Since Netflix popularized streaming, many companies have tried to jump on the bandwagon. Yahoo Screen, Crackle, Crunchyroll -- the list goes on. Some of those services found their niche markets, and some folded. Now, three major services still exist. Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu. Each company provides a base service that is similar, yet they are all vastly different. Here, we will examine each company to find where each one excels and falls short.

Pricing

In terms of pricing, Netflix and Amazon have Hulu beat by a wide margin.

Hulu does offer an $8 a month service, called the Limited Commercials plan. The problem is that a large chunk of the streaming service market opts to stream in order to binge-watch shows. Watching the same few advertisements every 10 minutes ruins the binging experience. Hulu did recently start to offer a commercial free option for $12 per month, which is more expensive than the standard Netflix and Amazon Prime options, both of which come without commercials anyway.

For streaming alone, Netflix will reportedly increase its regular pricing to $10 a month. However, it will also offer an $8 a month standard-definition plan as well as a $12 a month ultra high-definition plan. Netflix also does still offer mail order DVDs from their expansive library for an additional $7 a month. For most, the extra two dollars is worth cutting out commercials when comparing Netflix to Hulu.

Amazon Prime does not offer multiple video quality options or a commercial/commercial free distinction. Customers pay an annual fee of $99. However, anyone with a .edu email address can access Amazon Prime Student, which only costs $60 a year. That means the most expensive option through Amazon is on par with the least expensive options for Netflix and Hulu. Additionally, Amazon Prime grants users free two-day shipping at no additional charge. In terms of pricing, Amazon wins flat out.

Licensed Content

In terms of catalogue content, the “winner” will come down to personal preference. Amazon has an exclusive deal with HBO, Netflix with Showtime. Hulu exclusively streams "Community,'' "The Mindy Project" and "Seinfeld." Outside that, there is a lot of overlap between the big three in terms of licensing agreements.

Still, Netflix does end up winning out in terms of content quantity. According to Tech Times, Netflix users have access to nearly 25,000 titles compared to 10,000 for Hulu and 5,000 for Amazon.

However, when it comes to updating their respective libraries, Hulu is the clear winner. Usually new episodes are released within 24 hours of their original airdate and Hulu streams most current network shows. If a user wanted to replace their basic cable package, Hulu would be a sufficient substitute.

Amazon does stream some shows that are updated frequently as well. However, with their exclusive HBO deal as the main draw in this category, they do fall behind Hulu. Amazon does not get access to HBO content until the show in question ends. In other words, you can watch "The Wire" until your wide-rimmed glasses crack, but there are no "Game of Thrones" episodes to be found.

Netflix begins to stream shows roughly a year after they air, about the time the season is getting a DVD release. This does mean users can binge the show all at once, they just have to wait an unnecessarily long time to do so.

Original Content

It isn’t close. To give you a quick perspective, Emmy nominations came out last month. Netflix original "House of Cards" came up three nominations shorter than Amazon Prime did as a distributor. Overall, the count was 54 nominations for Netflix, 16 for Amazon and none for Hulu.

Hulu has put out a good quantity of content, but has not created an original series with staying power. "11.22.63" is the piece that made the biggest critical splash for Hulu, and it was a miniseries.

Outside series, Hulu has produced three short documentaries and a few short-lived reality shows.

Amazon has faired better than Hulu in the original content game. They have produced fewer series than their competitors, but "Transparent" and "Mozart in the Jungle" have won high profile awards. Most of Amazon’s original content has been well received and they have a different way of rolling out series. Amazon has a few pilot seasons a year, in which they release several pilots and allow users to vote on which show they would like to see more of. Many people enjoy having that level of input to what gets produced.

But do you need input when a studio produces like Netflix? More often than not, Netflix original series are critically praised and make a huge splash upon release. The occasional misfire ("Real Rob," anyone?) is made up for tenfold when a series hits. The Internet seemed to stop for "Stranger Things" just as it does when a new season of "Orange is the New Black" or "House of Cards" drops. Add in the deal Netflix has with Marvel, deep and varied roster of shows, and already Netflix is the clear king of original content amongst streaming services.

But that’s not all Netflix does. The company has produced 21 original documentaries since 2012 along with a plethora of stand-up specials and original films. There is no competition in terms of original content, Amazon and Hulu use it as a supplement, Netflix is now at a point where it could subsist off of original productions alone.

Conclusion

There is a reason Netflix has become as ubiquitous as Google in the streaming world. From superior user interface, to content quantity and quality, Netflix simply wins too many battles to not be considered the superior service. While Hulu and Amazon Prime certainly have their advantages, Netflix is still the king.