Review: 15 Best OTT Platforms in India 2021

OTT is growing in India, with a new OTT platform getting added to the list every month. In this crowd of OTT channels which is the best OTT platform in India? This blog will help you find the Best OTT platforms in India with their features and current pricing.

Editor’s Quick Pick

There are many OTT service providers in India. Here is a list of OTT channels and service providers in India.

If you don’t know what OTT means or what an OTT platform is, then read our blog: OTT platform, its meaning and list.

Blog read time: 10.10 mins

In this blog, you will find:
– Review of the best OTT channels in India.
– Comparing the top 3 platforms in India.
– Quick review of services providing OTT content in regional languages.

Finally, we hope you find our research interesting and enjoyable.

OTT Platforms in India

The year 2020 saw the rise of OTT platforms’ viewership. There are now 40+ OTT service providers in India. It’s a ₹50 billion industry. The number of OTT platforms in India is growing, and so is the channel list.

OTT platforms provide a service that streams content directly to viewers over the internet.

A good example would be the “Video On Demand” (VOD) service. You pay a subscription fee for such a type of service. In return, you get to watch the available videos on a mobile, tablet, laptop, computer, and TV. Also, you get the flexibility of watching it anywhere, anytime.

If you’re interested to know about OTT, then read our blog for detailed coverage of the OTT platform.

Youtube is also an OTT platform. It’s the biggest OTT platform in India.

5 Best OTT platforms in India

There are 40+ OTT video-on-demand platforms providing video streaming services in India.

Following are the top 5 OTT Platforms providing video-streaming services in India.

Disney+ Hotstar India – features, plans and subscription price

Star India owned Hotstar and was launched in 2015. It was a 21st Century Fox company.

In 2019, The Walt Disney Company acquired its US parent company 21st Century Fox. Since April 2020, Disney+Hotstar came into existence.

Hotstar is the most dominant OTT platform of video streaming service in India. They boast more than 300 million active subscribers.

Cricket world cup (2015) and Game of Thrones series (2016) gave it significant viewership. And Indian Premier League (2019) live streaming made it the top choice.

Disney+ Hotstar subscription cost (updated on October 2021)

Following is the subscription pricing for Disney+ Hotstar

• Mobile plan is ₹ 499/year (only for one mobile use)
• Super plan is ₹ 899/year
• Premium plan is ₹ 1,499/year

NOTE: Earlier Disney+ Hotstar had a VIP plan but it has been discontinued since September 2021.

Benefits available with Disney+ Hotstar subscription

Following are the benefits that each plan includes

Languages available in Disney+ Hotstar

The content is available in Marathi, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, English and Indonesian.

Link to Disney+ Hotstar subscription

Go to https://www.hotstar.com/in/subscribe/get-started

Upcoming content on Disney+ Hotstar

• List of movies coming soon on Disney+ Hotstar
• List of TV series coming soon on Disney+ Hotstar

Amazon Prime Video India – features, plans and subscription price

The Amazon Prime Video or Prime video, in short, is an OTT platform that came to India in 2016. It started in the United States in 2006 and is owned by Amazon Inc.

Amazon Prime is also available in the US, UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, etc.

It has a vast library of movies and TV series. The company also produces original shows and original content like Family Man, Mirzapur, etc.

Amazon Prime is the second most subscribed program in India. Because of its low cost and good quality content.

It also has many famous old TV shows like Seinfeld, The Big Bang Theory, The Office, etc.

Amazon Prime Video Channels (updated on October 2021)

Amazon Prime Video has now added 8 OTT apps/channels under one roof. These are additional channels of your favourite platform that you can access via Amazon Prime for an add-on subscription.

Following are the OTT channels available on Amazon Prime Video Channels.

• Discovery+ for ₹ 299/year
• Lionsgate Play for ₹ 699/year
• DocuBay for ₹ 499/year
• Eros Now for ₹ 299/year
• MUBI for ₹ 1,999/year
• Hoichoi for ₹ 599/year
• ManoramaMAX for ₹ 699/year
• ShortsTV for ₹ 299/year

Amazon Prime Video subscription cost (updated on October 2021)

You would need to purchase Amazon Prime, which is a collection of services provided by Amazon India. Prime Video is one of the services that come with the Amazon Prime package.

