaded with an OLED display it's right around $1,200.

At CNET, our laptop experts have collective decades of experience testing and reviewing laptops, covering everything from performance to price to battery life. This hand-curated list covers the best laptops across various sizes, styles and costs, including laptop computers running on Windows, MacOS and Chrome.

If you want more laptop brands and options for a particular category, we also have specialized lists you can look at, including the best gaming laptops, best 15-inch laptops, best two-in-ones and best Chromebooks, as well as the best laptops for college students, designers and the best MacBook Pro alternatives. If you need to stay as low as possible on the price of a new laptop computer, check out our best budget laptop and best budget gaming laptop picks.

This best laptop list is updated periodically with new models we've tested and reviewed. If you need advice on whether a particular type of laptop or two-in-one is right for you, jump to our laptop FAQ at the bottom of the list.

James Martin/CNET

Thanks to a new design, a larger display (13.6 inches versus the previous 13.3 inches), a faster M2 chip and a long-awaited upgrade to a higher-res webcam, the 2022 version of the MacBook Air remains our top choice for the most universally useful laptop in Apple's lineup, with one caveat. At $1,199, the $200 increase over the traditional $999 MacBook Air starting price is a disappointment. That's why you'll still find the M1 version of the Air retains a spot on our best laptop list. Still, we like everything else about it and is our first choice if you're considering an Air and don't mind spending more.

Read our Apple MacBook Air M2 review.

Josh Goldman/CNET

Available with either AMD Ryzen or Intel Core processors, this 14-inch laptop gives you more screen to work on than 13-inch laptops, but is still incredibly lightweight -- less than 3 pounds. The bigger display is nice, too, covering 100% sRGB color gamut (better than you typically find at its starting price under $700). It also has a backlit keyboard, a fingerprint reader and USB Type-C and HDMI ports, too. The 2022 version of the Swift 3 falls just under $1,000 with 12th-gen Intel Core i-series CPUs. But the 2021 models are still widely available for less than $600. 

Sarah Tew/CNET

The Dell XPS 13 is a perennial favorite for its size, weight and performance and just overall good looks. In 2020, Dell made the laptop even smaller, while making the laptop screen larger and increasing performance for both CPU and graphics-intensive tasks. For 2022, it made the XPS 13 even smaller and lighter, kept its sub-$999 starting price the same and dropped in the latest 12th-gen Intel processors.

While we haven't had a chance to test the new model yet, we expect it to be a strong Windows alternative to the MacBook Air. Also, if you want to save money, the 2021 XPS 13 with 11th-gen Intel chips is available for less now.

This thin, 3-pound convertible is a solid choice for anyone who needs a laptop for office or schoolwork. The all-metal chassis gives it a premium look and feel, and it has a comfortable keyboard and a responsive, smooth precision touchpad. Though it's light on extra features compared to its premium linemate, the Yoga 9i, it does have one of Lenovo's sliding shutters for its webcam that gives you privacy when you want it. And it has a long battery life to boot at 12 hours, 45 minutes in our tests. The latest version with 12th-gen Intel processors starts at $999 (although you can find it on sale for less). The 2021 models are still available, too, at reduced prices.  

Josh Goldman/CNET

Acer's Spin 513 is an update of sorts to one of the best Chromebooks from 2021, the Spin 713. It's a two-in-one convertible Chromebook with a 13.5-inch display that has a 3:2 aspect ratio. The extra vertical space means less scrolling when you're working. The screen size is also close to that of letter-size paper, making it comfortable for notetaking in tablet mode with a USI pen. Compared to the 713, it drops a couple of noncritical features like an HDMI output in favor of a more affordable price. It has amazing battery life, though, and a sturdy fanless design, making it silent -- perfect for quiet classrooms, meetings, lectures or video calls.

