25 Funniest Female Stand-Up Comedians You Can See On Netflix Right Now

Summary Female comedians on Netflix offer a mix of seasoned vets and rising stars for endless laughs.

Stand-up comedy has evolved through the years, with female comedians now taking the genre by storm.

Fresh comedy specials from both new faces and Netflix veterans like Ali Wong are must-watch entertainment.

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 Netflix, 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 got their start performing in tiny coffee houses, others were hilarious actors and writers before their stand-up went big. Netflix continues to bring fresh stand-up specials to audiences with each passing 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, as well as 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 need to check out on Netflix right now.

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

Related 10 Netflix Comedy Specials That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud Netflix offers a big variety of comedy specials. From Chapelle to Trevor Noah, here are the best and most hilarious stand-ups to get you laughing!

1 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.

Notaro said she moved on to more observational comedy after that (via Larry King Now). When it comes to Netflix, fans can catch her 2018 special Tig Notaro: Happy to Be Here, which sees her looking back at her life in a more reflective manner. This stand-up received strong acclaim from critics and audiences, helping to further boost Notaro's star power. It even reached a point where Notaro appeared in Army of the Dead, a huge hit film for Netflix.

2 Iliza Shlesinger

Freezing Hot, Confirmed Kills, Unveiled, Elder Millennial, & Hot Forever

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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 six Netflix comedy specials, five of which are available for streaming right now. They include Freezing Hot, 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.

3 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.

4 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 of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The show was such a success that it actually garnered Byer an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special.

5 Ali Wong

Hard Knock Wife, Baby Cobra, & Don Wong

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Ali Wong's stand-up Netflix specials Hard Knock Wife and Baby Cobra have received critical acclaim, and she's easily one of the best female stand-up comedians on Netflix. Wong has become a huge name in comedy for her stand-up, acting, and writing. She has served as a writer on Fresh Off The Boat, is a main cast member of American Housewives, and led the rom-com Always Be My Maybe.

Wong also starred in the miniseries Beef, shining and earning major acting awards for her performance. However, she still shines brightest on the stage. Her most recent stand-up special, Ali Wong: Don Wong was released in February 2022, and takes her comedy skills to the next level, continuing the success first garnered for Hard Knock Wife and Baby Cobra. The talented Wong still tours consistently, so fans can check her out live.

6 Ms. Pat

Ms. Pat: Y'all Wanna Hear Something Crazy?

Ms. Pat has been performing for a long time but is really starting to blow up as a star. She has appeared in several podcasts alongside the likes of Kevin Hart and Marc Maron, and her own series, The Ms. Pat Show. In terms of her stand-up routines, Ms. Pat broke out on Netflix's series The Degenerates and participated in season 9 of Last Comic Standing.

Now, Ms. Pat can be seen in her Netflix special Ms. Pat: Y'all Wanna Hear Something Crazy? It was released in February 2022 and showcases the entertainer for an hour-long routine. In it, Ms. Pat relays her fascinating life stories with hilarious detail and memorable bits. On top of her stand-up specials on Netflix, she also has a 30-minute set on the stand-up series The Degenerates and fans are eagerly anticipating her next show.

7 Jenny Slate

Stage Fright

Jenny Slate has had roles in comedy series such as Parks and Recreation and House of Lies, voice-acted and co-wrote the critical smash Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, and even taken on a more serious role in the movie Gifted. Like so many others though, Slate has also proven to be hilarious with a microphone with her Netflix special, Stage Fright. Audiences shouldn't go in expecting a traditional stand-up set though.

Slate's comedy special takes a unique approach that is equal parts biography and stand-up. It does this by cutting in and out of her live performance with video footage of conversations with her family and home videos from her childhood. The editing makes this special unique and personal, giving it a completely different feel from anything that other talented comedians are putting out there, proving her versatile the former SNL cast member is.

8 Leslie Jones

Time Machine

Many viewers know the comedy of Leslie Jones from her appearances on Saturday Night Live where her characters always found a way to stand out. Jones broke out to the point where she landed roles in major movies like Ghostbusters, Coming 2 America, and Sing, as well as a hosting gig on the rebooted version of the game show Supermarket Sweep. Like so many others though, Jones got her start on the stage back in 1987, though those performances aren't available.

However, Leslie Jones now has her very own stand-up special on Netflix. Released in early 2020, Time Machine puts Jones in the spotlight as she speaks on the hilarity that comes with age and retrospection. No topic is off limits for the comedian, who brings the style that made her famous on SNL to the stage seamlessly.

