Recommended streaming services for cartoons (2023 edition)
It’s time for my now-annual look at the state of recommended streaming services for cartoons in 2023. A lot has changed since last year’s post; the streaming services, starting with (HBO) Max, have been erasing material from their services to save a few dollars on paying residuals. Meanwhile, free ad-supported streaming services like Tubi and Pluto TV have taken off, carrying some animation content.
My criteria
Here’s my criteria for these recommendations:
I’m only looking at on demand streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, etc.), not cable replacement live streaming services like YouTube TV. I’m also not covering regular YouTube, though it carries some officially uploaded cartoons.
Also not covered here are “TV Everywhere” apps that require a cable TV subscription to fully use.
I’m mainly looking at paid on demand services, though I’ll touch on a few free ad-supported ones (Pluto TV, Tubi, etc.).
This post largely just applies to the United States, since that’s where I live.
Information below is as of this writing (early August 2023). The website JustWatch can help with current information about particular shows.
Amazon Prime
Site: www.amazon.com
Amazon’s Prime Video service carries some animated fare. Other streaming services can also be subscribed to through Prime Video as convenient add-ons.
However, Prime Video’s animation-related content is so-so, even with Freevee (Amazon’s free add-supported service) added. To me, Prime Video’s a better deal as an extra along with the free shipping and other features, versus paying for it as a stand-alone service.
Cartoons available on Prime Video include:
Full seasons of some PBS Kids shows, including “Wild Kratts,” “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” and “Clifford the Big Red Dog.”
Some Amazon Originals, such as the “Rocky and Bullwinkle” reboot.
Some Nickelodeon shows, including “Invader Zim” and the first six seasons of “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
Cost: $9/month for just Prime Video; $15/month (or $139/year) as part of Amazon Prime
Apple TV+
Site: www.apple.com/apple-tv-plus
Apple TV+ doesn’t have as large a selection as other streaming services, but it does have some cartoons, including a few animated films and exclusive streaming rights to the “Peanuts” franchise. However, unless you’re a big “Peanuts” fan, Apple TV+ won’t serve as your sole or primary animation outlet.
Cartoons available on Apple TV+ include:
The “Peanuts” specials catalog; along with the classic Halloween and Christmas specials, there’s also a few new specials, as well as original series “The Snoopy Show.”
“Central Park,” an adult-oriented sitcom.
“Frog and Toad,” based on the classic children’s books.
“Harriet the Spy,” based on the classic book series.
Cost: $7/month
Boomerang
Site: www.boomerang.com
Boomerang offers a deep dive into the classic Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, and MGM libraries. There are also a few older Cartoon Network series available.
Boomerang is also now the only place to stream most of the classic Looney Tunes shorts, since Max removed the post-1950 shorts from its service. It also carries plenty of minor Hanna-Barbera material that Max will likely never add, such as “Atom Ant.” Boomerang is also commercial-free, unlike Tubi (which also has some of these shows).
That said, Boomerang’s been ignored by Warner Bros. Discovery lately, outside of a price hike. No major back catalog material’s been added in at least several years. Also, some of Boomerang’s prints are older versions, compared to newer prints used on current DVD/Blu-ray releases, Max, the MeTV network, and even Tubi.
Finally, several major Hanna-Barbera shows are currently available on Tubi for free. This might make paying for Boomerang hard to justify for casual viewers, if they’re OK with ads.
Cartoons on Boomerang include:
“Looney Tunes”
“The Flintstones”
“Scooby-Doo”
“Courage the Cowardly Dog”
Cost: $6/month or $45/year
Crunchyroll
Site: www.crunchyroll.com
For anime fans, Crunchyroll offers a large library of programming. One of its biggest appeals is offering new episodes shortly after they air in Japan. Some material is available for free (with ads).
Programs available on Crunchyroll include:
“My Hero Academia”
“Attack on Titan”
“One Piece”
Cost: $8/month; tiers offering extra features are available at $10 or $15 a month
Disney+
Site: www.disneyplus.com
Disney+ offers the bulk of the Disney library of animated material, as well as programming from other studios they’ve bought (such as Marvel or Fox). This is pretty much the one service to get if you have kids, or if you’re a “Star Wars” or Marvel fan.
Cartoons on Disney+ include:
Disney Channel programs (“Kim Possible,” “The Owl House,” etc.).
Disney and Pixar animated features.
Past and current Marvel series, from “Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends” to “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.”
“The Simpsons.”
