Worth It? Which Streaming Platform Is the Best in Malaysia?

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*This article was translated by Nor Aziah from "Platform Streaming Mana Paling BERBALOI Kat Malaysia?".

Back then, we had to put effort into watching our favourite TV shows and movies, like illegally tweaking any websites or platforms. But now we're in the age of streaming - there are plenty of options out there.

In Malaysia, there are more than 10 streaming platforms that you can easily choose in this country. But, takkan you want to subscribe to everything, right? Unless you’re from golongan kayangan, can lah. If you’re like admin, just a commoner, then we have to do a comparison between these platforms to see if it suits our taste and budget. Have to lah, if you want to jimat.

What's covered in this article?

If you’re still looking for the best streaming platform for yourself, admin will make it easier by comparing between these 8 streaming platforms - Netflix, Hotstar (Disney+), Viu, Apple TV+, Prime Video, dimsum, HBO GO and WeTV iflix. Let’s take a look at this article, shall we?

Pricing Plans & Device Sharing Quota

Image source: GMO Research

The first thing we Malaysians will consider is definitely the price of the plan, right?

So, let’s start with Netflix.

It’s offering pricing plans based on the device sharing quota. This means if there are more people using the devices, the prices will go up from RM17 to RM55!. If you’re going for the premium plan, and you see device macam tak cukup, don’t fret. You just need to add another RM13.75 per device.

Disney+ Hotstar

Meanwhile, Disney+ Hotstar will cost you RM54.90 for 3 months of usage - a wee bit pricey compared to Netflix since the platform is limited to only 2 devices, whereas Apple TV+ comes up with better devices sharing option.

What about Apple TV+?

Apple TV+ offers a monthly plan of RM29.90 and can share up to 6 devices. Even better if you’re planning on getting an Apple product like a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, or iPod touch because you can get a 3-month free plan.

That’s a sweet deal. Even better, Apple TV+ is not only for Apple users. In fact, it's available on the Apple TV app across a range of devices and screens including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and others.

And, others?

Viu and WeTV iflix are great for those who prefer to spend zero ringgit and not be fussy. These three streaming platforms do provide free content but are a bit limited. If you want the unlimited version, boleh. Just pay lah.

If you decide to go with Viu, you can choose to pay RM29.90 for 3 month, RM54.90 for 6 months, or up to RM99 for a year. It can be streamed through 5 different devices, so you have to pay RM1.99 per person (Viu).

For WeTV iflix, you can spend watch for free, up from RM10 per month for Premium or RM96 yearly.

Next, if you want to subscribe to HBO Go, you will have to pay RM34.90 per month or RM69.90 for 3 months (a bit pricey than Astro!). HBO Go allows up to 5 registered devices, however, you can only stream your fav shows from two different devices at the same time.

Prime Video, on the other hand, offers RM25 per month, which is expensive compared to Apple TV+. Take note the bill might differ from time to time due to currency exchange from dollar to Malaysian Ringgit.

Streaming platform	Pricing plan	Device sharing quotas
Netflix	RM17 - RM55 (1 month)	4
Disney + Hotstar	RM54.90 (3 months)	4
Viu	Free (limited) RM29.90 (3 month) RM54.90 (6 months) RM99 (1 year)	3
WeTV iflix	Free (limited) RM10 (1 month) RM96 (1 year)	5
Apple TV+	RM29.90 (1 month)	6
HBO GO	RM34.90 (1 month) RM69.90 (3 months)	2
Prime Video	RM25 (1 month)	3

Types of available movies and Tv shows

It’s important for you to consider the types of the available content on those platforms and subscribe to the one that caught your eyes most whether they’re Hollywood shows, Bollywood or Kdrama. Below is the list of all movies and tv shows available on each streaming platform:

