Apple TV+ Review: Who’s it Best For in 2024?

Apple TV+ launched in 2019. It was the year that another one of the world’s biggest brands launched its streaming service—a little thing called Disney+.

Naturally, the 2 streaming services have followed quite different paths. Disney started out with one of the biggest movie libraries in the known universe and Apple had… a show about apps? It’s why one has 150+ million subscribers and the other has around 25 million. (You can guess which is which.)

However, Apple spent around $7 billion on content in its first 4 years—depending on which source you go with. And while its content library is still nowhere near its competitors, it’s grown considerably since launch. Apple TV has also taken the quality-over-quantity approach that Netflix seems to have veered away from.

Our Apple TV+ review helps you decide whether the tech giant’s streaming service is worth your money in 2024.

How much does Apple TV+ cost in 2023?

Like nearly all streaming services, Apple TV+ has increased its subscription price in the past year or so. Its launch price of $4.99/month increased by 40% in October 2022 to $6.99/month. It then gave it another bump of more than 40% in October 2023 to $9.99/month

That’s basically doubling its price in a year.

And while there is still only a single price plan—meaning everyone gets all the same features and content—there’s more than one way to get billed for it.

Most people who don’t live in the Applesphere (iOSphere?) will subscribe to Apple TV+ as a standalone service. However, anyone whose devices and services are part of Apple’s ecosystem might consider getting it as part of the Apple One bundle.

Apple TV+: $9.99/month

• Complete access to the Apple TV+ on-demand library
• Option to rent or buy titles not in the library
• Ads: No
• User profiles: 5
• Downloads: Unlimited (but only on iOS devices)
• Simultaneous screens: 6
• Quality: Up to 4K UHD, Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos
• Annual Plan: $69.99/year

Apple One: $19.95 to $37.95/month

• Apple TV+
• iCloud+ storage (50GB to 2TB)
• Apple Music
• Apple Arcade
• Fitness+ (with Premier plan)
• News+ (with Premier plan)

Apple TV+ vs. the alternatives

When comparing Apple TV+ with other streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, it’s important to consider the unique content offerings, user experience, and pricing. 

While it has a smaller library compared to competitors, the exclusive Apple Originals and 4K streaming make it a worthy contender for those seeking fresh and innovative content.

As you can see, even after its hefty price hike, Apple TV+ remains the least expensive major ad-free streaming service on the market. It’s even the same price as Max’s ad-supported plan and only a buck more than Prime Video’s base tier, which now has ads.

What kind of content does Apple TV+ have?

One of the reasons for Apple TV+’s comparatively light content offering is its commitment to original programming. While it started testing the waters of licensed content in late 2022, you’ll still mostly find original movies and TV shows.

It began streaming live sports with the MLB’s Friday Night Baseball in 2022 and has been actively looking to add more sports to the platform.

Original content on Apple TV+

Currently the streamer’s bread and butter, original content is where Apple TV+ shines. Thanks to smash hits like sports-comedy Ted Lasso and speculative fiction thriller Severance, it reeled in a record-breaking 52 Emmy nominations in 2022 and 54 the following year.

Here are some of the best Apple TV+ original TV shows so far:

• For All Mankind (since 2019)
• The Morning Show (since 2019)
• Mythic Quest (since 2020)
• Ted Lasso (2020–2023)
• Foundation (since 2021)
• Severance (since 2022)
• Bad Sisters (since 2022)
• Platonic (since 2023)
• Silo (since 2023)
• Slow Horses (since 2022)

Movies on Apple TV+

Most of the movies on are originals as well. As such, you won’t find hundreds of movies to watch. You won’t even find one hundred. In fact, we count just over 60 movies on Apple TV+, and only a handful of those are licensed. 

Here are some of the movies currently available, starting with 4 non-originals:

• Romancing the Stone
• Cloverfield
• Knight and Day
• True Lies
• Tetris 
• Ghosted
• Finch
• Causeway
• The Greatest Beer Run Ever

TV shows on Apple TV+

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, original content is where it’s at, so if you’re looking for TV classics, look somewhere else. In addition to ongoing series, Apple has a knack for the limited series as well – it might just give Hulu a run for its money.

