With a slew of new seasons about to hit Netflix, including original series and films, the temptation to get rid of cable may be growing stronger for TV viewers out there. But is it worth it?

Amazon Prime has also incorporated original content into its on-demand media platform, and HBO has broken free from the clenches of cable to offer premium content directly through a downloadable application. Not to mention Hulu Plus and Sling TV being viable alternatives to monthly cable bills. But add all those up, and you’re likely paying more than the average monthly cable subscription.

Is it worth cutting cable, how many friends can you share an account with, and which streaming service gives you the biggest bang for your buck?

Netflix

Fee: Basic $7.99, Standard $9.99, Premium $11.99; offers 30-day free trial, after that if you want to continue you don’t have to do anything, if not just opt out anytime.

What you need to know: You can watch shows on Netflix using your laptop, TV, smartphone or tablet. HD shows are only available in Standard and Premium.

Screen sharing: The Basic tier only allows you to use one gadget to watch a show, while the Standard tier allows two devices to access the same Netflix account at the same time, and Premium bumps the number to four. This means that if you have the Standard or Premium account, you can share your password with your buddy so you can enjoy great shows at a very low cost.

Shows and movies: Netflix offers thousands of movies, shows, documentaries, cartoons on demand, but some shows are only available in specific regions, while some are available for only a limited time. But what makes Netflix a great cable TV replacement is its original shows such as Orange is the New Black, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Grace and Frankie to name a few, plus more original content are expected to come out this year. These shows are only available on Netflix (downloading pirated copies not included) which gives Netflixers a leg up on those still tied to their cable or satellite TV subscriptions.

Amazon Video

Fee: Comes with a subscription to Amazon Prime which costs $99 a year, or about $8.25 a month if you breakdown the monthly cost of the subscription; offers 30-day free trial.

What you need to know:  The fee is a very good deal if you consider the fact that a Prime subscription also includes free two-day shipping when you order eligible products from Amazon, access to Prime Music, Prime Photos, early access to lightning deals, access to over 800,000 free ebooks, aside from on demand access to your favorite shows and movies. You can watch thousands of shows or movies using your  TV, laptop, Fire TV, smartphone or choice of more than 600 devices.

Screen sharing: According to Amazon’s rules, “You can stream up to two titles at the same time using the same Amazon.com account. You can stream the same title to no more than one device at a time.”

Shows: Some of the shows and movies offered include The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I, Ex-machina, Castle, Vikings and Grimm as well as original shows such as Mozart in the Jungle, The Man in High Castle and others. But what could make cable-lovers jump ship is that Prime subscribers can also access premium cable content by adding just a few bucks per month. Amazon Prime subscribers can access Showtime and Starz for an additional $8.99 each per month, a discounted price from $11 a month, as well as other premium cable providers starting at $2.99 a month.

HBO Now

Fee: $14.99 a month; offers 30-day free trial.

What you need to know: HBO Now is an Internet-only subscription that delivers access to all of HBO’s programming – movies, series, documentaries, sports, specials as well as live premieres. You can watch content using HBO Now on an unlimited number of devices. You can access HBO Now by downloading the app from Apple AppStore, Google Play, Amazon, or by using your Roku player. It is different from HBO Go, which is included with a cable subscription.

Screen sharing: HBO is said to be lenient when it comes to password sharing, as you can activate an unlimited number of devices using the same HBO Now account. But the number of devices that can simultaneously stream using the same account is capped at three.

Shows: Watch thousands of movies such as American Sniper, The Wild and The Theory of Everything, or original series such as Ballers, Big Love, Game of Thrones, Girls, Entourage, Sex and the City, True Detective, Veep and Silicon Valley, to name a few.

Hulu Plus

Fee: Starts at $7.99; offers a 7-day free trial

What you need to know: The price of your monthly subscription will depend on whether you want a limited commercial plan or a no commercial plan. You can access Hulu on your mobile devices, computer, game console, Roku, and other compatible devices.

Screen sharing: Based on web searches and Hulu’s comment on its Facebook page, simultaneous streaming using one account is not permitted. You can, however, start watching on one device and continue where you left off on another device.

Shows: You can choose from thousands of shows and movies such as The Bachelor, Family Guy, Grey’s Anatomy, Interstellar and The Hundred-Foot Journey, to name a few. Hulu also makes its own original content such as The Mindy Project, Difficult, Deadbeat, and others.

Sling TV

Fee: Starts at $20; offers a 7-day free trial

What you need to know: Sling TV is an Internet-based service offered by Dish Network, but unlike other streaming services, it’s offers cable TV content for cord-cutters or cord-nevers. You can add additional channels for $5 each. You can watch Sling TV using Roku, your mobile devices or computer. Unlike other services that supports multiple device use, Sling TV does not. So if you start watching something on Sling TV and open it on another device, it will ask you on which device you want to continue watching the content. And just like standard or cable TV, Sling TV has commercials.

Screen sharing: According to Sling TV’s help page, “Sling TV is compatible on multiple devices, however, one account can only be streamed on one device at a time.”

Shows: It offers ESPN, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, TNT, CNN, TBS, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and AMC. This means for the $20 base package you get to enjoy shows such as the popular zombie apocalypse series The Walking Dead.

Photo by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com