Types of Streaming Platform	Types of Movie & TV Shows	Example
Netflix	Netflix original, Malay, Hollywood, Bollywood, Kdrama, Jdrama, Anime & Cartoon shows	Bridgerton, Money Heist & Hospital Playlist
Disney + Hotstar	Disney+ original, Hollywood, Malay, Bollywood & Cartoon shows	Wandavision, Black Widow & Ejen Ali
Viu	Viu original, Malay, Kdrama, Jdrama, Thailand, Anime & Cartoon shows	Running Man, The Devil Judge, Gol & Gincu 1 & 2
dimsum	Kdrama, Jdrama, Bollywood, China, Taiwan, Singapura, Hong Kong & Thailand shows	My Hero Academia & Scarlet Heart
WeTV iflix	WeTV iflix original, Malay, Kdrama, Jdrama, China, Indonesia, Hong Kong & Thailand shows	Bidadari Salju, Takdir Yang Tertulis & KL Gangster Underworld
Apple TV+	Apple TV+ original, Hollywood, Kdrama & Jdrama shows	The Morning Show & Defending Jacob
HBO GO	HBO GO original & Hollywood shows	Friends: The Reunion, The White Lotus, Gossip Girl & Justice League: The Snyder Cut
Prime Video	Amazon original & Hollywood shows	The Boys, The Marvelous Ms Maisel & Good Omens

Image source: Direct

For those who enjoy Kdrama, Jdrama, China or Thailand shows, subscribing to WeTV iflix, Viu or dimsum would be the right choice. You won’t be able to get that dose of entertainment from Netflix or Disney+ Hotstar.

Disney+ Hotstar is the best streaming platform for those who are into superhero film franchises, especially Marvel. They have all the old Marvel movies up until Wandavision, The Falcon and Winter Soldier, Loki and the latest movie release, Black Widow. You won't miss a single show! In addition, these streaming platforms also released their own original content.

If you watch mainstream shows mostly, then Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO GO, Prime Video would be some of the options you have. If you want more local entertainment, then go for either WeTV iflix or Viu.

Additional Plus Point for Shows Enthusiast Out There!

If you wanna choose the main streaming platform to turn into, Netflix is definitely the best one. You can easily watch any shows without any disruption (no ads!). You can also download your favourite shows and watch them anytime. Plus, in general, the user interface and whole streaming experience are good, easy to navigate for new users.

For parents, you don’t have to worry about the content your kids will watch on this platform because you can easily set up parental control so they don’t accidentally watch any inappropriate content!. You can also create a watch party via Netflix if you use Teleparty (previously known as Netflix Party!) If there are no available shows for you, you can make a suggestion for Netflix to take it into consideration.

Disney+ Hotstar also has the same user interface and streaming experience for their audience. However, it’s hard if you want to binge-watch movies or TV shows, the platform tends to lag.

For Viu, you have to subscribe as a premium member first before you can download any movies or tv shows. The downside of Viu is there are too many pop-up ads if you use it for free. Furthermore, it’s hard to navigate the application (not really mobile-friendly!).

The same goes for WeTV iflix. FYI, the search function on WeTV iflix is identical to Youtube (not limited to movies or tv shows only!)

Oh. yes. dimsum also shares the same traits. You can only download and watch without ads if you subscribe to a premium membership. And, you can set up parental control too!

Not to forget Apple TV+, you can also download all of the shows. Here's a fun fact: Apple TV+ is actually the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world. They've premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have been honoured with 152 wins and 518 awards nominations.

Now it’s a different scenario with Prime Video and HBO GO, you don’t have to break the bank to buy their line of products to become a member. You can easily create an account, no stress at all. These platforms also let parents control what the kids are watching. Like people said, easy to use lah.

So, which streaming platform is WORTH IT?

Admin thinks you already figured this out, it’s very obvious that the best streaming platform worth your money is Netflix.

It’s not a surprise since Netflix is quite popular among Malaysians. Aside from being able to share from a single account, you can also create a watch party with your friends and loved ones. The more the merrier. For this part, other streaming platforms are not really up to standard yet with Netflix.

The price is also affordable for their services. Let's say you subscribe to the cheapest plan which is RM17 for its mobile plan, you can still enjoy lots of good tv shows and movies that you can choose from. Where you can find streaming platforms like this one, right?

Netflix will also upgrade their original content, movies or tv shows both longest-running shows and the latest every month. For sure you’ll never get bored because the options are endless. This is very different compared to other streaming platforms, some of those platforms rarely update new shows.

So, what do you guys think? Which streaming platforms do you think is worth your money? Feel free to share your opinion and experience with the admin on the FB comment section.

Happy binge-watching!

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