Joshua Goldman/CNET

Lenovo launched the Yoga line 10 years ago with Windows 8 and now, with Windows 11, the flexibility of the design has only gotten better. The company's flagship 14-inch Yoga 9i Gen 7 has an updated look with comfortable, rounded edges and 12th-gen Intel processors that give it a big multicore performance jump. A beautiful OLED display and improved audio make it excellent for work, video conferences and entertainment. Lenovo includes an active pen and a laptop sleeve to complete the premium package. 

The powerful speakers do add some vibration to the palm rests when turned up and Lenovo has cluttered the laptop with pitches for optional services and software. But, overall, the latest Yoga 9i is the two-in-one convertible laptop to beat. Unfortunately, its availability is limited at the moment so you might have to wait to buy one.

Read our Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7 review.

Dan Ackerman/CNET

New Apple silicon, new display, new design and all the ports we've been asking for: The latest 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro is the best Pro ever. The combination of the larger MacBook Pro's hardware and MacOS extracts the maximum performance from the components while delivering excellent battery life. The new mini-LED high-resolution display is gorgeous. And if an HDMI output and SD card reader were on your shortlist for features, you'll find those here too.

You pay for it, though: Base price for the 16-inch model of this premium laptop is $2,499.

Read our Apple MacBook Pro review.

Josh Goldman/CNET

There are plenty of 15.6-inch laptops, but 16-inch models like the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus are something of a rarity. The 16-inch display is a great size since the laptop is barely bigger than a 15.6-inch model, but you get more room for work and a roomier keyboard and touchpad along with it. For this Inspiron, Dell packed in performance parts including Nvidia discrete graphics (though it's nearly half the price if you go with Intel integrated graphics) and the display covers 100% sRGB and 81% AdobeRGB color gamuts, which is good enough if you're getting started with creating web content. Also, the laptop has a more premium fit and finish than we're used to seeing in the Inspiron line.

Read our Dell Inspiron 16 Plus review.

Dan Ackerman/CNET

Although this Microsoft Surface laptop is not the Surface Laptop, the Surface Pro continues to hit all the right notes if you're looking for a do-it-all Windows tablet that doubles as a Windows laptop. Microsoft recently overhauled it for the Surface Pro 8, which has a larger 13-inch display, 11th-gen Intel Core processors and two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports. The Surface Pro 7 is still around for the time being at a discount, and an updated version called the Surface Pro 7 Plus will stay in the lineup, so you'll still be able to get the classic Pro design but with new processors.

Read our Surface Pro 8 review.

Sarah Tew/CNET

There's a lot to love with the Razer Blade 14, which incorporates one of the fastest mobile CPUs available (for now, at least), the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, and top-end mobile graphics with the GeForce RTX 3070 or 3080. Its display can go pixel-to-pixel with the MacBook's. And its high-quality build is up there with the best MacBooks but, like an Apple, it's not necessarily the best laptop deal, even compared to other premium laptops.

Read our Razer Blade 14 review.

HP

HP's Victus 16 is a surprisingly robust and powerful gaming laptop that keeps up with the latest games at a more affordable price. Compared to HP's high-end Omen gaming laptop line, the Victus is more of an all-purpose laptop but still configured for gaming with a price starting at less than $1,000. HP offers several configurations with graphics chip options ranging from Nvidia's entry-level GeForce GTX 1650 up to a midrange RTX 3060 or AMD Radeon RX 6500M.

Read our HP Victus 16 review.

James Martin/CNET

The XPS 17 combines the same slim, premium design of its 13-inch linemate but with increased performance possibilities. It can be configured with up to a 12th-gen Intel Core i9 processor, 64GB of memory and a 6GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics chip. The best part: Dell trimmed up the chassis so much that you get a 17-inch display in a body that's the size of an older 15-inch laptop. You're getting a lot of power and a big screen in the smallest possible package. 

Dell XPS 17 review.

Laptop FAQs

How much does a good laptop cost?