Following is the subscription pricing for Amazon Prime India

• Join 3 months of Prime at ₹ 329
• Join 1 year of Prime at ₹ 999

Benefits available with Amazon Prime subscription

The plan includes the following benefits

• Unlimited free and fast delivery on Amazon Store.
• Ad-free music on Prime Music.
• Watch movies and TV series on Prime Video.
• Read ebooks and comics on Prime Reading.
• Enjoy free in-game content available on Gaming with Prime.

Languages available in Amazon Prime Video

The content is available in Marathi, English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada, Odia, Punjabi, and Gujarati.

Link to Amazon Prime Video subscription

Click on the banner

Upcoming content on Amazon Prime

• List of movies coming soon on Prime
• List of TV series coming soon on Prime

Netflix India – features, plans and subscription price

Third, on our list of OTT platforms in India is Netflix. Netflix Inc is the parent company. It launched Netflix in the US in 1997.

In 2016, Netflix launched its OTT platform of video streaming service in India. It is also available in many countries like the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, etc.

They are famous for their Netflix Original content and original shows. They have created high budget TV shows and movies. Following are some examples of original content: House of Cards, Money Heist, The Crown, Peaky Blinders, Sacred Games, and many others.

It has the most expensive membership of all the services. It has less number of members but has the highest watch time. This data means that it has the best content but is expensive for many.

Netflix subscription cost (updated on October 2021)

Following is the subscription pricing for Netflix India

• The mobile-only plan is ₹ 199/month (₹ 2,388/year)
• The basic plan is ₹ 499/month (₹ 5,988/year)
• The standard plan is ₹ 649/month (₹ 7,788/year)
• The premium plan is ₹ 799/month (₹ 9,588/year)

Benefits available with Netflix subscription

Following is the difference between the Netflix plans

• Mobile-only plan: you can watch only on one mobile or tablet at-a-time at SD (480p) resolution. Cannot watch on computer or TV.
• Basic plan: you can watch on one device (mobile, tablet, computer or TV) at-a-time at SD (480p) resolution.
• Standard plan: you can watch on two (mobile, tablet, computer or TV) devices at-a-time at HD (1080p) resolution.
• Premium plan: you can watch on four devices (mobile, tablet, computer or TV) at-a-time at Ultra HD (4K) and HDR resolution.

Languages available in Netflix

The content is available in English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam, and Kannada.

Link to Netflix subscription

Go to https://www.netflix.com/in/

Upcoming content on Netflix

• List of movies coming soon on Netflix
• List of TV series coming soon on Netflix

Zee 5 India – features, plans and subscription price

In 2013, Zee entertainment launched its OTT platform DittoTV. DittoTV was an aggregator service that contained shows from across all media channels. Shows from Star, Sony, Zee, etc., were available in it.

So it dissolved DittoTV in 2018 and created its OTT platform called Zee5.

It has 1000+ movies and 100+ live TV channels.

Zee5 subscription cost (updated on October 2021)

Following is the subscription pricing for Zee5’s Premium (all-access) plan

• 1 Year ZEE 5 Premium for ₹ 499
• 3 months ZEE 5 Premium for ₹ 299

Benefits available with Zee5 subscription

You would get the following benefits:

• One time Radhe ZEEPLEX rental with 21 days and 4 hours of watch time validity.
• Latest TV shows from ZEE before the telecast
• Zindagi TV shows
• Zee5 originals
• ALT Balaji shows
• 4500+ movies
• Stream on five devices at-a-time.

Languages available in Zee5

The content is available in Marathi, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Odia, Gujarati, English.

Link to Zee5 subscription

Go to https://www.zee5.com/myaccount/subscription

Upcoming content on Zee5

• List of movies coming soon on Zee 5
• List of TV series coming soon on Zee 5

SonyLIV India – features, plans and subscription price

In 2013, Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt. Ltd launched its OTT platform SonyLIV. It has more than 700+ movies and many TV shows.