Related Saturday Night Live: 15 Best Female Cast Members, Ranked Saturday Night Live has seen a number of amazingly talented female cast members that have left their mark over the years. Here are some of the best.

9 Tiffany Haddish

She Ready & Black Mitzvah

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Tiffany Haddish has been in the comedy game for quite some time, and she has more than one comedy special on Netflix. In her early days, she made appearances in shows such as That's So Raven, New Girl, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Haddish was the first Black female stand-up comedian to host an episode of Saturday Night Live and her book, The Last Black Unicorn, made The New York Times bestseller list. Haddish has two comedy specials, She Ready and Black Mitzvah, on Netflix.

In fact, Black Mitzvah actually won the Grammy for Best Comedy Album, making history as the second Black woman to secure that accolade. Due to the combination of her star power and the acclaim of those two stand-up specials, Haddish has expanded her work to host, They Ready, where she handpicks comedians to show off their comedy chops.

10 London Hughes

London Hughes: To Catch A D*ck

London Hughes is a British comedian for a new age as the millennial woman tells relatable jokes that have helped her become a star. She is perhaps most known from her work on BBC's Laughter Shock, which came to audiences in the early 2010s. On top of starring in it, the multi-talented Hughes also wrote the project. She has appeared in other British comedy shows like Newsjack, as well as hit series like Fleabag.

Since late 2020, the award-winning comedian can be seen in her own special on Netflix. London Hughes: To Catch A D*ck puts the entertainer on center stage as she unpacks the ups and downs of dating, sex, and relationships. The performance made her the first Black nominee for the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Comedy Show, which is what led to the Netflix adaptation. She is slated to appear in the reboot of Perfect Strangers for Max.

11 Wanda Sykes

Not Normal And I'm An Entertainer

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Wanda Sykes got her first recognition in comedy as a writer on The Chris Rock Show and has since become one of the most recognizable faces in comedy. She has acted in roles as recently as on ABC's Black-ish and has appeared on the big screen, often in scene-stealing smaller performances, as well as proven herself a talented voice actress. Sykes was even named one of the 25 funniest people in America by Entertainment Weekly.

Despite this, Sykes's stand-up specials, Not Normal and I'm an Entertainer, somehow remain a bit of a hidden gem on Netflix. She tackles topics such as older age, politics, and relationships. She also performs a set on Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration. Sykes' stand-up specials date back over 20 years and though not all are on Netflix, they are all worth seeking out.

12 Sarah Silverman

A Speck Of Dust

Sarah Silverman has become known for addressing controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and politics in her comedy and inducing shock and awe from her jokes. The same could be said about her short-lived Comedy Central series, The Sarah Silverman Program. Her Netflix special A Speck of Dust is no exception, proving she's one of the best female stand-up comedians on Netflix.

However, A Speck of Dust has a bit more of a relaxed feel than the great special, Sarah Silverman's Jesus is Magic. It's a new side of Silverman that perhaps has come from maturity as a comic in the industry for quite a long time, yet she still manages to retain just enough of her unique style to remain in line with what fans have come to know and love about her. Silverman also has some other modern stand-ups available on Max, including her most recent from 2023.

13 Fortune Feimster

Sweet & Salty & Good Fortune

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The North Carolina-born comic Fortune Feimster saw her television debut on NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2010, and now with two Netflix specials under her belt, she has proven her talent for an even larger audience. Feimster has an impressive list of projects attached to her name, such as Chelsea Lately, The Mindy Project, and Soul. However, her two Netflix stand-up specials, Sweet & Salty and Good Fortune, are her real claim to fame.

Her standup usually consists of good-natured jokes about growing up in the South, her experiences in show business, and just general life stories about everything from coming out to getting engaged. Given her consistent work appearing on shows like Velma, Kenan, and FUBAR, as well as hosting a Sirius radio show, it's unclear when fans will get another stand-up from the brilliant comedian.

14 Leanne Morgan

I'm Every Woman

Leanne Morgan is a bit of an anomaly in comedy given the fact that she only recently broke out with her first stand-up special. The Tennessee-born mother of three got her first stand-up special at 57 years old and is now seeing her career flourish, which is much later than a lot of people in the industry. She had a unique start in the business, selling jewelry door to door only for her clients to begin booking her for her jokes instead.

That gives her an unmatched perspective on it all, allowing her performances to truly stand out. After years on the stage, her first special on YouTube drew in millions of views, which led to her Netflix special, I'm Every Woman. Morgan's stand-up is highly relatable. With her iconic Tennessee drawl and harrowing tales of motherhood, Morgan has audiences rolling on the floor.

