OVID vs BFI Player (US)
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
OVID
Discover a curated selection of independent documentaries, art-house films, and global cinema. This subscription service offers unique titles not found on other platforms, with new content added monthly. Enjoy high-quality independent films and television series.
- Curated streaming for indie films
- Documentaries and global cinema
- Art-house film collection
- Exclusive titles not on other platforms
- 20-35 new films added monthly
Read full descriptionHide full description
A curated streaming destination for documentaries, art-house films, and global cinema. A new subscription video-on-demand service, OVID draws from the collections of the leading distributors of high-quality, independent, art-house, documentary, and social issue films and television series. Most of the films on OVID are not available on any other subscription streaming platform. We add 20-35 new films every month. To access all features and content you can subscribe to OVID 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.ovid.tv/tos Privacy Policy: https://www.ovid.tv/privacy
BFI Player (US)
Stream a curated selection of acclaimed films, including classics and modern discoveries, on this US-only service. Subscribe for full access to a diverse library of cinematic content across multiple devices.
- Curated film selection
- Landmark titles and rare classics
- Modern discoveries
- Multi-device support
- Auto-renewing subscription
- Free trial period
Read full descriptionHide full description
Watch acclaimed movies selected by the British Film Institute (BFI) on their US-only streaming service. Explore landmark titles, rare classics & modern discoveries on multiple devices today. To access all features and content you can subscribe to BFI Player Classics on a monthly 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.bfiplayerclassics.com/tos Privacy Policy: https://www.bfiplayerclassics.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: OVID at 95% against BFI Player (US)'s 8%. OVID also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.3). BFI Player (US)'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
Both are free to download. OVID sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and BFI Player (US) sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
OVID holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 24 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of OVID's written reviews are positive against 8% of BFI Player (US)'s.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and August 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OVID | BFI Player (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (41 ratings) — better | 2.3 (24 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 95.5% of reviews — better | 8.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 41 — better | 24 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 66 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Docuseek, LLC | The British Film Institute |
Customer experience
OVID
BFI Player (US)
In-app purchases
OVID
- OVID Subscription7 Days trial$6.991 Month
- OVID Subscription7 Days trial$69.991 Year
- OVID.tv - 499$4.99
- OVID.tv - 999$9.99
- OVID.tv - 1299$12.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- OVID.tv - 1499$14.99
BFI Player (US)
- BFI Player Classics Monthly14 Days trial$5.991 Month
- BFI Player Classics$59.001 Year