Cost: Disney+ alone: $8/month (with ads) or $11/month / $110/year (without ads); bundled with Hulu: $10 (both with ads); bundled with Hulu and ESPN+: $13/month (all with ads) or $20/month (Disney+ and Hulu without ads).
Hulu
Site: www.hulu.com
Hulu carries a variety of programming; for years, it served as a “catch-all” service for multiple studios. However, these days it’s mostly become Disney’s adult programming arm, with other companies yanking material for their own streaming services. There’s also some debate over its long-term future.
Hulu’s strongest animation-related features are its anime and adult programming.
Cartoons on Hulu include:
The Fox Sunday animated lineup, including “Bob’s Burgers,” “Family Guy,” and recent episodes of “The Simpsons.”
Adult-oriented programming, including “Rick and Morty,” “King of the Hill,” and a “Futurama” revival.
Hulu originals, including “Solar Opposites” and a revival of “Animaniacs.”
Various Cartoon Network shows, including “Steven Universe,” “Teen Titans Go,” and “Craig of the Creek.”
A strong selection of anime, in dubbed and subtitled versions. Shows available include “Sailor Moon,” “Black Butler,” and “Cowboy Bebop.”
Cost: $8/month or $80/year (with ads); $15/month (without ads); see above for bundle pricing with Disney+
Max
Site: www.max.com
Like Disney+ being the home of Disney’s animated output, Max (formerly HBO Max) serves a similar purpose for Warner’s massive catalog… or at least is supposed to. In 2022, Max started to see numerous regressive changes, erasing numerous animated programs in the name of saving money. Some of the removed shows are present on other services, including Hulu, Boomerang, and even Tubi.
Cartoons carried on HBO Max include:
Cartoon Network programs, including “The Powerpuff Girls,” “Dexter’s Laboratory,” and “Steven Universe.”
“Looney Tunes” (up to 1950; Max removed all the post-1950 classic shorts).
DC Comics shows, from “Super Friends” to the adults-only “Harley Quinn.”
Adult Swim shows, such as “Harvey Birdman” and “Aqua Teen Hunger Force.”
Max Originals, including “Jellystone!" and “Looney Tunes Cartoons.”
The Studio Ghibli library.
“South Park” (licensed from Paramount until 2025).
Cost: with ads: $10/month or $100/year; without ads, in 1080p: $16/month or $150/year; without ads, in 4K: $20/month or $200/year
Netflix
Site: www.netflix.com
Netflix is still the most famous and popular streaming service, despite the “streaming wars.” Netflix’s been around for a long time, and has built up a large catalog of cartoons, including its own originals. That said, Netflix has lost some of its luster, between price hikes, password sharing crackdowns, and removing some content.
Cartoons on Netflix include:
DreamWorks. The animation studio is a major provider of Netflix’s cartoons. Said shows include the “She-Ra” reboot, “Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts,” and a “Boss Baby” spin-off.
“BoJack Horseman.”
“The Dragon Prince.”
“Puffin Rock.”
Cost: with ads: $7/month; without ads, 1080p: $15.49/month; without ads, 4K: $20/month
Paramount+
Site: www.paramountplus.com
Paramount+ is the home of all things related to Nickelodeon, MTV, and Paramount. While its catalog isn’t as large as what’s on Max or Disney+, there’s still plenty of animated content here, especially for Nickelodeon fans.
Cartoons available on Paramount+ include:
Nickelodeon’s back catalog. One of the service’s strongest points, this includes the entire runs (to date) of major hits like “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Rugrats” (both the original series and the 2021 CGI reboot), and “The Loud House.”
The 2003, 2012, and 2018 “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” series. The original 1987 series is available on Pluto TV, Paramount+’s free ad-supported sister service, though only via the TMNT streaming channel, not on demand.
“Star Trek: The Animated Series” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks” are available. Unfortunately, “Prodigy” was removed from Paramount+, and is only available on DVD/digital video as of this writing.
Classic MTV fare such as “Beavis and Butt-Head” (the original series and reboot) and “Daria.”
Cost: with ads: $6/month or $60/year; without ads (and with Showtime), $12/month or $120/year.
PBS Kids
Site: pbskids.org
While most of these services are non-free ones, a major exception is PBS Kids, famous for its educational commercial-free children’s programming. The PBS Kids streaming app offers a rotating selection of episodes of each of its shows.
