BritBox vs Acorn TV, which is better? We've put together this guide to help you decide. If you're a UK reader, it's worth noting that BritBox has now rolled into ITVX, so see this article more as an ITVX vs Acorn TV article. For US readers, BritBox is very much available.
There are so many streaming services to pick from — Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, Prime Video and many more — it can be tough, but hopefully this guide will help.
Acorn TV has existed as a standalone service in the US since 2013 and expanded to the UK in 2020, and plays host to a range of gripping crime dramas and intriguing mystery stories from the UK and Ireland as well as other parts of the English-speaking world like Australia and Canada.
BritBox, meanwhile, was launched in the US in 2017 before a separate UK version rolled out in 2019. The service was founded by the BBC and ITV, and plays host to content from many of the UK's own broadcasters including both founding networks plus Channel 4, Channel 5 and Comedy Central UK. Since April 2024 BritBox in the UK has been part of ITVX.
Below you'll find our breakdown detailing everything you need to know about these two streaming services to help you decide whether Acorn TV or BritBox (ITVX in the UK) is the right service for you...
BritBox vs Acorn TV: Overview
To start off, we'd like to suggest that neither BritBox nor Acorn TV is looking to become your primary streaming service; neither one is going to replace the likes of Disney Plus or Netflix, for example. You're much better off considering both BritBox and Acorn TV as supplements to your normal streaming habits.
BritBox is billed as "the home of British TV" and offers a curated library of content that includes complete box sets of old and new shows along with a growing range of original programming.
BritBox has over three million subscribers worldwide. Meanwhile, Acorn TV is a targeted service aimed at bringing new shows from around the world to fans of detectives, police dramas, and thrillers, all ad-free. New shows and hard-to-find gems are added on a regular basis.
Acorn TV surpassed the one million subscriber mark way back in 2019.
BritBox vs Acorn TV: Pricing & Free Trials
Acorn TV currently costs $7.99 / £4.99, but you can also get an annual subscription for $79.99 / £49.99. In both the UK and the US, the annual subscription will get you 12 months' access for the price of 10.
Acorn TV's free trial period lasts for just seven days in the US. UK users can instead try the service for a slightly more generous 14-day trial period.
How much does BritBox cost? A BritBox monthly subscription costs $8.99 in the US, with annual subscription options available for $89.99 / £59.99. Like Acorn TV, that's 12 months for the price of 10. BritBox’s free trial lasts for seven days, regardless of which region you're watching in. In the UK, if you're after the BritBox library then an ITVX subscription, which has the BritBox shows, is £5.99 or £59.99. ITVX has a 7-day free trial.
Overall, both BritBox and Acorn TV are priced very similarly to competing streaming services of similar scope.
BritBox vs Acorn TV: Where are they available?
Acorn TV and BritBox are both available in different areas, and on different platforms.
BritBox is currently available in many countries including the US, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway. In the UK as mentioned it's been wrapped into ITVX and is no longer available.
You can watch BritBox on: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast, YouView set-top boxes, select smart TVs, iOS and Android mobiles and tablets, Roku devices, and in your browser.
Acorn TV is available in over 30 countries including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico.
You can currently watch Acorn TV in your browser (they recommend using Chrome), Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV devices, Chromecast, and on iOS and Android mobiles and tablets.
BritBox vs Acorn TV: What's on?
For pure depth of content, BritBox is a winner. There's a vast library of BBC and ITV shows on BritBox. There are recent hits like After the Flood and The Responder. Plus there's a huge archive of old shows like Poirot, Pride & Prejudice, Absolutely Fabulous, The Office (UK) and much more. It should be said there's some crossover between the services and that if you want to get the latest BBC and ITV shows then BritBox is a better bet. We have a full list of BritBox shows. Fans of reality TV and soaps will also be well-served by the box sets of Love Island UK, The Only Way is Essex, Strictly Come Dancing, Coronation Street, EastEnders, and Emmerdale.
However, Acorn TV does create a lot of original series itself and if you're into detective shows you're sure to want to catch them. There's Signora Volpe, a lavish drama that mixes sleuthing, spying and a gorgeous Italian backdrop, starring Silent Witness legend Emilia Fox. There's also Harry Wild, the Irish mystery thriller stars Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jane Seymour as Harriet "Harry" Wild, a recently retired university professor who discovers she has a knack for solving crimes. Plus The Chelsea Detective, a London-based cop show starring Gavin & Stacey's Adrian Scarborough. Acorn is continually making new shows, making Acorn TV a strong service.
If these original shows appeal then Acorn TV could be a good choice, especially if you're a big crime drama fan. But if you want a broader service, then BritBox might be the way to go.
You can also find movies on both services, although neither library rivals the likes of Prime Video or Netflix.
BritBox vs Acorn TV: Our Verdict
Both services are available to watch in a range of ways, both are similarly priced, and both offer fairly standard user experiences, meaning your decision will come down to one thing and one thing only: what do you want to watch the most?
Acorn TV definitely has some gems and is especially appealing if you're a crime drama fan. If you're into very cosy crime dramas it's got even more going for it. However, it doesn't have the depth of BritBox. BritBox has a much vaster range of shows and if you lean more towards comedies it seems a better bet. Also if you're in the US you're getting the latest BBC and ITV dramas. In some cases, UK shows are actually reaching BritBox in the US even before they're available in the UK! And there are plenty of great crime dramas on the service too, such as the recently released McDonald & Dodds season 4.
So, if you're only interested in picking one of them up, BritBox edges it for us. However, we'd still recommend at least grabbing an Acorn TV free trial to check out what they've got on offer before picking it up.
If you're in the UK, then ITVX also edges it for us over Acorn TV. ITVX has all the BritBox collection plus it has the benefit over normal ITV services in that you can watch most content without ads.