Setting a budget is a good place to start when shopping for the best laptop for yourself. The good news is you can get a nice-looking, lightweight laptop with excellent battery life at prices under $500. If you're shopping for a laptop around $500 or less, check out our top picks here, as well as more specific buying advice for that price range.

Higher-end components like Intel Core i-series and AMD Ryzen processors and premium design touches like thin-display bezels and aluminum or magnesium bodies have made their way to laptops priced between $500 and $1,000. You can also find touchscreens and two-in-one designs that can be used as a tablet or a laptop -- and a couple other positions in between. In this price range, you'll also find faster memory and ssd storage -- and more of it -- to improve performance. 

Above $1,000 is where you'll find premium laptops and two-in-ones. If you're looking for the fastest performance, the best battery life, the slimmest, lightest designs and top-notch display quality with an adequate screen size, expect to spend at least $1,000. 

Which is better, MacOS or Windows?

Deciding between MacOS and Windows laptop for many people will come down to personal preference and budget. Apple's base model laptop, the M1 MacBook Air, starts at $999. You can sometimes find it discounted or you can get educational pricing from Apple and other retailers. But, in general, it'll be at least $1,000 for a new MacBook, and the prices just go up from there. 

For the money, though, you're getting great hardware top to bottom, inside and out. Apple recently moved to using its own processors, which resulted in across-the-board performance improvements compared to older Intel-based models. But, the company's most powerful laptop, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, still hasn't been updated to Apple silicon. 

But, again, that great hardware comes at a price. Also, you're limited to just Apple laptops. With Windows and Chromebooks (more on these below), you get an amazing variety of devices at a wide range of prices. 

Software between the two is plentiful, so unless you need to run something that's only available on one platform or the other, you should be fine to go with either. Gaming is definitely an advantage for a Windows laptop, though.

MacOS is also considered to be easier and safer to use than Windows, especially for people who want their computers to get out of the way so they can get things done. Over the years, though, Microsoft has done its best to follow suit and, with Windows 11 here, it's trying to remove any barriers. Also, while Macs might have a reputation for being safer, with the popularity of the iPhone and iPad helping to drive Mac sales, they've become bigger targets for malware.

Are Chromebooks worth it?

Yes, they are, but they're not for everyone. Google's Chrome OS has come a long way in the past 10 years and Chromebooks -- laptops that run on Chrome OS -- are great for people who do most of their work in a web browser or using mobile apps. They are secure, simple and, more often than not, a bargain. What they can't do is natively run Windows or Mac software. 

What's the best laptop for home, travel or both?

The pandemic changed how and where a lot of people work. The small, ultraportable laptops valued by people who regularly traveled may have suddenly become woefully inadequate for working from home. Or maybe instead of needing long battery life, you'd rather have a bigger display with more graphics power for gaming.

If you're going to be working on a laptop and don't need more mobility than moving it from room to room, consider a 15.6-inch laptop or larger. In general, a bigger screen makes life easier for work and is more enjoyable for entertainment, and also is better if you're using it as an extended display with an external monitor. It typically means you're getting more ports, too, so connecting an external display or storage or a keyboard and mouse are easier without requiring a hub or dock. 

For travel, stay with 13- or 14-inch laptops or two-in-ones. They'll be the lightest and smallest while still delivering excellent battery life. What's nice is that PC-makers are moving away from 16:9 widescreens toward 16:10- or 3:2-ratio displays, which gives you more vertical screen space for work without significantly increasing the footprint. These models usually don't have discrete graphics or powerful processors, though that's not always the case.

Which laptop is best for gaming or creating?

You can play games and create content on any laptop. That said, what games you play and what content you create -- and the speed at which you do them -- is going vary greatly depending on the components inside the laptop. 

For casual browser-based games or using streaming-game services like Google Stadia, Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, you don't need a powerful gaming laptop. And similarly, if you're just trimming video clips, cropping photos or live-streaming video from your webcam, you can get by with a modestly priced laptop or Chromebook with integrated graphics. 

