Comparison

BritBox vs The Criterion Channel

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

BritBox

Stream the largest collection of British television, including exclusive new series and fan-favorite dramas and mysteries. Enjoy weekly premieres and a vast library of content from BBC and other British broadcasters. Access your favorite shows ad-free across multiple devices.

Highlights
  • Largest collection of British TV
  • Exclusive new series and seasons
  • Ad-free streaming
  • Weekly premieres
  • Vast library of genres
  • Agatha Christie collection
Read full description

Created by BBC, BritBox allows you to stream the largest collection of British TV — all in one place and blissfully ad-free. Try it free with a 7-day trial. Choose from an unmatched collection featuring quite the variety of mysteries, dramas, comedies, lifestyle, documentaries and more. With BritBox, you’ll get: • Weekly premieres including new and exclusive series, so there’s always more to watch • The newest seasons of fan favorites like Father Brown, Shetland, Death in Paradise, Silent Witness and more • Exclusive Original series like The Lady, Riot Women, Outrageous, Ludwig, Lynley, and Blue Lights • The Essential Agatha Christie Collection, featuring BritBox Original adaptations including Towards Zero and Murder is Easy, plus full series of classics like Marple, Poirot, and more Download the BritBox app and start streaming today! Please note payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of subscription. Contact us at support@britbox.com if you are experiencing any issues or have feedback. BritBox Privacy Policy: https://www.britbox.com/privacy BritBox Terms of Use: https://www.britbox.com/terms-and-conditions Please also refer to the Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

The Criterion Channel

Stream a curated collection of classic and contemporary films from around the world. Discover Hollywood, international, art-house, and independent movies with special features and exclusive series. Enjoy daily refreshed selections and in-depth film analysis.

Highlights
  • Criterion Collection streaming library
  • Thematic film programming
  • Director and star retrospectives
  • Guest-curated film series
  • Supplemental film features
  • Original Criterion Channel series
Features
Read full description

A movie lover’s dream, the Criterion Channel offers classics and discoveries from around the world, thematically programmed with special features, on a streaming service brought to you by the Criterion Collection. With constantly refreshed selections of Hollywood, international, art-house, and independent movies, plus access to Criterion’s entire streaming library of more than 1,000 important classic and contemporary films, there’s something new to choose from every day of the week on the Criterion Channel. Start with Sunday Spotlights on directors, stars, genres, and themes; Tuesday’s Short + Feature; or the Friday double bill. Try out our 15-minute-a-month film school, Observations on Film Art, or choose from suggestions by friends like Barry Jenkins, Guillermo del Toro, or Mira Nair. Go deep with the Criterion Collection’s archive of special features for context that no other service can match. FEATURES - The Criterion Collection’s streaming library, including many complete editions released on Blu-ray and DVD, as well as unreleased titles - Ongoing programs of Hollywood, international, art-house, independent, documentary, and short films, including thematic programming, director and star retrospectives, and guest-curated series - Original Criterion Channel series such as Observations on Film Art, Adventures in Moviegoing, and Art-House America - Supplemental features to deepen your appreciation of the art of film, including audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage, scholarly analyses, introductions, new and archival interviews, and trailers To access all features and content you can subscribe to The Criterion Channel on a monthly or yearly basis with an auto-renewing subscription right inside the app.* Pricing can vary by region and will be confirmed before purchase in the app. In app subscriptions will automatically renew at the end of their cycle. * All payments will be paid through your iTunes Account and may be managed under Account Settings after the initial payment. Subscription payments will automatically renew unless deactivated at least 24-hours before the end of the current cycle. Your account will be charged for renewal at least 24-hours prior to the end of the current cycle. Any unused portion of your free trial will be forfeited upon payment. Cancellations are incurred by disabling auto-renewal. Terms of Service: https://www.criterionchannel.com/tos Privacy Policy: https://www.criterionchannel.com/privacy

Screenshots

BritBox4 screens
The Criterion Channel3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Criterion Channel at 91% against BritBox's 23%. The Criterion Channel also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6). BritBox's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. BritBox sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $10.99 per month and The Criterion Channel sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $10.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Criterion Channel holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19K and 13K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of BritBox's written reviews are positive against 91% of The Criterion Channel's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BritBox ships an update monthly, The Criterion Channel every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
BritBox versus The Criterion Channel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBritBoxThe Criterion Channel
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (19K ratings)4.8 (13K ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.7% of reviews91.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings19K — better13K
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#52 — better#80
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.5 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB71 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperBritBox, LLCThe Criterion Collection, Inc.

Customer experience

BritBox

All ratings18,848 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral2.7%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews497 reviews
Positive22.7%
Neutral18.5%
Negative58.8%

The Criterion Channel

All ratings13,348 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.4%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews1,285 reviews
Positive91.1%
Neutral2.3%
Negative6.6%

User reviews

BritBox

From 19K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great content selection
  • 👍 Variety of shows
  • 🎬 Excellent classic British TV shows

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes
  • 🔍 Poor navigation and search functionality
  • 🔀 Issues with resume/continue watching
  • ⏱️ Slow app performance
  • 📺 Subpar video playback experience

The Criterion Channel

From 13K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎥 Excellent collection of films
  • 🎨 Great curation and themed collections
  • 🔍 Ability to discover new and classic films
  • 🎬 High-quality film viewing experience
  • 🤓 Educational and informative supplementary content

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Difficult to browse full catalog
  • 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
  • 🐛 Playback issues and interruptions
  • 🔌 Problems with offline viewing and downloads
  • 🤖 Lack of personalized recommendations

Bugs and requests

BritBox

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezes and crashes
  • Streaming issues and errors
  • Login problems and account sync issues
  • Chromecast/casting problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Option to turn off auto-play next episode
  • Ability to customize subtitles/closed captions
  • Better episode tracking and resume functionality
  • Improved search and browsing experience
  • Separate user profiles

The Criterion Channel

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent playback interruptions and freezing
  • Unreliable offline viewing and download issues
  • Inconsistent app performance across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to view full catalog of available titles
  • More advanced search and filtering tools
  • Improved playback stability and offline functionality
  • Personalized recommendations based on viewing history
  • Ratings and user reviews system

In-app purchases

11 purchases

BritBox

Subscriptions11
  • Monthly US Subscription7 Days trial$10.991 Month
  • Monthly US Subscription$10.991 Month
  • Monthly CA Subscription$10.991 Month
Show 8 more
  • Monthly CA Subscription7 Days trial$10.991 Month
  • BritBox Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$10.991 Month
  • Annual CA Subscription$109.991 Year
  • BritBox Annual Subscription7 Days trial$109.991 Year
  • Annual CA Subscription7 Days trial$109.991 Year
  • Annual US Subscription$109.991 Year
  • Annual US Subscription7 Days trial$109.991 Year
  • BritBox Premier Annual$149.991 Year
2 purchases

The Criterion Channel

Subscriptions2
  • Criterion Channel Subscription7 Days trial$10.991 Month
  • Criterion Channel Subscription7 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is BritBox free?
BritBox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Criterion Channel free?
The Criterion Channel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BritBox or The Criterion Channel?
The Criterion Channel is rated higher. BritBox averages 4.6 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while The Criterion Channel averages 4.8 from 13K ratings.
Do BritBox or The Criterion Channel have ads?
Neither BritBox nor The Criterion Channel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BritBox or The Criterion Channel?
BritBox ships an update monthly, and The Criterion Channel every 6 weeks. Most recently, BritBox was updated on September 24, 2026 and The Criterion Channel on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, BritBox or The Criterion Channel?
BritBox currently peaks at #52 in the App Store charts, and The Criterion Channel at #80. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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