Comparison

Hallmark+ vs The CW

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

Head to head
About

Hallmark+

Access exclusive original series, movies, and a vast library of feel-good content. Enjoy benefits like free greeting cards, eCards, and exclusive discounts.

Highlights
  • Exclusive original series
  • Unlimited movie streaming
  • Free greeting cards monthly
  • Unlimited free eCards
  • Exclusive discounts and rewards
  • Surprise gifts
Features
Read full description

Hallmark+ is your all in one streaming and membership experience, bringing the very best of Hallmark together in one place. Enjoy exclusive original series, next day access to new Hallmark Channel premieres, always-on streaming channels, the largest collection of Hallmark Original Christmas movies, and a full library of uplifting, feel good entertainment. Your membership also comes with special perks like free monthly Hallmark greeting cards, monthly discounts and rewards, unlimited eCards, surprise gifts, and more! It’s easy to start streaming with two subscription options: • Annual (Best Value: Over 25% savings!) • Monthly Subscriptions are automatically renewed until cancelled. Hallmark+ is owned and operated by Hallmark Media United States, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Incorporated. For more information, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. https://www.hallmark.com/terms-of-use/ https://www.hallmark.com/privacy/ https://corporate.hallmarkmedia.com/#/

About

The CW

Stream the latest episodes of popular TV shows, full series, movies, and live sports. Enjoy content the day after broadcast, binge-watch favorites, and discover new films. Access 24/7 programming and manage your viewing with a personal profile.

Highlights
  • Latest episodes next-day streaming
  • Binge full series
  • Growing movie collection
  • Live and on-demand sports
  • 24/7 channel programming
  • Personalized profiles and watchlists
Features
Read full description

Stream all the latest episodes from The CW, plus movies, sports, and full series! Keep up with new episodes of All American and Sullivan’s Crossing, stream hit series like Wild Cards, Drop Dead Diva, Law & Order Toronto and Marvel’s Runaways, or find your new favorite film in our fast-growing movie collection. And we’ve got sports! Stream NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races live and catch up on the latest action from the PAC-12 football and WWE NXT. Features Include: LATEST EPISODES: Watch new episodes of primetime shows the day after broadcast. FULL SERIES: Binge CW favorites like 90210, Beauty and the Beast and The Carrie Diaries, or discover new obsessions like Drop Dead Diva, Lost Girl, Bates Motel and Marvel’s Runaways. MOVIES: New films are being added all the time. CW SPORTS: All NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series practice and qualifying races are live and on demand, plus replay of all the action from the PAC-12 Football, Professional Bull Riders and WWE NXT. CHANNELS: Stream 24/7 programming, there’s something for everyone. PROFILE: Create a login and continue watching content on any device and create a watch list with My CW. NO HASSLE: No cable subscription, no credit cards. Please note: This app features Nielsen’s proprietary measurement software which will allow you to contribute to market research, like Nielsen’s TV Ratings. Please visit http://www.nielsen.com/digitalprivacy for more information. Ad Choices: https://www.cwtv.com/thecw/privacy-policy/#advertising Terms of Use: http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/terms-of-use/ Do Not Sell My Personal Information: https://privacycenter.cwtv.com/

Screenshots

Hallmark+4 screens
The CW4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Hallmark+ at 4.2 against The CW's 3.3. Hallmark+ also leads on ads (none vs shown). The CW's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Hallmark+ sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. The CW asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hallmark+ holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12K and 22K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 8% of Hallmark+'s written reviews are positive against 11% of The CW's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hallmark+ ships an update monthly, The CW every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Hallmark+ versus The CW: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHallmark+The CW
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (12K ratings) — better3.3 (22K ratings)
Positive reviews8.2% of reviews11.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings12K22K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#58 — better#107
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB40 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperHallmark Labs, LLCThe CW Network

Customer experience

Hallmark+

All ratings11,957 ratings
Positive80.3%
Neutral4.3%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews571 reviews
Positive8.2%
Neutral21.2%
Negative70.6%

The CW

All ratings21,719 ratings
Positive51.6%
Neutral10.4%
Negative38.0%
Written reviews348 reviews
Positive11.2%
Neutral13.5%
Negative75.3%

User reviews

Hallmark+

From 12K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast app
  • 👍 Visually appealing
  • 👍 Seamless streaming
  • 👍 Lots of content
  • 👍 No commercials

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🐛 Glitchy playback controls
  • 🐛 Logging out issues
  • 🐛 Slow loading and buffering
  • 🐛 Unreliable app performance

The CW

From 22K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Free streaming service
  • 🔍 Wide variety of shows
  • 📺 Convenient way to watch missed episodes

Room to improve

  • ⏱️ Too many repetitive ads
  • 🔀 Inconsistent episode tracking and resume functionality
  • 🤯 Buggy playback and app crashes
  • 🔍 Limited episode availability per show

Bugs and requests

Hallmark+

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Playback issues
  • Frequent log-outs
  • Compatibility problems on various devices
  • Inconsistent app behavior

Requested features

6 requests
  • Picture-in-picture mode
  • Resume watching from last position
  • Ability to remove items from 'Continue Watching'
  • Improved search and browsing functionality
  • More new and current Hallmark content
Show 1 more
  • Individual user profiles

The CW

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Playback stalling and freezing issues
  • Incorrect episode resume points
  • Orientation and layout problems on tablets

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to watch full seasons of shows
  • Improved episode resume and tracking
  • Reduced ad frequency and more variety

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Hallmark+

Subscriptions8
  • Feeln$7.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Hallmark Movies Now (Monthly)1 Month trial$7.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Monthly7 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Feeln$79.991 Year
  • Annual7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Annual subscription7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Hallmark Movies Now (Annual)1 Month trial$79.991 Year
None

The CW

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hallmark+ free?
Hallmark+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The CW free?
The CW is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hallmark+ or The CW?
Hallmark+ is rated higher. Hallmark+ averages 4.2 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while The CW averages 3.3 from 22K ratings.
Do Hallmark+ or The CW have ads?
The CW shows ads; Hallmark+ does not.
Which is updated more often, Hallmark+ or The CW?
Hallmark+ ships an update monthly, and The CW every 4 weeks. Most recently, Hallmark+ was updated on October 1, 2026 and The CW on September 30, 2026.
Which is more popular, Hallmark+ or The CW?
Hallmark+ currently peaks at #58 in the App Store charts, and The CW at #107. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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