For anything more demanding, you'll need to invest more money for discrete graphics like Nvidia's RTX 30-series GPUs. Increased system memory of 16GB or more, having a speedy SSD for storage and a faster processor such as an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 will all help you get things moving faster, too. 

The other piece you'll want to consider is the display. For gaming, look for screens with a high refresh rate of 120Hz or faster so games look smoother while playing. For content creation, look for displays that cover 100% sRGB color space. 

How we test computers

The review process for laptops, desktops, tablets and other computer-like devices consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features. A final review verdict is a combination of both those objective and subjective judgments. 

The list of benchmarking software we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. The most important core tests we're currently running on every compatible computer include: Primate Labs Geekbench 5, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10 and 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra. 

A more detailed description of each benchmark and how we use it can be found in our How We Test Computers page. 

More for people who spend all day on their computers

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Netflix Review: Still the Best Streaming Service

Netflix Review: Still the Best Streaming Service

When you think of streaming TV shows and movies, there's a good chance that Netflix is comes to mind first. Though competition from rivals like HBO Max and Disney Plus is fierce, it's still the best choice for streaming entertainment, period. 

Netflix includes a wide variety of familiar network shows and more original series, films, documentaries and specials than any of its myriad competitors. Despite challenges with retaining subscribers and a price bump, the world's first major streaming service remains our favorite choice thanks to its huge library of constantly refreshed content and its easy accessibility across different devices. In 2021, Netflix won 44 Emmys, making history and racking up more than the next two media companies combined. If you're looking for something new to watch, Netflix should be your top choice.  

Like

• Strong recommendation engine
• Easy to use across different devices
• Offline downloads available
• Extensive list of movies and shows
• Massive selection of original programs
• No commercials

Don't Like

• Cost for premium plans is on the higher end
• Can't watch shows as they air on other networks

Depending on the plan you choose, Netflix costs between $10 and $20 per month, which is at the higher end for a streaming service, as you can see in the chart below. Its recent price increase shook up the streaming world and moved Netflix closer to HBO Max in terms of cost. However, the pricier package lets you watch up to four screens at once, and create different user profiles, so in theory, you could split it among friends to lower the price. Thanks to its sheer variety and number of new things to watch, Netflix also gives you the most bang for your buck.

Streaming Services Compared

	Netflix	Peacock	HBO Max	Disney Plus	Apple TV Plus	Amazon Prime Video	Hulu
Monthly price	Starts at $9.99	Basic free with ads, ad-free for $5	$9.99 for basic with ads, $14.99 for ad-free	$7.99	$4.99	$8.99 (or included with $140/year Prime membership)	Basic $6.99 with ads, ad-free Premium for $12.99, Live TV for $70
Ads	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes
Top titles	Stranger Things, Squid Game, Bridgerton, Ozark, Money Heist	The Office, 30 Rock, Bel-Air, early access to Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon	Game of Thrones, Dune, Euphoria, DC titles	The Mandalorian, Loki, Encanto, Obi-Wan Kenobi	Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, CODA, Severance	Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, Reacher, The Wheel of Time	Handmaid's Tale, Pen15, The Great, Bob's Burgers
Mobile downloads	Yes	Yes (Premium Plus plan)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
4K HDR available	Yes (on Premium plan)	No	Yes (limited titles)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Number of streams:	1 (2 for Standard, 4 on Premium)	3	3	4	6	2	2 (Unlimited with Live TV $9.99 add-on)

How Netflix started vs. how it's going

Between 2012-2013, Netflix premiered its first original TV shows, including Lilyhammer, House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black. Today, it has a catalog of more than 1,500 original TV shows and movies, including global hits like Stranger Things, Emmy winners such as Bridgerton, The Queen's Gambit and The Crown, as well as Oscar-nominated movies such as The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick… Boom! and The Trial of the Chicago 7.

