Comparison

The Criterion Channel vs A24

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

Head to head
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

About

A24

Access exclusive perks, a full library of bonus content, and A24 films in one convenient app. Rent or own movies with filmmaker commentaries, watch behind-the-scenes documentaries, and enjoy member-only benefits. Stay updated on new features and exclusive offerings.

Highlights
  • Browse and rent/own A24 movies
  • Filmmaker commentaries
  • Behind-the-scenes documentaries
  • Interviews and bonus features
  • Exclusive member perks
  • Updates on new features
Features
Read full description

Welcome to the A24 All Access App. Exclusive perks, our full library of bonus content, and your favorite A24 movies — all in one place. • Browse A24 movies available to rent (and own) with filmmaker commentaries • Watch hundreds of hours of behind-the-scenes docs, interviews, and bonus features • AAA24 members get more: First looks, deeper cuts, free screenings, & exclusive perks • Get updates on new features and perks directly in the app… …and much more to come. WHAT IS AAA24? AAA24 (aka 'A24 All Access') is a membership program for A24 customers and fans. Benefits include a zine subscription, birthday gift, Instagram Close Friends access, members-only product drops, shop discounts, and now the All Access App.

Screenshots

The Criterion Channel3 screens
A244 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Criterion Channel at 91% against A24's 33%. The Criterion Channel also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (13K vs 188). A24's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, update cadence, 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. The Criterion Channel sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $10.99 per month and A24 sells 112 one-off in-app purchases. 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 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Criterion Channel has 13K ratings behind it against 188, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of The Criterion Channel's written reviews are positive against 33% of A24's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Criterion Channel ships an update every 6 weeks, A24 every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
The Criterion Channel versus A24: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Criterion ChannelA24
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (13K ratings) — better3.8 (188 ratings)
Positive reviews91.1% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings13K — better188
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#78 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB175 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperThe Criterion Collection, Inc.A24 FILMS

Customer experience

The Criterion Channel

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

A24

All ratings188 ratings
Positive67.6%
Neutral3.2%
Negative29.3%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral4.8%
Negative61.9%

User reviews

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

A24

From 188 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎁 Great perks and gifts
  • ✨ Sleek and easy interface
  • 🎬 Treasure trove of bonus content
  • 💖 Supports indie film studio
  • 👍 Good for A24 fans

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Insanely buggy and unreliable
  • 🔇 Sound issues common
  • 🚫 AirPlay issues (no sound/video)
  • 📺 No Apple TV app
  • 💻 Poor app functionality

Bugs and requests

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

A24

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Free tickets hard to redeem
  • Movies have no sound
  • Purchased movies have no sound
  • AirPlay has no sound or video
  • Content not loading
Show 12 more
  • App crashes frequently
  • Login issues
  • Proceed button not working
  • App blacked out
  • App stopped working after update
  • Green distortion when casting
  • Cannot pause without restarting
  • External links not working
  • Billing issues
  • Customer service unhelpful
  • Cannot redeem credits
  • Cannot open an account, only sign in

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add Apple TV app
  • Improve AirPlay functionality
  • Allow in-app shop purchases
  • Integrate shop with app
  • Improve app functionality and user experience
Show 5 more
  • Allow app sign-ups within the app
  • Add download option for digital copies
  • Add subtitles
  • Link to Apple TV for better viewing
  • Improve player functionality