It also produces original content and original shows like Lovebytes, Married Women Diaries, etc.

SonyLIV subscription cost (updated on October 2021)

Following is the subscription pricing for SonyLIV India.

• LIV Premium plan is ₹ 999 for 12 months, ₹ 699 for 6 months and ₹ 299 for 1 month.
• LIV Special+ plan is ₹ 399 for 12 months.
• WWE Network plan is ₹ 299 for 12 months.
  (You can only watch live WWE events, PPVs and NXT. for everything else, you need a premium plan.)

Benefits available with SonyLIV subscription

The plan includes the following benefits:

Languages available in SonyLIV

The content is available in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada, and Punjabi.

Link to SonyLIV subscription

Go to https://www.sonyliv.com/subscription

Upcoming content on SonyLIV

• List of movies coming soon on SonyLIV
• List of TV series coming soon on SonyLIV

Comparison of Top 3 OTT platforms in India

Following is a quick comparison of the top 3 OTT platforms in India’s highest subscription plan.

Disney+ Hotstar

• Price: ₹ 1,499/year.
• Devices at-a-time: two.
• Resolution: 4K
• Top Pro: All Marvel superhero and kids content from Disney+ are available on it.
• Top Con: Needs more original shows.

Amazon Prime

• Price: ₹ 999/year.
• Devices at-a-time: three.
• Resolution: 1080p
• Top Pro: Best original Indian movies and TV series.
• Top Con: Not that much variety.

Netflix

• Price: ₹ 799/month.
• Devices at-a-time: four.
• Resolution: 4K
• Top Pro: Best original movies and TV series.
• Top Con: Very expensive.

Do you think someone else should be there in the top 3? let us know in the comments section below.

Amazon’s Audible is another great OTT platform for listening to your favourite books. Please read our complete guide on Amazon Audible here.

Review: The best 10 regional OTT platforms in India

Most of the OTT platforms serve English and Hindi content. But with the advancement of OTT platforms, the demand for content in regional language has been growing. Therefore, many regional OTT platforms have been gaining prominence in the last few years to cater to this demand.

Check out our list of 10 best OTT platforms in India providing content in regional languages.

Here are the top regional OTT platforms in India.

Hoichoi

If you are looking for content in the Bengali language, then check out Hoichoi. It is a Bengali regional OTT platform that has 500+ Bengali movies and 1000+ songs available on it.

Check Hoichoi’s review and details here.

SUN NXT

South Indian content in Tamil, Telugu, Kanada, Malayalam, etc., is also gaining prominence. SUN NXT is a South Indian regional OTT platform with 4000+ movies and 300+ TV shows in South Indian languages.

Check Sun NXT’s review and details here.

Aha

Are you a Telugu movie and TV shows fan? Then check out Aha. They have an excellent collection of Telugu movies.

Check out Aha’s review and details here.

Koode

Are you a Malayalam movie and TV shows fan? Then check out Koode. They have content in Malayalam that is free. You can also find a lot of Malayali movies and series here.

Check out Koode’s review and details here.

Planet Marathi

The online audience for Marathi cinema and web series is growing. Planet Marathi is an OTT platform that caters to the need for Marathi content online.

Check out Planet Marathi’s review and details here.

Asianet Mobile TV+

Malayali cinemas and web series is gaining an audience in UAE and India. Asianet mobile TV plus has multiple cable and direct broadcast channels. There are plans to add content in other South Indian languages like Tamil, Telugu, Kanada, etc.

Check out Asianet Mobile Tv plus’s review and details here.

Big Flix

Started by Reliance in 2008, Big Flix is the oldest OTT platform in India. They have movies and web series in many regional Sout Indian languages like Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kanada. They also have content in Hindi and English.

Check out Big Flix’s review and details here.

Addatimes

Another upcoming regional OTT platform that serves content in the Bengali language is Addatimes. It is one of the fastest-growing Bengali OTT platforms. You can also watch live sports events and play music on them.

Check out Addatimes’ review and details here.