Though the company's been known for its commercial-free streaming experience since its inception, there are plans to introduce an ad-supported tier before 2022 ends. Additionally, Netflix aims to crackdown on password sharing by charging a fee for extra users on an account. The program is still in the pilot phase, but the days of crowdfunding your Netflix subscription may soon be over. 

As of 2022, Netflix has more than 220 million paid subscribers across 190 countries, after seeing a major spike in users during the pandemic. A dent in its subscriber base caused numbers to drop by 200,000, but there are still reasons to keep the service, with the main draw being its content.  

What shows and movies does Netflix have?

Netflix may have had the first-to-market advantage in the world of streaming services, but it's kept its momentum with its increasing number of original shows and movies -- many of which have won critical acclaim and major awards and nominations.   

Compared to other streaming platforms, you can't beat Netflix's slate of original TV shows that are now considered among the best of the modern era of television, including those mentioned above plus many more, such as Squid Game, Ozark, Never Have I Ever, Money Heist and Cobra Kai.

Read more:  Netflix: The 49 Absolute Best TV Shows to Watch

Outside of TV shows, Netflix's original programs include a wide range of comedies, dramas, foreign films and shows, documentary series, anime, stand-up comedy specials and reality dating and competition shows. Not all of them are runaway hits, but many of them are, and there's enough to explore interesting shows that may not have found a home on traditional network TV. And at a time when going to the movies is more fraught than it once was, Netflix offers a place to find new films: In 2022 alone, Netflix is set to release over 100 new movies, at least one per week. The selection spans across genres and geography, and includes K-dramas, animated features, and fantasy book adaptations.

Stranger Things is one of Netflix's powerhouse originals. 

Netflix

Netflix typically adds shows a full season at a time, though not while a show is airing on network TV -- so if you don't have cable or another platform like Hulu, you'll have to wait to watch for a few months to watch seasons in full. 

One complaint: Netflix content sometimes can come and go without warning. The only way to tell if something is leaving the service in the next 30 days is if you happen to tap on the details page for the given show or movie -- or search online for everything coming and going in a given month.

Another potential content issue to flag: In recent years Netflix has lost some of its most popular content (such as The Office, which moved to NBC's Peacock, Daredevil, which moved to Disney Plus and Friends, which moved to HBO Max) as other networks created their own streaming services. While it started as an online video store that was trying to offer every movie and TV series online, it may be slowly becoming more akin to the old HBO -- mostly featuring its own original programming, complemented with some things it licenses from other companies.

What's it like to use Netflix? 

I first subscribed to Netflix back in the first streaming days of 2007, so using the platform feels like second nature at this point. Even if you're new to it, it's pretty user-friendly: Open the app and tap on your profile (if you have one set up), and you'll see a homepage. You'll see Popular on Netflix, Continue Watching, Trending Now, Top Picks for you and a number of (sometimes oddly specific) other categories based on shows you've watched before. Mine include Critically-acclaimed Witty TV Comedies and Suburban-dysfunction TV Comedies, for example. 

Netflix's design encourages scrolling -- there are so many different categories to look through, and then shows and movies within those categories to continue scrolling into. You can create a watch list to help you cut down on this, but the vast, colorful library makes it easy to spend more time looking through options than actually watching a show, so be careful.

The Netflix app operates similarly across various devices. My home page on the web browser is nearly identical to that on my Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV Stick, both in content and layout. It's more condensed on the smaller iPhone and Android phone screens, but still follows the same format, and has a clear "Downloads" tab to find content to save to watch offline on your device. 

Rows and rows of content on Netflix can keep you busy.

James Martin/CNET

One difference between devices is voice commands: You might find it more or less difficult to fire up a Netflix show from your device's home screen depending on which voice-capable device you're using.

