Major Streaming Platforms
| Service | Monthly Cost | Best For | Screens | Key Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | $7.99-22.99 | Variety, international content | 1-4 | Squid Game, Wednesday, Korean dramas, documentaries |
| Stan | $12-21 | Australian content + Hollywood | 1-4 | Yellowstone, RuPaul, Australian originals, live sport |
| Disney+ | $13.99-17.99 | Families, Marvel, Star Wars | 2-4 | Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic |
| Binge | $10-18 | HBO content | 1-4 | Game of Thrones, Succession, The Last of Us, HBO specials |
| Amazon Prime Video | $9.99 (with Prime) | Value + shopping benefits | 3 | The Boys, Lord of the Rings, Thursday Night Football |
| Paramount+ | $9.99 | CBS/Paramount content, sport | 3 | Yellowstone prequels, Star Trek, A-League, W-League |
Chinese Streaming Options
For Chinese-language content, several platforms are available in Australia with varying legality and quality:
- iQIYI International (爱奇艺): $5-15/month. Largest Chinese streaming platform available legally in Australia. Excellent drama selection (古装剧, 现代剧), variety shows, and documentaries. Subtitles available in English on many shows. The best legal option for Chinese content.
- WeTV (腾讯视频海外版): Free with ads, $5-8/month premium. Tencent's international platform. Good drama selection, some exclusive titles. Free tier is generous with ad breaks.
- Viu: Free with ads, premium $5/month. Asian drama platform covering Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Thai content. Good subtitles.
- YouTube Chinese channels: Many Chinese variety shows and dramas are uploaded to official YouTube channels. Free with ads. Quality varies but improving. Search for 芒果TV, 浙江卫视, 东方卫视 for official uploads.
- Bilibili (哔哩哔哩): Free. Popular with younger Chinese audiences. Anime, user-generated content, documentaries. Some content geo-restricted but much is available in Australia.
VPN for Chinese platforms: Some families use VPNs to access the full Chinese versions of Youku, iQIYI, and Tencent Video. This works but exists in a legal grey area. The international versions listed above are fully legal and increasingly comprehensive.
For Chinese Australian Families — Best Combo
Most Chinese Australian families benefit from a combination rather than one service:
- Netflix ($7.99 basic) + iQIYI ($5/month) = $13/month: Best budget combo. Netflix for English content, Hollywood movies, and Korean dramas (excellent Korean library). iQIYI for Chinese dramas and variety shows. Covers both languages well.
- Disney+ ($13.99) + WeTV (free tier) = $14/month: Best for families with young children. Disney+ has unbeatable kids content (Frozen, Moana, Pixar). WeTV free tier provides Chinese content with occasional ads.
- Amazon Prime Video ($9.99) as a bonus: If you already have Amazon Prime for free delivery (very useful for household shopping), the included Prime Video is excellent additional value. Good movie library and some strong originals.
Free Alternatives
- ABC iview: Free. All ABC content including news, documentaries, kids shows, and drama. Excellent quality. No ads.
- SBS On Demand: Free with minimal ads. Great international content, foreign-language films, and SBS documentaries. Also has live SBS TV including SBS Chinese news.
- 7plus, 9Now, 10play: Free with ads. Catch-up TV from commercial networks. Includes live sport coverage.
- YouTube: Free with ads. Enormous library including many official Chinese TV uploads, educational content, and music.
Money-Saving Tip: Don't subscribe to everything at once. Rotate services — subscribe to Netflix for 2 months, cancel, subscribe to Stan for 2 months, etc. Most services have no cancellation fees and you can rejoin anytime. This way you access all the major libraries for an average of $10-15/month instead of $50-80/month for all simultaneously.