Comparison

Movieguide® App vs Common Sense Media

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

Head to head
About

Movieguide® App

Find family-friendly movies and TV shows aligned with faith and values. Get expert reviews, filter content, and build watchlists for wholesome entertainment. Trusted for decades, this free app helps parents make informed viewing choices.

Highlights
  • Expert-guided reviews with faith-focused insights
  • Smart filters for age, genre, and themes
  • Customizable content exclusion
  • Curated collections of award-winning media
  • Personal watchlists and family playlists
  • Reviews flagging violence, profanity, and worldview issues
Features
Read full description

Discover wholesome entertainment that aligns with your faith and family values—trusted by millions for over 40 years. Movieguide® is the completely free app from the nonprofit leader in faith-based media reviews, empowering parents to choose uplifting movies, TV shows, and streaming content with confidence. Why Choose Movieguide®? - Expert-Guided Reviews: Dive into in-depth analyses written by PhD scholars, spotlighting redemptive themes, biblical principles, and positive role models while flagging concerns like violence, profanity, and worldview issues. - Faith-Focused Insights: Go beyond ratings with explorations of how media influences spiritual growth, character, and family discussions—rooted in timeless values. - Easy Navigation for Busy Families: Browse our vast library with smart filters for age, genre, themes, and streaming platforms to plan the perfect movie night. - Customized Safe Viewing: Effortlessly exclude content that doesn’t fit your standards, ensuring inspiring, age-appropriate entertainment every time. - Curated Collections: Explore handpicked selections of award-winning films and shows that promote hope, redemption, and moral integrity, drawn from decades of expertise. - Personal Watchlists: Save favorites, build family playlists, and rediscover hidden gems for meaningful viewing experiences. A Legacy of Trust and Impact As a nonprofit organization since 1985, Movieguide® has been on a mission to redeem Hollywood’s values and guide families toward media that enriches lives. Our unbiased reviews, crafted by advanced-degree experts, deliver the depth and reliability you deserve—no ads, no subscriptions, just free tools to protect and inspire your loved ones. Join the community of faith-driven families making smarter media choices today. Download now and elevate your entertainment!

About

Common Sense Media

This app provides parents with unbiased reviews and ratings for movies, TV shows, games, apps, and more. It helps families discover safe and age-appropriate content for children by detailing mature themes and positive messages. Users can filter content by age, interests, and streaming services, and create custom watchlists.

Highlights
  • Content ratings for movies, TV, games, apps, books, podcasts
  • Details on mature and positive content elements
  • Community reviews from parents and kids
  • Filter content by age, interests, and streaming services
  • Customizable watch and read lists
  • Curated collections of media
Features
Read full description

We are the essential review guide for parents when it comes to what kids are into: movies, TV shows, games, apps, podcasts, and more. Designed for families seeking unbiased and trusted information to help guide them to find safe and smart content for their children. •See how much age-appropriate content and positive messages your kid will find across movies, TV shows, books, games, apps, and more. •Get firsthand insights and extra details from other parents and kids in our community reviews. •Browse our library and effortlessly find the perfect pick for family movie night, thanks to intuitive filters, such as the streaming services you have, your kid's age and interests, and your family's preferences. •Easily filter out movies and TV shows with content and messages that aren't appropriate for your kids or that isn't right for your family. •Explore hand-curated collections of the best movies, shows, and books based on category, genre, theme, topic, and more. •Create your own custom watch and read list and save movies, TV shows, and books for later. Independent and Nonprofit Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization working on behalf of kids and teens to make the digital world more safe, healthy, and equitable for them and for all families. Our unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. Terms of service: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission/site-terms-use

Screenshots

Movieguide® App4 screens
Common Sense Media4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Movieguide® App at none against Common Sense Media's 3. Movieguide® App also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (72% vs 59%). Common Sense Media's advantage is ratings volume (8.7K vs 25) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, update cadence and device support 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. Common Sense Media sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Movieguide® App asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Common Sense Media holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Common Sense Media has 8.7K ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of Movieguide® App's written reviews are positive against 59% of Common Sense Media's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Movieguide® App ships an update monthly, Common Sense Media every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Movieguide® App versus Common Sense Media: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMovieguide® AppCommon Sense Media
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (25 ratings)4.8 (8.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.5% of reviews — better59.5% of reviews
Number of ratings258.7K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB84 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperMovieguideCommon Sense Media

Customer experience

Movieguide® App

All ratings25 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.0%
Written reviews69 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral2.9%
Negative24.6%

Common Sense Media

All ratings8,732 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews158 reviews
Positive59.5%
Neutral5.7%
Negative34.8%

User reviews

Movieguide® App

From 25 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💡 Informative reviews
  • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Great for families
  • ✅ Reliable and useful
  • 🎯 Detailed content information

Room to improve

  • 偏 Strong Christian fundamentalist bias
  • 👎 Not a family guide, a Christian guide
  • 🤔 Reviews taken from a religious point of view
  • ⚠️ Reviews can be over the top
  • 📉 Reviews are not independent

Common Sense Media

From 8.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful for finding appropriate content
  • 🚀 Convenient app version of the website
  • 💡 Detailed reviews on movies, books, and shows
  • 🔒 Trustworthy source for parents

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Paywall restricts access to basic features
  • 🐛 Login issues and app crashes
  • 💰 Subscription cost is too high
  • 🤔 Inconsistent or inaccurate reviews

Bugs and requests

Movieguide® App

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App crashes sometimes
  • App crashes when searching
  • Disappearing search bar
  • Disappearing navigation bars
  • Search button and menu buttons disappear
Show 6 more
  • App crashes after splash screen
  • App crashes when trying to read full review
  • Crashes when selecting recommend
  • App crashes after a splash screen
  • Keeps crashing
  • App crashes

Requested features

11 requests
  • Add TV shows
  • Individually list profanities and obscenities
  • More detail on language used and frequency
  • Reviews on drama, thrilling, or sad scenes that affect children
  • One version with all features and ads
Show 6 more
  • Native iOS app development
  • API for other movie apps to integrate/link ratings
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard
  • More detail on sexual content
  • Add TV show reviews

Common Sense Media

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Constant log-out issues
  • Unreliable login functionality
  • Compatibility problems on older devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to mark content as already viewed
  • More customization options for user preferences
  • Improved search and recommendation algorithms

In-app purchases

None

Movieguide® App

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Common Sense Media

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Plan$3.991 Month
  • Weekly Plan$9.997 Days
  • Yearly Plan$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Movieguide® App free?
Movieguide® App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Common Sense Media free?
Common Sense Media is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Movieguide® App or Common Sense Media?
Common Sense Media is rated higher. Movieguide® App averages 4.5 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Common Sense Media averages 4.8 from 8.7K ratings.
Do Movieguide® App or Common Sense Media have ads?
Common Sense Media shows ads; Movieguide® App does not.
Which is updated more often, Movieguide® App or Common Sense Media?
Movieguide® App ships an update monthly, and Common Sense Media every 3 weeks. Most recently, Movieguide® App was updated on September 21, 2026 and Common Sense Media on September 23, 2026.

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