Here are some of our favorite Apple TV+ miniseries followed by a few ongoing series that have already ended:

• Black Bird
• WeCrashed
• Shining Girls
• The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
• Defending Jacob
• Servant (4 seasons)
• See (3 seasons)
• Truth Be Told (3 seasons)

Of course, they can’t all be winners, and sometimes you end up with a dud like The Last Thing He Told Me. But overall, Apple knows how to put together a show.

Live TV on Apple TV+

There are no live or even linear television channels on Apple TV+, which means all of its movies and shows are on-demand.

However, it has live sports like Major League Baseball as well as a Season Pass for Major League Soccer.

Kids content on Apple TV+

At first glance, kids content feels like an afterthought. Given the platform’s minimalist navigation, there is no kids portal, so you just scroll until you find the Kids & Family row. From there, you’re greeted with more rows of categories based on themes, age groups, and shows. Or a category like Picked by Common Sense Media.

Clicking on All Shows takes you to a page with just 60 titles on it. However, most of these are original shows and movies. And they’re not mindless AI-generated cartoons churned out by an algorithm, repeating annoying songs about baby sharks and zombies. They’re quality content intended to teach, inspire, and shape young minds with positivity, self-esteem, and empathy.

For example, Best Foot Forward is about a 12-year-old home-schooled boy with a prosthetic leg entering public school for the first time. And El Deafo is an animated miniseries adapted from the graphic novel of the same name.

There are a few non-originals, mainly Peanuts classics like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas.

So, while sparse, the kids content on Apple TV+ is all worth watching.

Sports on Apple TV+

Sports are clearly not a priority for Apple’s streaming platform. If you’re looking for a similarly priced on-demand streamer with sports, check out what Peacock and Paramount+ have to offer.

However, Apple TV+ began streaming Friday Night Baseball in 2022, which gives it a weekly doubleheader every Friday of the regular season. The tradition continued in 2023 with 25 weeks of no local broadcast restrictions. And if it doesn’t opt out of its deal before the 2024 MLB season, it will be locked in until 2028.

You can also watch every match of the Major League Soccer season, Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, and Leagues Cup live and on-demand. But it requires adding on the MLS Season Pass, which costs $14.99/month or a hundred bucks for the season. And that’s the price for people who are not subscribed to Apple TV+.

Apple TV+ subscribers can get the MLS Season Pass for $12.99/month or $79 for the entire season.

Apple TV+ interface and usability

Navigation

Like its phones and other devices, Apple takes a minimalist approach to its streaming service’s navigation. And that’s not a good thing. Navigation is arguably the worst thing about Apple TV+.

The UI changes slightly between platforms, but not much. For example, the web interface is limited to choosing between Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass, while on FireTV it adds a Watch Now option to the menu at the top of the screen.

But the top menu is basically meaningless. All navigation is done on the main page, with no menus for Movies or Series or Genre. You just scroll down through rows of Apple-curated content hoping to find what you’re looking for.

The first row is Up Next on Apple TV+, which is Apple’s unique-but-ambiguous name for “My List”. Below that, you get the Top Chart, then rows of categories chosen by someone at Apple.

Language settings

Every other streaming service needs to take note.

Apple TV+ has hands down the best language options in the industry. Every show and movie (that we’ve seen) offers subtitles and dubbed dialogue in multiple languages. And not just the typical Spanish, French, and Chinese, but 30 to 40 languages.

Parental controls

Steve Jobs hated cellphones. Most Silicon Valley tech zillionaires don’t let their kids near smartphones or social media. And this ethos is thankfully evident in the parental controls of Apple’s ecosystem.

To a degree.

Like with most streaming services, you can set content restrictions at the account (profile) level. But if you have Apple hardware—like an iPad or iPhone—you can set up screen time limits as well. 

