Streaming on a budget is still very doable in May 2026, but the trick is knowing where the real deals are hiding. From live TV and prestige dramas to anime, horror, reality TV, and comedy, some of the best streaming bargains on the market are still hiding under the $10 mark, if you know where to look. A few of the best deals include a short pass, a limited-time promo, or an annual plan.
Either way, there is still plenty to watch without letting your streaming bill spiral out of control. Budget-conscious streamers looking to stretch every dollar, these 10 services prove you do not need a $100 streaming bundle to build an entertaining lineup.
Crunchyroll
Ani-May has arrived, and Crunchyroll is celebrating with a limited-time deal. From now through May 21, you can get three months of membership to Crunchyroll Fan for $1.99/month or Crunchyroll Mega Fan for $2.99/month. That includes access to the world’s largest dedicated anime library, including its Spring 2026 lineup, new releases like Chainsaw Man –The Movie: Reze Arc, Witch Hat Atelier, and Daemons of the Shadow Realm, plus Anime Awards standouts such as Solo Leveling, Apothecary Diaries, My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia, and SPY X FAMILY.
AMC+
AMC+ is all about premium originals, horror, indie films, and fan-favorite franchises like The Walking Dead Universe and Anne Rice. Right now, there’s a massive 70% price drop on the AMC+ Annual Premium plan, which packs 1,400+ titles and ad-free streaming for only $29.99 when paid upfront. The deal is available for new customers and for upgrading existing customers. The one-year promo is the best value, but you can also lock in the AMC+ Monthly with Ads plan for $7.99 per month after a 7-day trial.
STARZ
STARZ is another premium service with an affordable price tag. The ad-free streaming service includes a robust slate of thousands of titles, live TV channels, offline downloads, and streaming on multiple devices.
Usually, STARZ runs for $11.99/month, but for a limited time, you can save up to 58% and stream originals like Outlander, Amadeus, and Power Book III: Raising Kanan, or other titles, including Juice, Jaws, The Long Walk, Step Brothers, Man on Fire, Three Women, Mary & George, Sweetpea, Tales of Wells Fargo, Cheyenne, Maverick, and Both Eyes Open.
Discovery+
- Starting Price: $5.99 per month (ad-supported) or $9.99 ad-free.
- Free Trial: Try Discovery+ for 7 days free.
- Why Watch: Strong budget pick for reality TV, home improvement, true crime, nature, science, and more.
For under $10, Discovery+ is a strong pick because its list of staple brands includes content from HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, and Discovery Channel Cord cutters who enjoy unscripted and factual entertainment can find ll 70,000+ episodes on the platform, including exclusives and originals. Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, Love Off the Grid, Naked and Afraid of Love, Queen of Meth, The Haunted Museum, Selling the Hamptons, Kendra Sells Hollywood, and Million Dollar Wheels are just a few of the titles available on the home of “real-life TV”.
PBS Masterpiece
- Price: $6.99 per month
- Free Trial: 7 Days.
- Why Watch: Large selection of premium British dramas and many local PBS stations offer extended streaming access through PBS Passport (a member benefit).
Cord cutters who enjoy lush period detail, character‑first storytelling, and mysteries that reward patience should add PBS Masterpiece to their rotation. All Creatures Great and Small, The Forsytes, Miss Scarlet, and The Gold are a few notable titles the streamer is known for. If you donate to your local stations and are offered extended streaming access through PBS Passport, you’ll have broader access to the full PBS library, including American Experience, American Masters, Antiques Roadshow, Nature, NOVA, and Masterpiece’s archive and new seasons.
Sling TV
Cord cutters who enjoy flexibility and don’t want to commit to a monthly plan for live TV, Sling Pass was built for you. For under $10, Sling’s passes include access to the Sling Orange package (1 Day Pass for $4.99 and a 3 Day Pass for $9.99). The Orange package features 30+ top networks, including ESPN, TBS, TNT, CNN, AMC, Comedy Central, Lifetime, HGTV, and many more. Plus, you can record up to 50 hours with Cloud DVR storage (upgrade to Unlimited DVR for $5/mo.), and Sling offers add-on packages and extras to customize your lineup.
