So we have another streaming service in Australia and yes, it’s landing in what is a pretty competitive market. We already have the mighty Netflix which has been around forever it feels like – but now we also have Channel 9’s Stan which just keeps dishing up great entertainment and then there’s Disney Plus as well! And don’t forget Apple TV Plus. So much choice and well, some fairly limited time!
So in a competitive market like this you’d probably think Binge has little chance of becoming popular but once you know the background to Binge, you’re aware this service could take the prize. Binge is owned by the same company as Foxtel and if you’ve ever wanted to watch some of the great Foxtel content but couldn’t, then you’ll know what we mean – think Game of Thrones, Succession and Chernobyl.
All of these classics are now available on Binge because everything Foxtel has in the way of content – Binge now has. You get all that great content but no ads and you don’t need an IQ box. This is something we’ve all been waiting for!
Big Little Lies or Game of Thrones? Well now you can – on Binge.
Netflix is still a mighty competitor
Netflix has been an Aussie favourite for all serious streamers since it launched here way back in 2015. Despite a library that’s smaller than its US and UK counterparts, Netflix is the ‘go-to’ streaming service and boasts more than 11 million subscribers. That figure has probably increased lately, because COVID-19 would have pushed it up by now.
If you subscribe to Netflix, you can access it all around the globe and you’ll get the content which is available based on the country you’re in. Some titles are only available in some countries but Australia usually has most of the new releases available to viewers here.
Binge is only for use in Australia which means you can only access the content in Australia on supported devices. Some of Netflix’s content can be streamed in up to 4K but Binge streams at a maximum quality of HD at this stage.
Which one has the best content?
While Netflix Australia has a huge amount of hours of content and this will alwasy be more than what Binge is offering, for viewers, it often comes down to the original content both Netflix and Binge have to offer.
The original TV series from Netflix have a strong following and have garnered good reviews. You only have to think of some of the classics – Dead to Me, Grace and Frankie, After Life and Vikings.
You need to compare this to Binge’s content which includes classics such as – Game of Thrones, Succession, Chernobyl, Big Little Lies, The Wire and 30 Rock.
Both services feature a lot of movies and documentaries so in some ways, it all comes down to personal choice.
What are the pricing differences?
Binge has structured its pricing to be very similar to Netflix so there’s not much in it.
To Watch Netflix Or Binge? Let’s take a look at what is on offer
For Netflix you have:
- Netflix Basic costs $9.99 per month for one SD stream and one offline download device.
- Netflix Standard costs $13.99 per month for two HD streams and two offline download devices.
- Netflix Premium costs $19.99 per month for four (up to) 4K streams and four offline download devices.
For Binge you have:
- Binge – for one SD stream it costs $10 per month.
- Binge – for two HD streams it costs $14 for per month.
- Binge – for four HD streams it costs $18 per month.
Binge has a free trial – Netflix doesn’t have this any more
Recently, Netflix withdrew its 30-day free trial in Australia so this isn’t an option any more but you can join up, check it out for a month and then cancel.
Binge is offering a two-week free trial once you’ve put in your payment details for your plan. You’re able to cancel any time but once this two weeks ends, if you haven’t cancelled, you’ll automatically be charged for the first month of your plan.
Both Binge and Netflix are compatible with a wide variety of devices. So far, Binge isn’t supported on PlayStation but this is expected to come in within the next six to 12 months. There are currently no plans to support Xbox One but it’s been announced Binge is looking at the next-gen Xbox Series X.
Are they easy to navigate?
Both streaming services are easy to use. When you’re on Netflix, you can rate shows with an easy thumbs up or thumbs down. It’s easy to search for what to watch by name, category, or the people involved.
You can keep your content to yourself with up to five profiles and there’s a dedicated ‘Kids’ tab which only fills the home screen with age-appropriate content.
No surprises her but Binge is fairly similar – looks like Netflix has been used as a guide for Binge’s user interface. So if you’re a longtime Netflix user, you’ll feel at home on Binge. You can have up to six Binge profiles per account and you can make up your own ‘lists’ of your favourite content.
So what’s the verdict – Binge or Netflix?
As we’ve said already in regards to content, the decision as to whether to watch Binge or Netflix ends up being a personal one. When the people at Foxtel decided to launch a streaming service, it looks like they’ve used the Netflix model as a template and this makes both services fairly similar in terms of pricing and how they work.
One option is to subscribe to both services and another option is to flick between the two. At the very least, it seems like a good idea to try Binge out for two weeks using it’s free two-week trial so you can see if it works for you.
