How to Cut the Cord in 2026: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Ditching cable is easy. Doing it without secretly rebuilding your $150 bill out of five streaming apps is the part nobody tells you about. Here’s how to do it right.
Millions of people cut the cord every year to escape a bloated cable bill — then quietly end up paying just as much, because they replaced one $150 bill with five separate streaming subscriptions. This guide shows you how to actually cut the cord and keep the savings: what to keep, how to replace live TV and locals, and the all-in-one route most guides never mention. For the head-to-head, see our IPTV vs cable comparison.
Why cut the cord in 2026?
The math is brutal for cable: the average pay-TV bill runs well over $100/month once you add boxes, fees and “broadcast surcharges” — often $1,500+ a year for channels you mostly don’t watch. Cutting the cord means paying only for what you actually use, on your schedule, on any device. Done right, cord-cutters save hundreds of dollars a year. The key words are done right — which is what the rest of this guide is about.
Step 1: Keep your internet (this part doesn’t change)
Everything streams over the internet, so you’re keeping your broadband — you’re just dropping the TV package bolted onto it. Two tips:
- Call and unbundle. If your cable and internet are bundled, ask to keep internet-only. Be ready for a retention offer — and for the fact that internet-only sometimes costs a bit more standalone (still far less than the full bundle).
- Check your speed. You want a stable ~25 Mbps per 4K stream. Most home plans handle a few simultaneous streams easily.
Step 2: Replace live TV — the fork in the road
This is the real decision, and there are two routes:
Route A: The streaming-app stack
Piece it together from separate services — a live-TV app for channels, plus Netflix, Disney+, Max, a sports add-on, Peacock, and so on. Flexible, but the costs stack up fast and you’re juggling five logins and five apps. This is where most people accidentally rebuild their cable bill.
Route B: The all-in-one IPTV service
One subscription that carries live channels — sports, news, entertainment, premium, locals, international — plus a big on-demand library, in a single app. Far simpler and usually far cheaper than stacking subscriptions. It’s the route that keeps the savings you cut the cord for. See what’s included on the channel list, and compare real numbers in our how much does IPTV cost guide.
| Route | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| App stack | Pick exact services; big-name originals | Costs stack up; 5 logins/apps to juggle |
| All-in-one IPTV | One app, one bill; huge channel + VOD lineup; cheapest | One provider to vet — test with a trial |
Cut the cord without the 5-app headache
Replace cable’s live TV with one simple app — sports, news, movies, locals and more. Test Cloud Stream free before you cancel anything.
Step 3: Get your local channels
Locals (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) are the one thing new cord-cutters worry about. Options:
- Antenna: a one-time ~$30 over-the-air antenna pulls in your local broadcast networks free, in HD, forever. Best value there is.
- All-in-one service: many IPTV services include the major networks and local feeds, so you may not need the antenna at all — check for your market.
Combining an antenna (free locals) with an all-in-one service (everything else) is a popular, rock-solid setup.
Step 4: Pick a streaming device
You need something to run the apps on:
- Amazon Fire TV Stick — cheapest, most popular, works with everything. See our Firestick install guide.
- Apple TV 4K — premium, fastest, best 4K.
- Android TV box / Google TV — flexible, great for power users.
- Your smart TV — if it’s recent, the apps may already run on it directly.
The biggest mistake: rebuilding your cable bill
Here’s the honest warning no cable-alternative blog wants to give you: if you cut the cord and then subscribe to a live-TV service plus Netflix plus Disney+ plus Max plus a sports add-on plus Peacock, you’ve just rebuilt a $150 bill with extra steps. Before you subscribe to anything:
- List what you actually watch. Be honest — it’s usually fewer channels than you think.
- Prefer one broad service over five narrow ones. An all-in-one IPTV service covers most of what those five apps do, for one price.
- Add single apps only for must-have exclusives you can’t get elsewhere.
How much you’ll actually save (real numbers)
The savings are the whole point, so here’s the real math for a typical US household leaving cable:
| What you pay | Cable + extras | Cut-the-cord setup |
|---|---|---|
| Live TV | ~$110/mo | ~$10–$15/mo (IPTV) |
| Box / DVR rental | ~$15/mo | $0 (own device) |
| One-time device | — | ~$40 (Firestick, once) |
| Yearly total | ~$1,500 | ~$180 |
That’s roughly
,300 saved in year one — and more after, since you already own the device. Keep only your internet, and the rest is upside.Frequently asked questions
How do I cut the cord?
