The Criterion Channel
Watch classic movies and more
How much does The Criterion Channel cost?
Prices are current as of 4 Oct 2026.
2 subscriptions from $10.99
In the United States, The Criterion Channel has 2 subscriptions priced $10.99 – 99.99. It comes with a 7 days free trial.
| Subscription | Period | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Criterion Channel Subscription | MonthlyTrial: 7 days | $10.99 |
| Criterion Channel Subscription | AnnualTrial: 7 days | $99.99 |
10+ alternatives to The Criterion Channel
| The Criterion Channel |   Kanopy |   MUBI: Stream Great Cinema |   Dropout |   DC UNIVERSE INFINITE |   Acorn TV: Brilliant Mysteries |   BritBox: The Best British TV |   Shudder: Horror & Thrillers |   Classix |   Sundance Now |   WATCH TCM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating / 5 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.7 |
| Reviews | 16K | 201K | 147K | 101K | 59K | 28K | 27K | 18K | 6.9K | 4.5K | 4.4K |
| Released | 2019 | 2017 | 2013 | 2018 | 2018 | 2014 | 2017 | 2015 | 2016 | 2014 | 2009 |
| Monthly price | $10.99 | — | $8.99 | $6.99 | $7.99 | $9.99 | $10.99 | $9.99 | $4.99 | $7.99 | — |
| Annual price | $99.99 | — | $34.99 | $69.99 | $74.99 | $99.99 | $109.99 | $99.99 | $29.99 | $74.99 | — |
The going rate for each plan in United States, in its own currency, shaded from the cheapest price on the row to the dearest. Plans fewer than four in ten of the priced apps sell are left out.
The Criterion Channel reviews
4.8 out of 5, based on 15,627 reviews.
What people like
- Has a huge collection of classic films
- Quality is far better than other apps
- Easy to use for movie lovers
What they complain about
- Offline downloads often fail or take forever
- Search and browsing features are very basic
- No option to stream in high quality
- Customer support ignores refund requests entirely
THE GOAT
Best streaming service, hands down.
Still
Offline viewing doesn’t work.
Great App. UI could be more robust
See title
Adequate
The app does the job, but there are a lot of improvements they could make. - click on a person’s name for searching - make more use of available space so I don’t have to keep pressing “more…” all the time - allow browsing by years and genres - mark titles in listings that have been added to your watchlist - and more… I don’t think there has been a single feature added to this app since its original release. Maybe they should open source it if they don’t have the in-house expertise to work on it?
Best streaming service
In a streaming world full of garbage, you have better options at your fingertips.
NOT HAPPY
Subscribed and downloaded from App Store…(1) Sony Bravia Tv ….using Google TV software……No Criterion app…..the worst is that my Apple TV….also…..NO Criterion app…yesterday I watched a movie using AirPlay……today tried to watch another two movies …..using AirPlay ..BUT DID NOT ALLOWED a message said contact you code 14. NO Happy…..could you get in touch with Apple software support to help you to ADD YOUR APP ON Apple TV together with all different streaming on channels that displays…..FRUSTRATING….Good movies …..but to watch them only some movies. On AirPlay and the others …..on my iPad the year 2026…??? Mirroring not supported
buggy app great content
yes
Great collection but…
Has THE slowest download times ever. I’ve had the downloads running overnight with 0-1 being completed by the time I needed them for a flight.
Essential
Essential for cinema lovers!!!
Doesn’t work
The app doesn’t work for me and they will not help. I’ve asked for a refund and they won’t provide it. Beware
A Film-Lovers Dream
Great service, with an excellent catalogue of classic and contemporary films. Please enable 4K streaming though, Criterion. Your films deserve it.
Downloads don’t work
DLs take forever and more than 50% of the time don’t work and I get an error code when I try to watch offline. If this is your offline entertainment (say, for a long trip), don’t count on it, have a backup option on a different app. Otherwise, the film selection is unbeatable. There’s more here to watch that is top quality from all over the world and old and modern eras, my choice over any other app channel. I’d maintain a continuous subscription if I could count on the downloads actually working, but they usually don’t
Good
Good movies
Canadian version sucks
If Criterion is going to peddle this app in Canada, then they need to license movies for the Canadian market. Nearly all the good films are absent from the Canadian version. Ends up being a Temu Tubi. I wrote to them to complain or ask for reduced fees and they were very unhelpful.
Get it.
A dream.
Not the complete collection, however
Disappointed that many Criterion titles are unavailable or missing features. No “Island Of Lost Souls”, no “Alexander Nevsky” Commentary, for example. Did get the vintage King Kong commentary, so that’s a plus. Rights issues?
Criterion fun
I love this app because it has some of my favorite films and many hard to find ones. It’s so easy to use.
Doesn’t work in offline mode
downloads won’t work if you’re not using wifi. I downloaded 10 items for a long flight and only 1 worked
Great collection, better search option needed
Love this app but there are two things for me that would make it the best app: 1) better search function - no ability to peruse the entire collection in app 2) app integration with LG smart tvs
Got it all
Great
Beware
We bought a year's subscription, then Criterion's streaming became intermittent and eventually stopped working--on multiple devices (including an AppleTV), two of which were connected by gigabit Ethernet to a gigabit router, and all of which were working properly with other services speed-test apps. We requested a refund. Criterion ignored our request.
Great Service and App, but downloads don’t always work
This is my favourite streaming service hands down. The app itself works great too. My only gripe is sometimes I’ll download four or five movies for a flight, and often only one or two of them will actually work offline. I now always try them out before I leave so I know I’ll have them on the plane.
The best
By far the best streaming app out there
Fine service, App needs work
Would appreciate if certain website filter features made their way to the app.
Seven Samurai
Best movie ever made!
Best Ever
If I had to drop all subscriptions except for one, the choice would be easy
Only streaming service that matters
Best streaming service available
The Criterion Channel price by country
A monthly subscription costs $10.20 in Canada and $10.99 in the United States — 1.1× more for the same thing. Below is the going rate for each plan in every country that sells it — the middle price of what the app charges there, in the country's own currency with the dollar equivalent beneath it.
| Country | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | CA$14.49$10.20 | CA$134.99$95.06 |
| United States | $10.99 | $99.99 |
The Criterion Channel FAQ
- Is The Criterion Channel free?
- Yes. The app and its basic features are free, in all 2 countries it sells in. Premium features are paid: they start from $10.99 (US), across 2 subscriptions.
- How much does The Criterion Channel cost per month?
- Criterion Channel Subscription is $10.99 (US). The annual plan works out cheaper per month: $99.99 a year.
- Does The Criterion Channel have a free trial?
- Yes — a 7 days free trial (US).
- Where is The Criterion Channel cheapest?
- A monthly subscription costs CA$14.49 (≈$10.20) in Canada and $10.99 in the United States, its cheapest and dearest countries.
- What are the best alternatives to The Criterion Channel?
- Kanopy (4.8 from 201,239 reviews), MUBI: Stream Great Cinema (4.7 from 147,255 reviews, premium from $4.99) and Dropout (5.0 from 101,218 reviews, premium from $6.99).
The Criterion Channel download
Last updated 9 days ago.
The Criterion Channel sells in 2 countries. It was released 7 years and 6 months ago, on 8 Apr 2019. It holds a 4.8 rating from 15,627 reviews.
Supports 1 language: English.
How much does The Criterion Channel make?
Third-party estimates for the last 30 days, worldwide — not the store's own figures, which Apple publishes for nobody.
Revenue by plan
- Monthly 85%
- Annual 15%
Revenue by country
- United States 90%
- Canada 10%