Apple TV+ account sharing and simultaneous screens

In some ways, Apple TV+ sits comfortably above all competitors when it comes to satisfying multiple viewers. It lets you watch on the most screens. However, when it comes to profiles, it’s the most restrictive (and thus frustrating).

How many people can watch Apple TV+ at once?

You can watch up to 6 screens simultaneously on a single account. This is far above the 3-screen average among competitors.

How many profiles can you make on Apple TV+?

You can create up to 5 profiles on Apple TV+.

However, each profile requires an Apple ID, which means they’re actually 5 accounts linked to one Apple TV+ account. That means you can’t easily create a “Kids” or “Guest” profile with a few clicks of the remote like most streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Paramount+.

Apple TV+ supported devices

Surprise, surprise – Apple TV+ works best with Apple devices. It doesn’t support the widest range of devices, and limit Windows browsers to 1080p HD, but most people will have be able to install the app on something they own.

• Streaming devices: Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Roku
• Phones & tablets: Android, iOS
• Cable & satellite boxes: Cox, Xfinity, Sky, Free, Magenta TV, Btv, Telstra TV, Rogers, Verizon
• Smart TVs: Android TV, Google TV, Hisense, LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, VIDAA, Vizio
• Smart home devices: None
• Game consoles: PlayStation, Xbox
• Desktops & laptops: Mac, major web browsers (4K only in Safari on a Mac)
• Blu-ray players: None

Apple TV+ streaming quality

Apple TV+ delivers some of the best streaming quality (and highest bit rates) on the market today. It offers up to 4K UHD video, Dolby Vision HDR, and Dolby Atmos sound. And, unlike Netflix and Max, it doesn’t lock high-quality streaming behind an overpriced, premium tier.

Most Apple TV+ original series and movies are available in 4K UHD resolution, Dolby Vision HDR, and Dolby Atmos or Dolby 5.1 audio.

Of course, your stream quality will depend on your internet connection and hardware. For example, you can watch 4K in your browser – if that browser is Safari and your computer is a Mac with the latest macOS. Windows users will unfortunately be limited to 1080p HD.

Is there an Apple TV+ free trial?

Yes!

While some streaming services have ditched free trials completely, Apple TV+ offers a variety of free trials. They can change occasionally, so always check Apple’s promo page for the most current deals.

As of January 2024, there are 2 Apple TV+ free trials.

The first is a standard 7-day free trial. It’s available to new subscribers only and you need to sign up with your Apple ID. Each Apple ID is only granted one free trial, so it’s not like the Prime Video free trial which you can sign up for every 12 months.

The second deal gets you 3 months of Apple TV+ for free when you buy a new Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV). Obviously, this isn’t a reason to run out and buy a new $1,000+ phone. But it’s a good reason to hold off on signing up for Apple TV+ if you plan to buy any Apple devices in the near future.

You can also find Apple TV+ free trials through a bunch of third-party sources, such as Roku, PlayStation, Best Buy, and T-Mobile.

Verdict: Who is Apple TV+ good for in 2023?

Apple TV+ used to be a no-brainer for anyone who was already an Apple Music subscriber. If you were already paying $10.99 a month for music, you could get Apple TV+, Arcade, and iCloud+ online storage for an extra $6/month by getting Apple One. However, with Apple One now costing $19.95/month, it might take a bit more consideration.

Anyone looking for excellent original content—and original dramas in particular—take note. If you yearn for those days when Netflix was at the top of its game—with shows like House of Cards, Narcos, and Ozark—look at what Apple TV+ has to offer. Most Apple TV+ originals match the quality of Netflix’s halcyon days. Just know that Apple TV+ releases shows weekly, so don’t expect a season dump like those Netflix days of old.

If you’re looking for a wide range of content—like sports, classic TV shows, and theatrical releases—Apple TV+ isn’t the best streamer for you. But if you seek high-quality dramas, thought-provoking sci-fi, and a few good comedies, it’s worth a look.