Alexis Kestler
OTT platforms have revolutionized entertainment consumption in India. As per a recent survey by Statista, India has over 60 million online video subscribers as of 2022, and this number is expected to grow to over 110 million by 2027.
Streaming apps offer a world of convenience and choice at the tap of a finger. But with so many options available, it can get overwhelming to decide which ones to opt for. As OTT enthusiasts ourselves, we have tested and reviewed the top video streaming apps to come up with this definitive list of the 7 best OTT platforms for an ultimate binge-watch experience.
1. Netflix
With over 5 million subscribers, Netflix is the streaming leader in India. As analysts at Media Partners Asia estimate, Netflix has invested over ₹3,000 crore on content for India viewers.
It has one of the largest content libraries among streaming services with over 6000 titles in Hindi and regional languages. Their Indian originals like Delhi Crime, Sacred Games, Little Things, and Mighty Little Bheem have won global acclaim and fans.
I particularly loved Delhi Crime for its sensitivity in dealing with a difficult topic and powerful performances. Sacred Games deserves praise for phenomenal writing and building an aura of mystery and intrigue.
Netflix‘s investment in regional content is impressive too. Shows like Minnal Murali (Malayalam), Pitta Kathalu (Telugu) and Paava Kadhaigal (Tamil) have exceptional writing, production values, and acting talent. As a fan of offbeat cinema, I appreciate Netflix giving a platform to unconventional stories.
Their catalogue has the latest American shows, award-winning global content, anime, K-Dramas, and popular movies. With mobile-only plans starting just ₹149 per month, Netflix offers great value. Picture quality is superb across plans. Simultaneous streaming on 1-4 devices is allowed depending on the plan.
Downsides are that new movies are not added quickly and some titles dubbed in Indian languages would be nice. But overall, Netflix remains my top choice for its phenomenal original content and unmatched choice.
2. Amazon Prime Video
In India‘s OTT space, Prime Video is a strong Netflix rival. As per analyst estimates, it has attracted around 18 million subscribers. A key draw of Prime Video is it comes bundled with the Prime shopping subscription.
I found its original content slate very impressive. Standouts for me include the brilliantly written comedy Panchayat, the intense political drama Tandav, and the charming slice-of-life Masaba Masaba. The action-packed Mirzapur and The Family Man are big hits too.
Coming to movies, Prime Video gets the latest Bollywood releases like Shershaah, Coolie No. 1, Gulabo Sitabo, etc. shortly after theatrical launch. I also discovered some hidden indie movie gems like Cinema Bandi.
Compared to Netflix, Prime Video can improve its regional content catalogue. But I found the platform‘s international licensing deals quite good. You can catch popular shows like The Boys, Star Trek: Picard, American Gods, etc. shortly after U.S. telecast.
Downloading for offline viewing is enabled. Video quality is excellent. At just ₹179 per month or ₹999 yearly, Prime is quite reasonably priced. For me, it‘s the second-best streaming app in India currently.
3. Disney+ Hotstar
In India, Hotstar is the streaming service with the widest reach thanks to its live sports offerings. As per Media Partners Asia, it has around 50 million subscribers currently.
Hotstar‘s big advantage is being the official digital broadcaster for India cricket matches, major football leagues, F1, etc. This gives it unparalleled appeal amongst sports lovers like myself. I‘ve streamed cricket matches in 4K quality – the viewing experience is unmatched.
Beyond sports, Hotstar‘s content library includes Disney originals, HBO shows, popular movies, the latest Bollywood flicks, and Star network serials. For me, the Disney originals are the biggest draw.
I loved watching hits likes Moon Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Loki, and The Book of Boba Fett in Dolby Atmos audio quality and with same-day release as the U.S. Turner & Hooch and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers are great family viewing options too.
The HBO catalogue provides acclaimed content like Game of Thrones, Westworld, Euphoria, Barry, etc. Support for multiple profiles is handy. But the absence of offline downloads is a miss. Pricing at ₹499 for VIP and ₹1499 for Premium annually is decent value.
Overall, Hotstar is the perfect one-stop-shop for sports, movies, general entertainment and kids programming. The streaming experience and features could be better. But Hotstar‘s wide content slate makes it amongst my top 3 picks.
4. SonyLIV
SonyLIV is a great option especially for sports enthusiasts and Hindi serial fans. As a recent Pitch Madison report indicated, SonyLIV has around 13 million paid subscribers currently.