In-app purchases

2 purchases

The Criterion Channel

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

A24

One-time112
  • Aftersun$3.99
  • Bodies Bodies Bodies$3.99
  • Pearl$3.99
Show 109 more
  • X Movie$3.99
  • When You Finish Saving World$3.99
  • Moonlight$3.99
  • Lamb$3.99
  • Talk to Me$3.99
  • Past Lives$3.99
  • Waves$3.99
  • The Death of Dick Long$3.99
  • Problemista$3.99
  • A Ghost Story$3.99
  • Uncut Gems$3.99
  • After Yang$3.99
  • Hereditary$3.99
  • Midsommar$3.99
  • Green Room$3.99
  • Under The Skin$3.99
  • The Green Knight$3.99
  • Enemy$3.99
  • The Eternal Daughter$3.99
  • Under The Silver Lake$3.99
  • Marcel The Shell with Shoes On$3.99
  • Everything Everywhere all at..$3.99
  • The Lobster$4.99
  • God's Creatures$4.99
  • On Becoming a Guinea Fowl$4.99
  • When You Finish Saving the W..$4.99
  • Babygirl$4.99
  • Eddington VOD$4.99
  • Heretic$4.99
  • MaXXXine$4.99
  • Tuesday$4.99
  • I Saw The TV Glow$4.99
  • The Iron Claw$4.99
  • All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt$4.99
  • The Zone of Interest$4.99
  • Priscilla$4.99
  • Dream Scenario$4.99
  • Good Time$4.99
  • Beau is Afraid$5.99
  • The Drama$5.99
  • The Smashing Machine$5.99
  • If I Had Legs I'd Kick You$5.99
  • Bring Her Back VOD$5.99
  • Death of a Unicorn$5.99
  • Queer$5.99
  • Y2K$5.99
  • We Live in Time$5.99
  • A Different Man$5.99
  • Showing Up$5.99
  • Pi$5.99
  • Janet Planet$5.99
  • Close$5.99
  • Civil War$5.99
  • Stop Making Sense$5.99
  • Love Lies Bleeding$5.99
  • Hazbin Hotel Early Access$6.69
  • All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt$7.99
  • Backrooms$7.99
  • Marty Supreme$7.99
  • undertone$7.99
  • VOD - Friendship$7.99
  • Sorry, Baby VOD$7.99
  • Ex Machina$7.99
  • The Witch$7.99
  • The Green Knight$7.99
  • Tuesday$7.99
  • Mother Mary$9.99
  • Pillion$9.99
  • How to Make a Killing$9.99
  • Opus$9.99
  • Everything Everywhere All At..$9.99
  • Sing Sing$9.99
  • A Different Man$9.99
  • Love Lies Bleeding$9.99
  • Spring Breakers$12.99
  • Midsommar$14.99
  • First Reformed$14.99
  • Waves$14.99
  • The Lighthouse$14.99
  • Hereditary$14.99
  • Dream Scenario$19.99
  • The Iron Claw$19.99
  • The Zone of Interest$19.99
  • Backrooms$19.99
  • The Invite$19.99
  • Eternity2 variants$19.99
  • The Drama$19.99
  • Past Lives$19.99
  • The Moment$19.99
  • Ne Zha 2 VOD$19.99
  • Beau is Afraid$19.99
  • Warfare$19.99
  • Stop Making Sense$19.99
  • Queer$19.99
  • The Brutalist$19.99
  • Heretic$19.99
  • I Saw The TV Glow$19.99
  • Y2K$19.99
  • MaXXXine$19.99
  • X.$19.99
  • Talk to Me$19.99
  • Civil War$19.99
  • X Bundle$19.99
  • Marty Supreme$24.99
  • Materialists VOD$24.99
  • Death of a Unicorn$24.99
  • Warfare$24.99
  • We Live in Time$24.99
  • X Trilogy Bundle$44.99

Questions

Is The Criterion Channel free?
The Criterion Channel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is A24 free?
A24 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Criterion Channel or A24?
The Criterion Channel is rated higher. The Criterion Channel averages 4.8 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while A24 averages 3.8 from 188 ratings.
Do The Criterion Channel or A24 have ads?
Neither The Criterion Channel nor A24 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Criterion Channel or A24?
The Criterion Channel ships an update every 6 weeks, and A24 every 4 weeks. Most recently, The Criterion Channel was updated on September 24, 2026 and A24 on September 17, 2026.

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