Cut the cord in five steps: keep your internet, since everything streams over it; cancel the TV portion of your cable package, unbundling to internet-only if needed; replace live channels with either a stack of streaming apps or one all-in-one IPTV service; add a cheap over-the-air antenna for free local channels if your chosen service does not include them; and pick a streaming device such as a Fire TV Stick or Apple TV to run the apps. The key is to replace cable with as few services as possible so you actually keep the savings.
How much money does cutting the cord save?
It depends on what you replace cable with, but done well, cord-cutting saves hundreds of dollars a year. The average cable TV bill runs well over $100 a month once boxes and fees are included, often $1,500 or more annually. If you replace it with a single all-in-one service plus a free antenna, your live-TV cost can drop dramatically. The savings evaporate, however, if you sign up for five separate streaming subscriptions, which is the most common mistake new cord-cutters make.
Do I still need internet if I cut the cord?
Yes. Cutting the cord means dropping cable television, not internet. Streaming services, live-TV apps and IPTV all run over your broadband connection, so you keep your internet plan. If your cable and internet are bundled, call your provider and switch to an internet-only plan; be ready for a retention offer. Aim for a stable connection of roughly 25 Mbps per simultaneous 4K stream, which most home internet plans handle comfortably for a few screens at once.
How do I get local channels after cutting the cord?
You have two good options for locals like ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX. The cheapest is a one-time over-the-air antenna, around $30, which pulls in your local broadcast networks free in HD permanently. Alternatively, many all-in-one IPTV services include the major networks and local-market feeds, so you may not need an antenna at all — check coverage for your area. A popular, reliable setup combines a free antenna for locals with an all-in-one service for everything else.
What is the easiest way to replace cable?
The simplest replacement for cable is a single all-in-one IPTV service that carries live sports, news, entertainment, premium and international channels plus on-demand content in one app, rather than juggling several separate streaming subscriptions. Pair it with a cheap streaming device like a Fire TV Stick and, if needed, an antenna for free locals. This keeps you to one bill and one app instead of five, which both saves money and avoids the login-juggling that makes many cord-cutters miss cable. Test any service with a free trial first.
The bottom line
How do I cut the cord?
Cut the cord in five steps: keep your internet, since everything streams over it; cancel the TV portion of your cable package, unbundling to internet-only if needed; replace live channels with either a stack of streaming apps or one all-in-one IPTV service; add a cheap over-the-air antenna for free local channels if your chosen service does not include them; and pick a streaming device such as a Fire TV Stick or Apple TV to run the apps. The key is to replace cable with as few services as possible so you actually keep the savings.
How much money does cutting the cord save?
It depends on what you replace cable with, but done well, cord-cutting saves hundreds of dollars a year. The average cable TV bill runs well over $100 a month once boxes and fees are included, often $1,500 or more annually. If you replace it with a single all-in-one service plus a free antenna, your live-TV cost can drop dramatically. The savings evaporate, however, if you sign up for five separate streaming subscriptions, which is the most common mistake new cord-cutters make.
Do I still need internet if I cut the cord?
Yes. Cutting the cord means dropping cable television, not internet. Streaming services, live-TV apps and IPTV all run over your broadband connection, so you keep your internet plan. If your cable and internet are bundled, call your provider and switch to an internet-only plan; be ready for a retention offer. Aim for a stable connection of roughly 25 Mbps per simultaneous 4K stream, which most home internet plans handle comfortably for a few screens at once.
How do I get local channels after cutting the cord?
You have two good options for locals like ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX. The cheapest is a one-time over-the-air antenna, around $30, which pulls in your local broadcast networks free in HD permanently. Alternatively, many all-in-one IPTV services include the major networks and local-market feeds, so you may not need an antenna at all — check coverage for your area. A popular, reliable setup combines a free antenna for locals with an all-in-one service for everything else.
What is the easiest way to replace cable?
The simplest replacement for cable is a single all-in-one IPTV service that carries live sports, news, entertainment, premium and international channels plus on-demand content in one app, rather than juggling several separate streaming subscriptions. Pair it with a cheap streaming device like a Fire TV Stick and, if needed, an antenna for free locals. This keeps you to one bill and one app instead of five, which both saves money and avoids the login-juggling that makes many cord-cutters miss cable. Test any service with a free trial first.
Cutting the cord in 2026 is simple: keep internet, drop the cable TV package, replace live channels with one all-in-one service (not five apps), add an antenna for free locals, and pick a streaming device. Do that and you keep the savings instead of quietly rebuilding your old bill. Start a free Cloud Stream trial and see how much one app can replace.
Reference: Cord-cutting (Wikipedia).
“Super fast, super easy to install, and the online support is great.”
“No buffering and the customer service is very quick.”
“The only stable IPTV platform I've found — most others didn't last through my subscription.”