Comparison

DC UNIVERSE INFINITE 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

DC UNIVERSE INFINITE

Access a vast digital library of DC comics, graphic novels, and manga. Read stories featuring iconic heroes, curate your favorites, and enjoy offline reading with a premium subscription service.

Highlights
  • Vast digital comic library
  • Enhanced digital reader
  • Curated collections and storylines
  • MyDC library for favorites
  • Offline reading downloads
  • 7-day free trial
Read full description

DC UNIVERSE INFINITE is a fan-first, premium digital comic subscription service featuring a colossal library of DC comics! Fans can dive in to over 27,000 comic books and graphic novels from DC, Vertigo, DC Black Label, and Milestone Media with our enhanced digital comic reader. Follow your favorite heroes like Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman and Aquaman through curated collections and key storylines like Flashpoint and Dark Nights: Metal. Save collections, favorites and custom lists in our MyDC library and download issues for unlimited offline reading. Join with a 7-day free trial. Free trial applies to the DC Universe Infinite (“DCUI”) Monthly, Annual, or Ultra subscription plan, as selected by you. Free trial offer may be redeemed only once per person and cannot be combined with any other promotional or free trial offer for DCUI. After the free trial period ends, your free trial will convert into a paid subscription at the then-current rate (currently $7.99/month, $74.99/year, or $119.99/year), plus applicable taxes, unless you cancel before the conversion, and your subscription will automatically renew at the then-current rate plus applicable taxes on a recurring basis, unless you cancel before the renewal. Renewal charges will be applied to the payment method associated with your account, and you hereby authorize DC Comics or its designee to make such charge. Subscription fees are non-refundable. To cancel or prevent the automatic renewal of your subscription, log in to your DCUI account, go to Settings and click “Cancel Subscription” under the Subscription tab. If you cancel before the conversion or renewal you will still have access to your plan for the remainder of your free trial period or then-current billing period, as applicable. By clicking the “Start Free Trial Now” button below, you agree to these terms and accept the Terms of Use: https://www.dcuniverseinfinite.com/terms. Valid Ultra Annual paid subscription is required for the free collectible comic. Offer not available during the free trial period. Limit 1 collectible comic per account. Comic selected by DC. Content may vary. Expect your collectible comic 10-12 weeks after your mailing address is provided. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE is not intended for children and is not available in all countries. By downloading the app, you agree to the DC UNIVERSE INFINITE Terms of Use and Privacy Policy (New).

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
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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

DC UNIVERSE INFINITE4 screens
The Criterion Channel3 screens

Verdict

The call

DC UNIVERSE INFINITE and The Criterion Channel both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of The Criterion Channel's written reviews are positive against 32% of DC UNIVERSE INFINITE's. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for DC UNIVERSE INFINITE against 4.8 for The Criterion Channel. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 58K and 13K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 32% of DC UNIVERSE INFINITE's written reviews are positive against 91% of The Criterion Channel's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DC UNIVERSE INFINITE ships an update fortnightly, The Criterion Channel every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
DC UNIVERSE INFINITE versus The Criterion Channel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDC UNIVERSE INFINITEThe Criterion Channel
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (58K ratings)4.8 (13K ratings) — better
Positive reviews31.7% of reviews91.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings58K — better13K
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#68 — better#80
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS17.016.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size150 MB71 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperWarner Bros.The Criterion Collection, Inc.

Customer experience

DC UNIVERSE INFINITE

All ratings57,966 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral2.4%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews435 reviews
Positive31.7%
Neutral18.4%
Negative49.9%

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

DC UNIVERSE INFINITE

From 58K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great content library
  • 👍 Excellent value for money
  • 🎨 Impressive selection of classic and modern comics
  • 🎥 Enjoyable exclusive shows like Titans and Harley Quinn

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable app with frequent crashes
  • 🔍 Poor search and navigation functionality
  • 🔒 Lack of offline reading and download management
  • 🔀 Disorganized and confusing layout
  • 💰 Paywall for newer/premium content

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

DC UNIVERSE INFINITE

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Pages failing to load or displaying errors
  • Inconsistent behavior when navigating between comics
  • Inability to delete downloaded content
  • Sync issues between devices
  • Unreliable login and account management

Requested features

5 requests
  • Landscape mode support
  • Ability to sort and filter comics by release date, series, etc.
  • Improved reading history and bookmarking features
  • Seamless integration between mobile and TV apps
  • More live-action movies and TV shows

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

10 purchases

DC UNIVERSE INFINITE

Subscriptions10
  • DC Universe Membership3 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • DC Universe7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership7 Days trial$7.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • DC Universe Canada Monthly$7.991 Month
  • DC Universe UK Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Ultra Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • DC Universe Membership3 Days trial$74.991 Year
  • DC Universe Membership7 Days trial2 variants$74.991 Year
  • DC Universe Ultra7 Days trial$119.991 Year
  • DC Universe Ultra Yearly7 Days trial$119.991 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 DC UNIVERSE INFINITE free?
DC UNIVERSE INFINITE 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, DC UNIVERSE INFINITE or The Criterion Channel?
The Criterion Channel is rated higher. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE averages 4.7 out of 5 from 58K ratings, while The Criterion Channel averages 4.8 from 13K ratings.
Do DC UNIVERSE INFINITE or The Criterion Channel have ads?
Neither DC UNIVERSE INFINITE nor The Criterion Channel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DC UNIVERSE INFINITE or The Criterion Channel?
DC UNIVERSE INFINITE ships an update fortnightly, and The Criterion Channel every 6 weeks. Most recently, DC UNIVERSE INFINITE was updated on September 24, 2026 and The Criterion Channel on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, DC UNIVERSE INFINITE or The Criterion Channel?
DC UNIVERSE INFINITE currently peaks at #68 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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