US Netflix vs. Canadian Netflix: What’s the Difference?

Netflix provides different movies and videos in different countries. But how different is the content? Surprisingly, due to copyright laws, many countries vary a lot when it comes to Netflix movies and TV shows. However, the US and Canada are quite similar. In order to compare both, let’s first look at what’s unique about Canadian Netflix and United States Netflix individually.

Canadian Netflix is ranked as having one of the best Netflix movie and TV show selections in the world. There’s roughly 4,000 movie options and 1,500 TV shows available.¹ If you’re looking for something new, then you’re bound to find it. But deciding on a movie could take hours.

Canada’s total number of titles is somewhere around 5,500. But what does this mean in terms of quality? Well, Canadian Netflix includes some classic movie options that are unavailable in the US. Take The Avengers, La La Land, and Inception, for example. It also has lots of good movie series like Back to the Future and Jurassic Park.

Second to Japan and right in front of Canada, the United States has one of the largest Netflix selections in the world. With roughly 4,000 movies and 1,600 TV series, the US is about 100 titles ahead of Canada.¹

Even though the US might have more content, it’s not all the same. The US has many TV shows to choose from, like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Grey’s Anatomy. There’s also a wide variety of movies available like Million Dollar Baby, The Help, and I Can Only Imagine.

When it comes to which country has the best Netflix, it really depends on what you’re looking for. The United States has more options, with a wide variety of shows. But then again, Canada has more movies with higher ratings. If you’re looking for more variety, then the US is the best option. But if you’re looking for Friends, then Canada has you covered.

Surprisingly, when it comes to having the most Oscar-winning films, neither the US or Canada win. South Korea’s Netflix actually has 85 award winning movies, which is higher than both countries.²

It’s kind of weird to think that some of the shows available on US Netflix don’t exist on Netflix in Canada. When you think about it, something that’s hilarious in the United States might not be funny at all in Russia. Since every country has a unique culture, the entertainment is different. And that’s a good thing.

Yes, it’s important to look at the selections, but price and whether there’s 4K and HDR content available also makes a difference.

4K has to do with screen resolution and the number of pixels on your TV screen. Put simply, it makes your movies look clearer. Both the US and Canadan Netflix have 4K screen resolution.

HDR content stands for High Dynamic Range. It has to do with color contrast. HDR content is usually brighter and more colorful. Both US and Canadian Netflix also have HDR content. Since both the US and Canada tie when it comes to screen quality, it’s time to look at the cost.

When it comes to price, Canadian Netflix is one dollar more expensive than the US at $9.99 per month. This price difference is pretty close considering the difference in the cost of living between both countries.

Canada doesn’t have as many streaming services as the United States does. While you might have access to Hulu, Disney+, HBO, and Vudu, someone in Canada won’t have access to those same platforms. This changes the game when comparing the selections on Netflix between both countries.

Overall, the content on Netflix between the US and Canada is very similar. You’re able to watch Heartland, Spotlight, and Anne with an E in both countries. But at the end of the day, there’s also a lot of differences. The price is different along with the number of selections. Even alternative streaming services vary from place to place. One thing is for sure, the shows and movies on Netflix in both places are constantly changing.

Sometimes the only option you have left to access Netflix in another country is to try a different VPN app altogether. We hand-picked the best VPNs to try in this round-up. For the streaming gurus out there, there are a few nice options for VPN listed below as well.

Can I Use a VPN with Netflix?

Best Streaming Services

Are VPNs Legal?

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