15 Taylor Tomlinson

Quarter Life Crisis, Look At You, & Have It All

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The current it girl for Netflix, Taylor Tomlinson has quickly become a star over the past few years. Witty and irreverent, Taylor Tomlinson discusses all the choices she's made in her young adult life and her mental health journey in her Netflix specials, Quarter Life Crisis and Look at You. Before becoming one of the best female stand-up comedians on Netflix, Tomlinson started performing at 16 after her father signed her up for a stand-up class.

She was a finalist in Last Comic Standing and was named one of the "Top 10 Comics to Watch" by Variety. Tomlinson hosts her own podcast called Sad in the City and recently landed a gig hosting After Midnight, a late-night series on CBS. Tomlinson's specials were met with widespread acclaim and are popular enough to land her more jobs. Her most recent special, Have It All, dives even deeper into mental health, sexual orientation, and more, all while remaining hilarious.

16 Michelle Wolf

Joke Show

Michelle Wolf may be best known for her controversial performance at the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents' Association, but she has also become one of the best female stand-up comedians on Netflix. Wolf worked as a regular contributor and writer for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Late Night with Seth Meyers before her famed performance at the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner.

She also hosts the Netflix series The Break with Michelle Wolf, which is a comedy talk show. However, her special, Joke Show, truly highlights her personal brand of derisive comedy as she pokes fun at everything from outrage culture to childbirth. Wolf does this in a way that makes it clear why she became so controversial and popular. 2023 saw her at the center of another Netflix special, It's Great to Be Here.

17 Michelle Buteau

Michelle Buteau: Welcome To Buteaupia

Michelle Buteau has been in the industry for quite a while. More widely known as the host of Netflix's hit reality series The Circle, Buteau also hosts the podcast Late Night Whenever!, listed as one of the best podcasts of 2018 by Time. She published her first book, which is a collection of personal essays titled Survival of the Thickest in 2020 and appeared in Netflix films like Always Be My Maybe and Someone Great.

Ultimately though, her stand-up is where she shines. Buteau won a Critics Choice Television Award for her 2021 Netflix stand-up special Michelle Buteau: Welcome to Buteaupia. In it, she uses her raunchy and goofy humor to talk about parenthood, relationships, and cultural differences in her special. Her comedic timing is on full display on stage while also proving why she's such a great hose and scene-stealing actress.

18 Naomi Ekperigin

The Standups, Season 3

Some may recognize Naomi Ekperigin for playing the long-suffering HR rep Carol in the hit Apple TV+ show Mythic Quest. However, Perigin got her start as a writer's assistant for the series Broad City before being promoted to a full-time writer for the show. That helped her to get a half-hour comedy special on Comedy Central in 2016 and is a regular performer on the podcast 2 Dope Queens.

Although not fully having her own stand-up special just yet, Ekperigin features in the third season of Netflix's The Standups, where she has a 30-minute set talking about everything from self-care to her beef with an orangutan named Karen. Considering her success as a writer and appearances on several major programs, Ekperigin seems like someone who audiences are going to see more of in the near future.

19 Janelle James

The Standups Season 3 & The Comedy Lineup Part 2

Janelle James is most likely best known for playing Ava Coleman on the Emmy award-winning series Abbott Elementary. While she doesn't have her own solo special quite yet, she does have 30-minute sets in Netflix's The Standups Season 3 and The Comedy Lineup Part 2. James takes on current events on her sets and what it was like to survive the COVID lockdown with two teenage sons.

In 2017, James opened for Chris Rock on the Total Blackout tour, and her performance as Coleman on Abbott Elementary has garnered award nominations at the Emmys, Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild awards. Anyone who is a fan of the show is likely to love her stand-up performance and the popularity of the actor and series makes it so fans are clamoring to see her on the stage again soon.

20 Melissa Villaseñor

The Standups

Another of the many former SNL cast members to find success away from the iconic sketch show, Melissa Villaseñor also happens to be one of the best female stand-up comedians on Netflix right now. Although she doesn't have her own special on the platform, her 30-minute set on The Standups is full of gut-busting laughs from start to finish. It's clear that this is someone who has been comfortable on the stage for a long time, which lines up given she started at just 15 years old.

Before joining SNL, Villaseñor was a semifinalist on America's Got Talent and has lent her voice to shows like Family Guy, Adventure Time, and TripTank. She brings her same awkward humor to her stand-up, riffing on things like affirmations and conversations with her mother. Villaseñor was also the first Latina to be promoted to preparatory status on SNL.