Hungama

If you are looking for movies and TV series in Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, etc., then Hungama is for you. Hungama.com is a subscription-based regional OTT platform. They have more than 8000+ movies and 500+ short films.

Check out Hungama’s review and details here.

Manorama Max

Looking for Malayalam OTT pltform? Then Manorama Max is for you. They have live news and curated programmes. They have combined Manorama News and Mazhavil Manorama.

Check out Manorama Max’s review and details here.

FAQ

Following are some of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which is the best OTT platform to watch live cricket and sports?

Disney+ Hotstar and Sony LIV are your best OTT platforms to watch live IPL cricket matches. They also provide live streaming of other sports like soccer/football, tennis, etc.

Which is the best OTT platform for Hindi/Bollywood movies?

Amazon prime is the best OTT platform to watch Hindi/Bollywood movies. It also has a vast collection of old Hindi movies.

Which is the best OTT platform for English/Hollywood movies?

Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar are the best OTT platforms to watch English/Hollywood movies. They have a wide variety. Also, the latest movies and TV series are released here first.

Which is the best OTT platform for Children?

VOOT Kids and Youtube Kids is the best OTT platforms for kids. They have a vast collection that kids would love.

Which is the best OTT platform for Documentaries?

Discovery+ is the best OTT platform for watching documentaries. They cover documentaries on nature, history, sports, etc.

Which is the most expensive OTT platform?

Netflix is the most expensive, but the quality of content is also the best.

Which is the cheapest OTT platform?

YouTube is free but with advertisements. In paid subscription, Zee 5 has the cheapest subscription plans.

Is Netflix an OTT platform?

Yes, it is!

Bottom Line

I remember the days when I was a kid and used to watch programs on TV. They were primarily cartoons on Cartoon Network. I knew the schedule when my favourite programs started, and I planned my schoolwork not to miss my favourite shows.

But now I have control, and I can watch what I want and when I want. The quality of content on these OTT platforms is also getting better. It is like the home delivery of your favourite movies and TV shows.

Also, watching these varieties of content has increased my outlook on life. Today I know more about various cultures of the world. All thanks to these OTT platforms that are bringing the world to my home.

It is also much cheaper than going to cinemas. We make it a whole family affair. We all watch some of the movies together. It can’t replace the experience of a movie theatre but is better than cable TV.

OTT platforms are on the cusp of disrupting the status of cable and TV channels. By 2025, they would overtake all media platforms. Also, since the internet is reaching tier II+ cities, the growth of Over-The-Top platforms will multiply. Check out the OTT platform list.

Read about the complete winners’ list of Filmfare OTT awards 2020

What should you choose?

• Amazon Prime Video: If you’re starting and the budget is tight, go for Amazon Prime Video. It has the highest return-on-investment (ROI). The full features and services that you get for the price are tremendous. It also has vast Hindi content.
• Disney+ Hotstar: If you have kids or are a Marvel superhero movies fan, nothing is better than Disney+ Hotstar. News, sports and TV soaps are also available. Especially with their planned shows coming in 2021. You cannot miss it.
• Netflix: If you want quality, then go for Netflix. It has the best movies and shows. Their interface and service are also user-friendly.

Since I am a big fan of stand-up comedies, here is the top 10 stand-up comedies list. Do check it out!

Which OTT platform is the best?

I have subscriptions to all three. I know, I am rich! 😎

I live in a joint family, and together we have subscriptions to all three is a more accurate statement.

Netflix is the best OTT platform for me.

• It has the best interface.
• It’s so convenient.
• The Netflix Originals are the best.
• They are getting better with Hindi and regional content also.
• I have never faced any lag or speed issue with it.

My second best OTT platform is the Disney+ Hotstar. You can find all superhero movies and Disney movies here. It still needs to improve its interface.

The year 2021 would be great with the lineup that all the OTT platforms have planned. I am excited about it.

Check out upcoming movies on each of the OTT platforms.

Check out upcoming TV series on each of the OTT platforms.

Do you enjoy content in regional languages? Then check our review of the best regional OTT platforms in India.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.