SonyLIV bags broadcast rights for major cricket tours like Australia, West Indies, and England. It also live streams tennis grand slams, wrestling events like WWE, and football properties like La Liga, Serie A, Ligue1, etc. I always find their live sports streaming smooth and stutter-free even at 4K.
Beyond sports, SonyLIV has many popular Hindi serials like Punyashlok Ahilyabai, Mere Sai, Kaamnaa etc. available before TV. I feel their original content is improving too – Scam 1992 and Avrodh were compelling watches for me.
As per reports, SonyLIV will double investments in original content to ₹300 crore in 2025. Their upcoming Tamil original Navarasa directed by Mani Ratnam has piqued my interest.
SonyLIV‘s movie catalogue is modest. But it gets Sony Big Pictures films like Major and Aankh Micholi shortly after theatrical release. For ₹299/month or ₹699/half-yearly, the pricing is quite competitive too.
Overall, SonyLIV may not have the biggest library, but is certainly one of the best apps in India for live sports and Hindi entertainment content.
5. ZEE5
After Hotstar and SonyLIV, ZEE5 is the next most popular Indian streaming service with around 9 million paying subscribers as per latest estimates. ZEE5 offers a huge bouquet of content spread across movies, TV shows, originals, music, news, etc.
I found their slate of originals very impressive. My favorites include Rangbaaz Phirse – a gritty gangster drama, the comedy show Humorously Yours, the charming Mismatched, the intriguing Dangerous, and the historical magnum opus The Moghuls.
ZEE5 has also revived classic Zindagi shows like Aunn Zara, Ishq Mein Marjawan, etc. much to my delight. Big theatrical movies are available too, albeit after a delay compared to other apps.
Their collection of Marathi, Bengali, Southern and other regional language content is quite sizeable too. But navigation could be improved. Offline downloads are enabled. Streaming quality is reliable with 4K support. And the pricing of ₹599/year makes ZEE5 very affordable.
While the others may lead in some departments, ZEE5 provides a balanced entertainment package at a low cost that‘s tough to beat.
6. Voot
Owned by Viacom18, Voot is steadily gaining users in India – latest reports estimate around 2 million paid subscribers.
Voot‘s content catalogue mainly comprises Colors and MTV channel shows. I really enjoyed catching up on popular reality shows like Bigg Boss, Dance Deewane, and Splitsvilla on the app. Top serials like Naagin, Balika Vadhu, Sasural Simar Ka are available too.
Voot is now accelerating investments in original content. As a friend recommended, I checked out the crime drama Asur starring Arshad Warsi – it‘s a brilliant thriller with a spectacular performance by the lead. Illegal, a legal drama starring Neha Sharma, is another compelling original.
For kids, Voot has shows from Nickelodeon and other Viacom channels. Voot Select subscription at ₹399/year is an affordable option to go ad-free. Video and streaming quality is decent. While the content variety lags competitors for now, Voot Select offers a pocket-friendly option.
7. Aha
Aha is a promising Telugu-focused entrant in the OTT space that you should check out. Though niche, it has great original content and caters really well to the Southern audience.
Their crime drama Kudi Yedamaithe starring Amala Paul has received rave reviews. The Samantha Akkineni starrer Family Man is apparently a laugh riot too. I also enjoyed watching the Rana Daggubati hosted talk show No.1 Yaari with Rana.
Aha‘s movie roster includes World premieres of Telugu films like Naandhi and Zombie Reddy shortly after theatrical release. All content including WEB series, movies, talk shows etc. is Telugu-language focused. This sharp Telugu content positioning makes Aha standout.
Plans start at just ₹99 per month or ₹399 per year, making it very affordable. Video quality and streaming are decent. For die-hard lovers of Telugu entertainment like my cousins in Hyderabad, Aha is an absolute delight!
The Verdict
In conclusion, while the top 7 platforms I picked have distinct strengths, my personal favorites are Netflix for its sensational original content catalogue and Prime Video for the latest movies and shows.
Disney+ Hotstar is the undisputed king of live sports streaming. I feel the streaming experience and regional content collections on platforms like ZEE5 and Voot also make them strong contenders. New entrants like Aha show promise too.
India‘s OTT market is booming! With mobile internet penetration rising steeply and data costs falling, more subscribers will flock to these streaming apps. As analysts predict, revenue from video streaming services in India is all set to triple from around $1.7 billion now to over $5 billion by 2024.
The space will see fiercer competition with more players like Apple TV+ entering India. This is great news for consumers like us who will be spoilt for choice! So grab your favorite snacks and binge away on these amazing OTT platforms. Happy streaming!
