The best female stand-up comedians on Netflix include a long list of seasoned veterans and exciting newcomers. Stand-up comedy has long been a form of entertainment in nightclubs, school functions, coffee houses, and on television. However, it has only been in the past couple of decades that pre-recorded stand-up specials have become a popular thing. With streaming, this concept really took off, and now there are dozens of comedy specials on Netflix that make audiences laugh out loud. Not only that, but women have taken the comedy genre by storm.

Some of the best female stand-up comedians on Netflix started performing in coffee houses, others were hilarious actors and writers before taking the spotlight. Netflix continues to bring fresh stand-up specials to audiences each year. New faces have been added to its catalog, like Nicole Byer, Ms. Pat, and London Hughes. Some of the funniest new stand-up comes from these up-and-coming performers and the latest material from Netflix veterans like Ali Wong. Regardless of how they may have got their start, these hilarious female stand-up comedians have specials that comedy fans should check out on Netflix right now.

For more streaming recommendations, be sure to check out the best TV shows on Netflix.

30 Chelsea Handler

That Feeling

Chelsae Handler's newest Netflix special continues her long-standing and very successful partnership with the streamer. Handler is one of the most prolific comedians in the business these days with her biting humor underlined with hilarious anger and contempt for society have helping to make her a distinct voice in the crowded field of comedians. "That Feeling" sees Handler return for her first special since 2022’s “Revolution,” which is also on Netflix.

The new special mixes her observational humor with her crude, blue-comedy style that has helped to make her so popular. She rants against aspects of modern life, like pickleball and getting older, while also looking back on her childhood and some random encounters in her life, including meeting disgraced comedian Bill Cosby. As always, Handler is not afraid to shock the audience, but her comedy goes far beyond that, with a fresh and intriguing perspective coming through in this new special.

29 Jacqueline Novak

Get On Your Knees

Jacqueline Novak is a successful comedian, having performed for several years in shows with John Early. However, she is also an acclaimed voice in her own right, having written the memoir How to Weep in Public: Feeble Offerings on Depression from One Who Knows as well as performing on late-night shows like Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

However, the recent praise she has been receiving for her Netflix special Get on Your Knees might take her to another level of fame. The entire special is focused on one subject with Novak deconstructing everything surrounding the act of oral sex on a man. While that might sound like a juvenile and unimaginative way of getting some shock value, Novak proves her excellence as a writer through this single topic.

It is insightful, clever, and never feels cheap while she continues to find new approaches to the idea. The special was directed by actor Natasha Lyonne and was recently nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special.

28 Rachel Feinstein

The Standups, Big Guy

Rachel Feinstein is perhaps best known as a collaborator with fellow comedian Amy Schumer, having appeared in Trainwreck, I Feel Pretty, and Life & Beth. However, she has been building her own career as a stand-up comedian quite successfully having already appeared on Netflix as part of the series The Standups. That success continues as 2024 saw Feinstein get her first hour-long special on the streamer with Big Guy.

It would not be surprising to see Feinstein develop some of this material into a sitcom in the future.

Feinstein is the kind of comedian who is very successful at mining her own personal life and those in it for comedic gold. Much of the special is centered around her marriage to a New York City firefighter and the unique dynamic that relationship provides. She also has some hilarious insights and impressions of her mother and daughter, painting a rich picture of the people in her life. It would not be surprising to see Feinstein develop some of this material into a sitcom in the future.

27 Hannah Berner

We Ride At Dawn

While most of the successful stand-up comedians in the business used to come out of the typical comedy club world, things have evolved so that many different paths can be taken to reach that career. Hannah Berner has one of the most unlikely paths to the stand-up stage as she was a popular star on TikTok as well as a reality show star on Bravo's Summer House. From there, Berner has developed her own comedy style which she showcases in her Netflix special We Ride at Dawn.

Berner brings her own fun attitude and big personality to the stage with a varied and exciting special that shows the wide range of topics she is able to tackle with confidence and humor. Berner touches on the unreal dating lessons provided by Disney princess movies while also discussing bigger topics like gun control. It is a terrific display of her talents which might surprise fans of her time on reality TV.

