Watchly Our pick
Sync any service across phones and laptops, with voice built in
Watchly is the rare watch-party app that is a real native app on iPhone and Android and a Chrome extension, so a friend on the couch with their phone stays frame-accurate with someone on a laptop. Play, pause, and seek hit everyone at once. Push-to-talk voice chat, live reactions, and text chat are built in and free.
The free tier covers full sync, voice, and reactions on YouTube, Prime Video, Netflix, SoundCloud, and Hulu. Watchly Pro ($4.99/mo or $29.99/yr, with a 3-day trial) adds HBO Max, Disney+, Twitch, Crunchyroll, Peacock, Paramount+, Apple TV+, and more, plus no ads and unlimited room members. Each viewer needs their own subscription to whatever you stream.
Pros
- True native iOS and Android apps, not just a desktop extension
- Widest service coverage: Netflix, Prime, YouTube, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, Twitch and more
- Push-to-talk voice, reactions, and text chat built in and free
- Friends join a room link in-browser with no account
- Free core services; Pro is cheap at $4.99/mo
Cons
- Premium services (HBO Max, Disney+, etc.) need Watchly Pro
- Every viewer needs their own subscription to the streaming service