For example, when you say, "Watch Stranger Things" on the Apple TV and the iOS app on iPhone, it will first have you click which specific show (Stranger Things or Beyond Stranger Things), and then will take you to an Apple TV page for the show, and there it will give you the option to open Netflix and start episode 1. On Amazon Fire TV Stick, you can say, "Watch Stranger Things," and it will open Netflix automatically if you're logged into the app. On the Roku 4K stick, if you say, "Watch Stranger Things," it will take you right to the first episode in the app. Those are more hardware-side concerns, but interesting to note. 

Once you're in the Netflix app, though, voice commands work the same across devices: Go to the Search tab, hold the microphone button to dictate, and say the name of the show you're looking for. 

When you select a show or movie to watch, you have the option to fast-forward, rewind, add subtitles and change your audio settings. If you have a Premium account and a big enough 4K TV, watching in Ultra HD makes for a very cinematic experience. The show or movie you choose will also show up in your "Continue watching" section at the top of your homepage for easier access. 

How much does Netflix cost? 

Netflix offers three pricing plans: Basic, Standard and Premium. Here is how the costs and features break down:

Netflix plans

	Basic	Standard	Premium
Monthly price	$10	$15.50	$20
Number of screens you can watch on at the same time	1	2	4
Number of phones or tablets you can have downloads on	1	2	4
HD available	No	Yes	Yes
Ultra HD available	No	No	Yes

All plans include the ability to watch on any device, and the full, unlimited collection of movies and TV shows. All allow cancellation at any time. Netflix also offers a one-month free trial. 

Netflix's Basic plan costs more than Prime Video ($9 per month), more than Hulu's ad-based plan ($7 per month) but less than its more comparable no-ads plan ($13 per month). If you're on a shared Netflix account with family, chances are it's a Premium one ($20 per month) -- if you're actually splitting it between four people, that's only $5 per month each, and a strong value for all of the original content available, including some in 4K Ultra HD. Plus: No commercials on any plan. 

What features do you get on Netflix? 

Outside of general streaming, if you have the Standard or Premium plan, you can create different profiles for different users, and find your own list of personalized recommendations. 

Netflix's recommendation game is strong, from "Because you watched" carousels that have been improved by the new "two thumbs up" feature, to the option to remove content from your home page, to its "Play Something" shuffle feature for when you're unsure what to stream.

The platform also has a particularly appealing kid's section, with a solid catalog of content including CoComelon, Pokemon: Master Journeys and Trolls: The Beat Goes On! and a much more kid-friendly user interface – including the mystery box feature added earlier this year.

If you subscribe to the Premium plan, you can watch certain shows and movies in 4K Ultra HD on 4K TVs. You'll need a steady internet connection speed of at least 25 megabits per second, and streaming quality set to Auto or High. 

Netflix has more 4K content than just about any other streaming service, and a lot of its 4K shows and movies are also available in HDR. High dynamic range provides an even bigger improvement in image quality than 4K according to CNET's tests, with better contrast and color, and the difference is especially apparent on large, higher-end televisions. Netflix supports the two major HDR formats, generic HDR (aka HDR-10) as well as Dolby Vision. If you have a device that handles Dolby Vision, Netflix will play content (if available) in that format by default.

You can search for a selection of 4K TV shows and movies on the service with the Premium plan.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Data usage varies by format, ranging from about 1GB per hour for the standard-definition video to up to 7GB per hour for the highest-quality 4K streams. Downloading and streaming take up a similar amount of data, according to Netflix. If you want to avoid having Netflix eat up all of your data, you can take certain steps laid out on Netflix's website to adjust your data usage settings. 

All subscribers can download TV shows and movies on the Netflix app on mobile devices for offline viewing, though certain titles aren't available to download. 

Read more: 9 Handy Netflix Tricks That Can Help Make Streaming Better

Should you get it? 

Netflix remains my favorite streaming platform of the increasingly large bunch. It has a huge selection of movies and TV shows old and new, tons of high-quality original programs, and an easy-to-navigate interface. 

Even though it no longer offers a free trial, it's worth trying Netflix for a month if you want something new to watch.

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