26 Kathleen Madigan

Bothering Jesus

While new Netflix comedy specials are always coming out, there are also some older gems worth seeking out, including specials from some of the best in the business. Kathleen Madigan is a veteran of the comedy world with her first live album going back to 1998. She is a comedian who cites the likes of Ron White and Lewis Black as inspirations, which is not hard to see with her gruff, cynical yet hilarious observations of the world.

Madigan's style can be seen in her 2016 special Bothering Jesus, which is available on Netflix. Madigan dives into her childhood in a Catholic household, the differences she later discovered among other religions, and how this upbringing has shaped her life. It is a great look at a performer who commands the stage and her material with the utmost confidence.

Madigan can also be seen on an episode of Jerry Seinfeld's Netflix series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

25 Fern Brady

Autistic Bikini Queen

Scottish comedian Fern Brady is another hilarious voice in the comedy world who stands out for her honest depiction of her own life and struggles. She first gained prominence by reaching the finals of the comedy competition "So You Think You're Funny" at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. From there she built a strong and acclaimed stand-up career while also writing her memoir, Strong Female Character.

In 2021, Brady was diagnosed as autistic and she has been very open about this and the changes in her life, including in her 2024 Netflix special Autistic Bikini Queen. Brady presents a stripped-down and almost intimate comedy set that touches on her childhood, her sexuality, and her autism in fascinating and funny ways, cementing her as a comedic voice that can provide a lot of eye-opening observations in her exciting career to come.

24 Tig Notaro

Happy To Be Here

Tig Notaro was a big name before Netflix signed her for a comedy special. Her album Live picked up a Best Comedy Album nomination at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards and her HBO special Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted picked up a nomination for Variety Special at the 68th Annual Emmy Awards. Notaro specialized in dark comedy for years before she ended up with a breast cancer diagnosis in 2012.

This stand-up received strong acclaim from critics and audiences, helping to further boost Notaro's star power.

Notaro said she moved on to more observational comedy after that (via Notaro appeared in Army of the Dead, a huge hit film for Netflix.

23 Iliza Shlesinger

Confirmed Kills, Unveiled, Elder Millennial, & Hot Forever

Irreverent and hilarious, one of the best female stand-up comedians on Netflix is Iliza Shlesinger. Shlesinger grew up in Dallas, TX, and was the winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2008. Since then, she has released fiveNetflix comedy specials, five of which are available for streaming right now. They include Confirmed Kills, Unveiled, Elder Millennial, and Hot Forever. Her only special not on the platform is War Paint, which debuted there but has since moved on to Prime, Peacock, and other services.

On top of those impressive stand-up specials, Netflix also has The Iliza Schlesinger Sketch Show, a hilarious take on pop culture and social commentary through wacky characters and absurd skits, available for streaming. And if audiences still can't get enough of Shlesinger, she is also featured in the cast of the Netflix original film, Spenser Confidential.

22 Katherine Ryan

In Trouble & The Glitter Room

Katherine Ryan is a Canadian comedian living in the U.K. with her daughter and brings them into her shows on Netflix. Ryan's roots and her family are a frequent part of her stand-up. She makes jokes about her hometown of Sarnia, Ontario, and the fact that her daughter's British accent makes her sound like a "tiny inefficient butler." She first gained fame when she appeared on BBC's Live at the Apollo, which led to her leading her own starring specials.

Ryan has blown up on Netflix over the past handful of years with her stand-up specials In Trouble and The Glitter Room. She also stars in the Netflix original series The Duchess, and hosts All That Glitters. There is also Katherine Ryan: Missus, which is more recent than those other specials, though that one isn't available on Netflix.

21 Nicole Byer

Nicole Byer: BBW

Audiences might recognize Nicole Byer from her role as host of Netflix's Nailed It and her co-host duties alongside John Cena on Wipeout. However, longtime fans know Byer better from her appearances in the world of comedy, whether that's in the world of stand-up or from guest roles on popular TV shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine or The Good Place. The comedian is a fan favorite as a guest on podcasts like Comedy Bang! Bang! and Doughboys when she isn't hosting her own show Why Won't You Date Me?

Her stand-up special Nicole Byer: BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo) came to viewers in 2021. It showcases original comedy from the entertainer, covering a breadth of subjects from her personal life to the idiosyncrasies of early lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. The show was such a success that it actually garnered Byer an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special.