Comparison

RunPee 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

RunPee

Never miss a crucial movie scene again. This app identifies optimal times for bathroom breaks during films, providing summaries of missed content and alerts for post-credit scenes. It's designed for discreet use in theaters with silent notifications.

Highlights
  • Optimal bathroom break times
  • Summaries of missed scenes
  • Post-credit scene alerts
  • Silent vibration notifications
  • Dark theme for theater use
  • Available in 42 languages
Features
Read full description

You know that feeling. You're watching an amazing movie, your drink kicks in, and you're stuck choosing between missing a key scene or suffering through the rest of the film. RunPee solves this. We tell you the best times to take a bathroom break during a movie — without missing anything important. RunPee is 100% free and supported entirely by donations from our community — no paywall. HOW IT WORKS Before the movie starts, look up your film in RunPee. You'll see a list of Peetimes, each carefully chosen by our expertly trained staff. Peetimes are scenes in a movie, usually 3-4 minutes long, that are easy to summarize without missing anything important, like a dramatic scene, or funny moment, or exciting action. Each Peetime includes: • When to go (a cue so you know exactly when it starts) • How long the bathroom break lasts • A short summary (hidden unless you tap) of what happened, so you don't have to ask anyone, "What did I miss?" Start the RunPee timer when the movie begins. The app will gently vibrate 30 seconds before each Peetime starts, so you're never caught off guard. ANYTHING EXTRA AFTER THE CREDITS? Wondering if there are post-credits scenes worth staying for? RunPee's "Anything Extra" feature tells you — without spoilers — whether there are mid-credit or end-credit scenes after the movie. No more sitting through 10 minutes of credits for nothing. PEETIMES FOR EVERY NEW RELEASE Our team watches every major release and hand-picks the best Peetimes. New movies are added weekly. We've covered over 1,900 movies and counting. DESIGNED FOR THE THEATER Dark theme, silent vibration alerts, minimal screen brightness. RunPee is designed to be invisible to everyone in the cinema except you. NOW IN 42 LANGUAGES Available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and many more. Take RunPee to any movie theater in the world. TRUSTED BY MOVIEGOERS FOR 18+ YEARS RunPee was created by Dan Gardner, a moviegoer who had one too many badly-timed bathroom breaks. What started as a simple idea in 2008 has grown into the original movie bathroom break app, trusted by hundreds of thousands of movie fans worldwide. WHY MOVIEGOERS LOVE RUNPEE • Never miss the best scenes during a movie • Know exactly when to take a bathroom break • Find out if there are post-credits scenes — for free • Human-curated Peetimes, not AI-generated • 100% free and donation supported — no paywall, no subscriptions required • Perfect for long movies, overactive bladders, or anyone who drinks too much soda at the theater Download RunPee — your bladder will thank you. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.runpee.com/privacy-policy/

About

The Criterion Channel

Access thousands of classic, foreign, art-house, and independent films, along with exclusive bonus features. Stream ad-free on multiple devices and download content for offline viewing. Discover curated collections and guest picks from renowned filmmakers.

Highlights
  • Thousands of classic and international films
  • Exclusive bonus features
  • Ad-free streaming
  • Offline viewing
  • Curated collections
  • Guest picks from filmmakers
  • High-quality video and surround sound
Features
Read full description

A movie lover’s dream, Criterion features exclusive new releases, classic films, and global discoveries, along with bonus features, all ad-free. Start watching today. WHAT YOU GET: - Access to thousands of films: major Hollywood hits alongside classic, foreign, art-house, and independent films from around the world - Special features no other streamer can match: audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage, new and archival interviews, introductions, and scholarly analysis - Original series: Adventures in Moviegoing, The Craft of Acting, and more - Guest picks from filmmakers like Spike Lee, Guillermo del Toro, Sofia Coppola, and more FEATURES: - Stream on TV, web browser, mobile, and gaming consoles, at home or on the go - Unlimited ad-free streaming on every device - Download movies and extras you love for offline viewing - Save everything you want to watch in one place with “My List” - Search and sort “All Films” by decade, genre, director, and country - Drop into a steady stream of must-see movies with “Criterion 24/7” - Stream high-quality video and 5.1 surround sound 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 Apple 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.criterion.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.criterion.com/privacy

Screenshots

RunPee4 screens
The Criterion Channel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: RunPee at free against The Criterion Channel's subscription. RunPee also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.4). The Criterion Channel's advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 527) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, rating, review sentiment 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. RunPee sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 — 4.8 for RunPee against 4.8 for The Criterion Channel. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Criterion Channel has 14K ratings behind it against 527, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of RunPee's written reviews are positive against 89% of The Criterion Channel's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RunPee ships an update every 2 months, The Criterion Channel monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
RunPee versus The Criterion Channel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRunPeeThe Criterion Channel
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (527 ratings)4.8 (14K ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.2% of reviews88.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings52714K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
Best chart rank—#79 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.4
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB58 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperpolyGeekThe Criterion Collection, Inc.

Customer experience

RunPee

All ratings479 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral1.3%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews392 reviews
Positive83.2%
Neutral2.6%
Negative14.3%

The Criterion Channel

All ratings13,597 ratings
Positive94.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews1,329 reviews
Positive88.8%
Neutral2.8%
Negative8.4%

User reviews

RunPee

From 527 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Extremely useful app for movie-goers
  • 🚀 Accurate and timely movie information
  • 💡 Innovative features like pee times and post-credits info
  • 👍 Helpful for managing bathroom breaks without missing important scenes
  • 👍 Detailed movie summaries during breaks

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional issues with notifications and alerts
  • 🔒 Concerns about privacy and data collection
  • 💰 Complaints about recent monetization changes

The Criterion Channel

From 14K 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

RunPee

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App not loading new movie information
  • Vibration/alert issues on certain devices
  • User interface problems on larger iPhone screens

Requested features

3 requests
  • Apple Watch app integration
  • Ability for users to submit pee times
  • More customization options

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

RunPee

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Subscription$0.991 Month
One-time9
  • 10 Peecoins$0.99
  • Thumbs Up for Your Peep$0.99
  • 20 Peecoins$1.99
Show 6 more
  • Fist Bump for Your Peep$2.99
  • 40 Peecoins$3.99
  • A high-five for your Peep$4.99
  • $10 donation$9.99
  • A hug for your Peep$9.99
  • Infinity Peecoin$47.99
2 purchases

The Criterion Channel

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

Questions

Is RunPee free?
RunPee 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, RunPee or The Criterion Channel?
The Criterion Channel is rated higher. RunPee averages 4.8 out of 5 from 527 ratings, while The Criterion Channel averages 4.8 from 14K ratings.
Do RunPee or The Criterion Channel have ads?
Neither RunPee nor The Criterion Channel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RunPee or The Criterion Channel?
RunPee ships an update every 2 months, and The Criterion Channel monthly. Most recently, RunPee was updated on November 1, 2026 and The Criterion Channel on November 5, 2026.

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