Horror Sci vs Essential Sci
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Horror Sci
Stream a curated selection of horror, science fiction, and fantasy films. Enjoy hand-picked quality movies across these genres in a single entertainment channel. Access a diverse library of cinematic experiences.
- Horror movie collection
- Science fiction movie collection
- Fantasy movie collection
- Curated quality films
- Single entertainment channel
Read full descriptionHide full description
Watch the best mashup of horror, science fiction, and fantasy movies, all in one channel. * Horror Movies * Sci-fi Movies * Fantasy Movies * Hand-Picked Quality Films https://horrorscififantasy.com/webtv-v3/privacy-policy https://horrorscififantasy.com/webtv-v3/terms-of-use
Essential Sci
Stream a vast library of science fiction movies and TV shows for free. Subscribe monthly to enjoy an ad-free viewing experience and access premium content.
- Hundreds of hours of sci-fi content
- Free streaming
- Monthly ad-free subscription
- Watch on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, iPod
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Essential Sci-Fi Channel contains hundreds of hours of your favorite science fiction movies and television shows available to watch for free. Sign up for a monthly subscription to watch without ads! Terms of Use: http://macmillanweb.com/html/terms.asp
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Horror Sci at 5.0 against Essential Sci's 4.5. Horror Sci also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). Essential Sci's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 18 months) and ratings volume (33 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Horror Sci sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Essential Sci sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Horror Sci holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Essential Sci has 33 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Horror Sci ships an update every 18 months, Essential Sci every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Horror Sci | Essential Sci |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.5 (33 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 33 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Thunder Road Inc | MacMillan Interactive Communications, LLC |
Customer experience
Horror Sci
Essential Sci
In-app purchases
Horror Sci
- Horror Sci-Fi Fantasy Monthly7 Days trial2 variants$7.991 Month
- Horror Sci-Fi Fantasy Yearly7 Days trial2 variants$59.991 Year
- Purchase video on rent$1.99
- Purchase video on rent$5.99
- Purchase video on rent$6.99
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Purchase video on rent$7.99
- Purchase video on rent$8.99
- Purchase video on rent$9.99
Essential Sci
- Essential Sci-Fi Subscription$5.991 Month
- Essential Sci-Fi Yearly Sub$69.991 Year
Questions
Is Horror Sci free?
Is Essential Sci free?
Which has better reviews, Horror Sci or Essential Sci?
Do Horror Sci or Essential Sci have ads?
Which is updated more often, Horror Sci or Essential Sci?
Other comparisons