Cartoons available on PBS Kids:
“Arthur”
“Molly of Denali”
“Hero Elementary”
“Let’s Go Luna”
Cost: Free
Peacock
Site: www.peacocktv.com
Peacock, Comcast’s streaming service, has a handful of animated cartoons. However, they’re mostly either older shows, third-party acquired ones, or a few DreamWorks-made shows. While there’s some worthwhile material, Peacock isn’t the main service I’d go to for cartoons. Although Comcast owns DreamWorks and Illumination, many of those studios’ films and TV shows are often available elsewhere, especially on Netflix.
Cartoons on Peacock include:
“Curious George.”
“Dragons: The Nine Realms” and “Dragons: Riders of Berk,” spin-offs of the “How to Train Your Dragon” movies.
Some DreamWorks films, including “Shrek” and “The Croods.”
Some Illumination films, including “The Secret Life of Pets” and “Minions.”
Cost: with ads: $6/month or $60/year; without ads, $12/month or $120/year
Free ad-supported services
Various free ad-supported services exist, all of them offering cartoons. However, most of their animation libraries vary in quality. Still, they can be a way to add programming for free, if one’s willing to put up with ads.
The best options:
Pluto TV: Pluto TV has streaming “channels” of various programming, plus some on demand programming. “Channels” exist for Nickelodeon (older “SpongeBob” and “Fairly OddParents” episodes), Nick Jr. (“Dora the Explorer”), and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
Tubi: On-demand programming. Tubi has recently added various Hanna-Barbera programs, including: “Scooby-Doo,” “The Flintstones,” “The Jetsons,” “Tom and Jerry,” Yogi Bear’s shorts from “The Yogi Bear Show,” and “The Smurfs.” Basically most of the most famous Hanna-Barbera programs are here, including some not fully available on Max.
Cost: Free
My recommended streaming services
Below are my recommendations for various types of cartoon fans. I note if you don’t have any specific demands (genre, studio, a specific show, etc.) and just want cartoons, you can also just stick with popular “catch-all” services Netflix, Hulu, and/or Amazon Prime Video.
General viewing
Netflix
The Disney+/Hulu bundle
Max
Paramount+
PBS Kids (for grade-school viewers)
Tubi (for classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons)
The above services cover most of the major animation options that’d interest most people. The major animation studios (Disney, Warner Bros., etc.) are covered, as well as the major TV animation outlets (Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Adult Swim, etc.). Programming for all ages is also covered, from “Molly of Denali” to “Harley Quinn.” Anime is also covered.
Fortunately, the above services also cover most popular live-action programming, from “Game of Thrones” to “Abbott Elementary.”
Hardcore Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera fans might want to also consider adding Boomerang. Or better still, buying those programs on DVD/Blu-ray/digital video.
Hardcore DreamWorks/Illumination fans might want to consider adding Peacock. However, “Minions” fans will likely be better off just buying the films on DVD/Blu-ray/digital video.
Adult animation
Max
Hulu
Paramount+
These services cover the most popular adult animated programs, including “South Park,” “Harley Quinn,” “Rick and Morty” (and other Adult Swim fare), the “Futurama” and “Beavis and Butt-Head” revivals, and the Fox Sunday lineup.
I suggest adding Disney+ if you also want “The Simpsons” back catalog.
Anime
Crunchyroll
Netflix
Hulu
Max
The above services should cover the viewing interests of most anime fans, from the Studio Ghibli films to “One Piece.”
For kids
Disney+
Max
Paramount+
PBS Kids
All of these services will cover whatever’s on Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network, as well as their studios’ theatrical animation. I also strongly recommend PBS Kids, since it’s educational, high quality, without commercials, and free. Disney+, Max, and Paramount+ offer ad-free tiers, parental controls, and kids-only profiles.
On a budget
Netflix, Max, Disney+/Hulu, or Paramount+
Tubi
Pluto TV
PBS Kids (for grade-school viewers)
The public library (DVDs/Blu-rays; library-based streaming services like Hoopla and Kanopy)
If you’re on a tight budget, you’ll probably want to stick with just one paid streaming service/bundle, and using various free ad-supported services instead.
The public library is another strong option; they still offer DVDs and Blu-rays for checkout. Some libraries also offer access to Kanopy and Hoopla, which offer some cartoons for library card holders.
Conclusion
What do you make of the 2023 recommended streaming services for cartoons? Do you have any favorite ones out of the above, or ones I didn’t list? Feel free to list them in the comments.
Image clockwise from upper left: "The Loud House" (Nickelodeon); "The Owl House" (Disney); "Futurama" (Hulu); "Kiki's Delivery Service" (Studio Ghibli).