Sling’s short-term passes are for budget-conscious streamers who only need live TV during a big event instead of continued month-long 24/7 access. It’s a smart option for a game day, a tournament weekend, or a quick live-TV binge. And if you need longer access, Sling Orange has a 7 Day Pass for $14.99, a Monthly plan for $45.99, and a 3 Month Prepay option for $115. Sling also offers skinny bundles that start at $19.99 per month, and as a bonus, Sling FreeStream adds more value with 600+ free live TV channels and on-demand titles for limitless hours of content.
Prime Video
With more than 240 million Prime members, Amazon Prime Video is the second-most-subscribed video-on-demand streaming service, but it’s also available as a standalone service. Packed with 24,000+ titles, live sports, and add-on subscriptions all in one place. Plus, the service includes X-ray trivia, simultaneous viewing on up to 3 devices, 25 titles for offline viewing, and much more. For an ad-free experience, Prime Ultra, at $4.99 per month, increases offline viewing to 100 titles, simulstream devices to 5, 4K UHD video quality, Dolby Atmos audio, and more premium features.
MGM+
- Starting Price: $7.99 per month after a 7-day free trial.
- Why Watch: Movie-first streamers who want a steady rotation of favorites, classics, and premium originals without paying a premium-tier price.
MGM+ is a great option for under $10, as it features ad-free streaming on 1000s of titles, four live TV channels, offline viewing, and much more. The budget-friendly premium streamer has something for everyone, including action lovers, sci-fi fans, and crime-drama viewers.
Popular titles include FROM, Smile 2, Rain Man, Mission Impossible franchise, The Silence of the Lambs, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants, American Classic, Vanished, Robin Hood, NFL Icon, The Hillside Strangler, Godfather of Harlem, and Billy the Kid, among other top series and films. The platform offers curated titles spotlighting fresh arrivals, original series, action blockbusters, horror favorites, B-movies, and other must-watch content.
Frndly TV
- Starting Price: $6.99 per month when billed annually ($8.99 per month when billed monthly)
- Free Trial: Try Frndly TV 7 Days Free Today.
- Why Watch: Built around feel-good live TV, the channel lineup focuses on family-friendly and lifestyle programming.
Live TV doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and Frndly TV is an affordable friend to a budget-conscious wallet. Featuring 50+ channels, the streamer offers top networks such as Hallmark, Game Show Network, MeTV Toon, Vice, Lifetime, The Weather Channel, A&E, and History.
Frndly TV has three plans to choose from: Basic, Classic, and Premium, roughly $6.99, $7.99, and $9.99 per month when paid annually, respectively. An annual subscription saves about 28% versus paying the respective monthly price of $8.99, $10.99 and $12.99
At its low price, Frndly TV doesn’t skip out on features. Highlights include a “72-Hour Look Back” DVR that captures programming from the past three days. Unlimited DVR and up to 4 simultaneous screens are available with the Classic and Premium plans. Plus, you have access to an on-demand library of aggregated shows from MeTV, INSP, and GAC Family. You can also stream Hallmark+ or History Vault at no extra cost.
Dropout
Dropout is an ideal addition to any streaming lineup that needs humor, fun, and risk-taking comedy. The platform features ad-free unscripted comedy, with standout series like Game Changer, Dimension 20, Very Important People, Make Some Noise, and Um, Actually. Many full episodes of Dropout’s signature series are available on their YouTube page. For those looking for niche laughs that you can’t find on major streamers, Dropout has a deep library of sketch shows, podcasts, and interactive game-show–style content.
How to Get The Most Out of Your Streaming Setup
Managing your subscriptions is just like any other household expense, and this is the time to allow yourself to enjoy lower bills, make smarter and more satisfying content choices, and create a streaming setup that is both seamless and stress-free.
As always, watch live TV for free with an antenna and stay up to date on broadcast news, major sporting events, and network TV premieres. Utilize FAST platforms like Tubi, Pluto, MyFree DIRECTV, Plex, and Philo Free Channels in your streaming rotation for an even more cost-effective entertainment experience.
As subscription prices continue to climb across the streaming industry, finding services that still deliver real value for under $10 is getting harder. With these 10 services, savvy streamers don’t need a giant streaming budget to stay entertained in May 2026. Whether you want anime, live TV, prestige drama, family programming, reality TV, or comedy, these services prove there is still plenty of value out there.
