BritBox vs Acorn TV seems to be the booming argument in the streaming services world.
Some might think that the whole debate of BritBox vs Acorn TV is fruitless considering they are quite similar. So viewers assume that it doesn’t make sense to choose one over the other. However, it does.
They differ in terms of the focus of their content and the breadth of features they offer. So you will still find users figuring out the whole BritBox vs Acorn TV discussion. The ever-growing competition isn’t only among Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus anymore, BritBox vs Acorn TV has entered the competition.
Acorn TV has been around in the US since 2013. But a rival has been created to be the home of British TV in 2016 i.e BritBox.
So to get rid of this confusion that all the online streaming fans have, I have compiled a guide with everything you need to know about BritBox vs Acorn TV.
Contents
BritBox vs Acorn TV: Top Features & User Experience
BritBox and Acorn TV choose to keep their features and interface simple and easy to use and navigate.
While navigating Acorn TV, it does have a long loading time for specific pages which doesn’t usually happen with BritBox.
The video player on both the services is mostly the same. A few notable differences could be that you can choose the streaming quality on Acorn TV whereas BritBox doesn’t. However, you have the option to skip ahead or backward by 10 secs on BritBox vs Acorn TV doesn’t have the feature.
BritBox and Acorn TV segregate their content into categories. They also provide recommendations that are displayed in convenient carousels. Users can navigate through content with filters like TV shows and movies, genres, A-Z, and more.
Acorn TV has a huge advantage with the picture-in-picture player. This feature will display a small player that is pinned and overlaid onto your desktop, allowing you to get on with small tasks at the same time.
BritBox is a tad more accessible as compared to Acorn TV as it is available for users on iOS and Android mobiles and tablets. Acorn TV isn’t.
BritBox vs Acorn TV: Availability
BritBox and Acorn TV are available in various areas and on many different platforms like many current streaming platforms.
Acorn TV is made to be available in plenty of regions including the UK, Canada, the US, the Nordics, parts of South America, New Zealand, Australia, and Mexico.
Right now Acorn TV is accessible on your browser (specifically Chrome, recommended by the website), Fire TV devices, Roku, Apple TV, Android, and iOS mobiles and tabs, Apple TV.
Whereas BritBox is available in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK. The claimed Netflix rival streaming service is rumored to launch in South Africa too. Subscribers from out of the UK can use their subscription in any area.
britBox is available on Android and iOS mobiles and tablets, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV devices, Roku devices, and your browser.
Amazingly, you can add BritBox and Acorn TV as Prime Video Channels to your Amazon Prime Video subscription in the US. The same features will soon be available to UK viewers too.
BritBox vs Acorn TV: Free Trials and Price
A monthly subscription to BritBox is $6.99 / £5.00 and $69.99 / £59.99for yearly subscription. That is basically the price of 10 months for 12 months.
If you’re unsure about wanting to spend the money, BritBox also offers a free trial for 7 days, whether you’re in the UK or US.
You should also know that as a UK reader you can get a free BritBox subscription of 6 months if you’re a BT broadband customer or you pay for your mobiles with EE.
When it comes to Acorn TV, the subscription charges are $5.99 / £4.99. You also get the annual subscription for $59.55 / £49.99. So similar to BritBox, Acorn TV yearly subscription saves you the amount of two months subscription.
Acorn TV also offers a free trial for 7 days in the US. Whereas, UK users have a free trial period of 30 days.
In conclusion, the subscription of BritBox vs Acorn TV is almost the same. With only a one-dollar difference, Acorn TV wins as the cheaper service.
BritBox vs Acorn TV: Content, Channels, Live Streams
BritBox evidently has a bigger library of content. The constant favorites like Sherlock, Gavin & Stacey, Fawlty Towers are available along with recent shows like Broad church and The Prembrokeshire Murders, Dead Pixels, and Finding Alice.
When it comes to soaps and reality TV, BritBox has that available too. It features The Only Way Is Essex, Strictly Come Dancing, EastEnders from just the top of the list.
In comparison to BritBox, Acorn TV has a smaller content library. Since Acorn TV targets a niche market, most of the content is from the mystery and crime genres, keeping the library definite and limited.
From the top of the list of their popular content, Acorn TV features’ Law & Order: UK, Keeping Faith, Agath Raisin, Line of Duty, and the just-out crime drama Bloodlands. Along with this Acron TV also features a minute range of documentaries focusing on British culture, history, and nature.
The US Acorn TV’s content library is significantly bigger than that of UK Acorn TV. This may be due to the later launch of Acorn TV in the UK in 2020. Some shows are already made available on free Acorn TV alternatives like BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub
The films offered by Acorn TV are mostly TV specials or documentaries. Whereas BritBox does flex some British hits like Attack the Block, Transpotting, and Under the Skin.
Do note that any content mentioned may not be available in all the regions.
BritBox vs Acorn TV: Summary
This article isn’t trying to change your mind about Netflix or Disney+. BritBox and Acorn TV focused only on British entertainment and programs.
Acorn TV aims at providing a targeted service of getting you all the new shows to those who love police, detective, thrillers, and drama programs or movies.
In 2019, Acorn TV had already reached its one-millionth subscriber. Now, this is impressive as it only serves a highly targeted, niche service.
Whereas, BritBox is a joint venture between BBC and ITV. It is tagged at the home of British TV for providing sets of both old and new shows for its fans.
BritBox has a rapidly growing subscriber base in the US, whereas it’s reached 500,000 people in the UK.
So, which is better BritBox or Acorn TV?
So to decide which one you should get, BritBox or Acorn TV, it might still be difficult to decide considering both streaming services have similar features. That being said, I would pick Britbox as the ideal alternative to Acorn TV. However, I did find better Britbox alternatives some of which are even free.
Ultimately, you can decide this based on the content each service is providing. What is available on BritBox might not be available on Acorn TV and vice versa.
If you’re an avid fan of mystery, crime, and thriller Acorn is the best option for you. While BritBox may offer the same genres, Acorn TV offers some great surprises from it.
While BritBox caters to its wider targeted audience with a broader range of British comedies, documentaries, and dramas it is bound to offer more content.
