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Discovery Plus is the best streaming service for fans of reality TV, nature documentaries, cooking shows, and true-crime series. Members get access to a massive library of shows from all of the major Discovery networks. You can sign up for $5 a month with commercials or $9 a month for ad-free streaming.
The service features a selection of exclusive programs you won't get anywhere else, and the app makes it easy to find all your favorite Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet, Food Network, and HGTV series in one place. Since its focus is almost entirely on unscripted content, Discovery Place isn't a good fit for viewers who want to stream traditional sitcoms or dramas, but its reality and docuseries lineup is packed with more than 70,000 episodes and over 2,500 shows to watch.
Below, we've broken down some of the basics for Discovery Plus to help you decide whether it's a good fit for your needs.
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How much is Discovery Plus?
Discovery Plus offers two plans: an ad-supported option for $5 a month, or an ad-free option for $9 a month. The service used to have a discounted student plan for $3 a month, but this offer is no longer available.
How do I get Discovery Plus?
If you'd like to try Discovery Plus, you can sign up for the service directly through the Discovery Plus website or as an add-on to a participating third-party provider, like Amazon Prime Video. New members receive a seven-day free trial.
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Which devices support Discovery Plus?
Discovery Plus is available on iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Android/Google TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung smart TVs, Vizio smart TVs, Xbox consoles, Chromecast, and web browsers. An official app is not available for Playstation users, however you can watch Discovery Plus throughAmazon Prime Video.
For more streaming player recommendations, check out our guide to the best streaming devices.
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What can I watch on Discovery Plus?
Discovery Plus is home to an extensive library of content from multiple networks, including Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet, Food Network, HGTV, ID, A&E, History, Lifetime, OWN, Travel, Science Network, CNN, and more.
The lineup features popular programs like "90 Day Fiance," "Ghost Adventures," "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives," "Chopped," "Property Brothers," "Deadliest Catch," "Dirty Jobs," and many more. Some episodes of currently airing shows get added to Discovery Plus the same day they air on a Discovery network.
Original shows developed exclusively for Discovery Plus are also available to stream. Discovery Plus Originals include titles like "Love Off the Grid," "Million Dollar Wheels," "90 Day: The Single Life," and more. Many of these exclusive series feature popular personalities from the Discovery family of networks, as well as celebrities like Ludacris, Melissa McCarthy, and Martha Stewart.
A feature called "Discovery Plus Channels" is also available. This option allows members to stream continuous 24/7 feeds of select shows, like "House Hunters," "Fixer Upper," and "Chopped."
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HBO Max and Discovery Plus: What does the merger mean for me?
On May 23, Warner Bros. Discovery merged content from HBO Max and Discovery Plus into one streaming service called Max. But while Max does include a sizable selection of Discovery Plus content, it does not include the complete Discovery Plus library. Discovery Plus is still offered as a standalone service for viewers who want access to its full catalog of content.
Max costs $10/month for HD streaming with ads, $16/month for HD streaming without ads, or $20/month for 4K streaming without ads. In addition to select Discovery Plus programming, Max members get access to a big selection of movies and shows from HBO and Warner Brothers, including original series.
The new service has the potential to attract a wider range of subscribers and demographics by offering all of HBO Max's scripted content and a selection of Discovery Plus' unscripted titles.
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Is Discovery Plus worth it?
The value of a Discovery Plus subscription will largely depend on your tastes as a viewer. After spending some time with the service, we think Discovery Plus' low price makes it an enticing option for big fans of reality TV, cooking shows, nature docs, true crime, and other nonfiction programs.
It's also an affordable choice if you're looking for a secondary service to supplement another app you use as a primary streaming platform, like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, or Hulu. However, if you're someone who enjoys HBO content in addition to unscripted TV, you should consider switching to Max to get the best of HBO and Discovery Plus in one place.
Check out our full Discovery Plus review for detailed impressions.
Tech Editor
Steven is a Tech Editor for the Insider Reviews team, where he oversees streaming and home entertainment product coverage. He previously served as High-Def Digest's Gear Editor from 2013 to 2019, and his work has appeared on Ben's Bargains, Steve's Digicams, Big Picture Big Sound, and Consequence of Sound. Over his nine years of experience covering the audiovisual industry, Steven has reviewed numerous TVs, headphones, speakers, monitors, streaming players, and more. He was one of a select number of journalists invited to get a hands-on first look at LG's first 8K OLED TV in 2019, and is always excited to check out the newest and biggest displays on the market. Based on his extensive experience in the home theater industry, Steven served as one of the expert judges for the 2018 TV Shootout, the premier annual display competition that crowns the best TVs of the year. Steven also has a background in film criticism, having reviewed over 400 movies and TV shows. He uses his movie industry knowledge to help inform his coverage of the streaming and home entertainment markets. Steven's own home theater setup makes his passion for entertainment clear, complete with a 65-inch HDR display and the biggest Dolby Atmos speaker system he can fit in his apartment. And though he often spends his free time binging new series on every streaming service under the sun, he remains proud of his huge collection of Blu-ray discs. See below for some of his work.
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- The 5 best home theater systems of 2021
Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Learn more about how we test tech and electronics.
Tech Updates Editorial Fellow
Alexander Johnson was a former Tech Updates Editorial Fellow for Insider's Reviews Archive. Based in Ohio, he maintains reviews and guides related to tech products, streaming services, and all things digital. An alum of Kent State University, he previously interned for The Nation magazine and fact-checked for Insider and other major national publications. When not working, he can be found in a book, toolbox, or Linux terminal.
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