Pluto TV

Pluto TV is the odd one on this list: it's not a catalogue you search, it's channels you flip through. Dozens of themed linear channels — a 24-hour Star Trek channel, a whole channel of classic sitcoms, a Mystery Science Theater channel — run continuously, free and ad-supported, alongside an on-demand library.

The appeal is the exact opposite of "deciding what to watch." Pluto is for when you don't want to decide: put on the crime-drama channel, the cooking channel, or the news, and let it run. It's background TV, the way cable used to work, without the bill.

Use it for: passive viewing, channel-surfing nostalgia, and themed marathons. Don't expect it for: the newest films, a polished on-demand experience, or anything you specifically want to watch on your schedule.

It's a different animal from every other service here — and for a lot of evenings, that's the point.