Comparison

Sundance Now vs Windrider Studios

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

Head to head
About

Sundance Now

Stream a curated selection of independent films, including festival favorites and new theatrical releases. Discover thought-provoking documentaries and true crime series. Enjoy new content added weekly for less than the cost of a movie ticket.

Highlights
  • Independent film library
  • New movies direct from theaters
  • Curated collections
  • True crime and documentaries
  • Weekly new titles
Features
Read full description

Sundance Now is the premium streaming home for independent film. Experience a curated selection of festival darlings and filmmaker favorites with new titles added every week, including new premieres direct from theaters—all for less than the price of a movie ticket. Sundance Now. The scene starts here. Features: • The home of independent film, from festival favorites to cult classics • New movies direct from theaters • Curated collections from A-list stars and award-winning filmmakers • Thought-provoking true crime and documentaries • 7-day free trial. Cancel anytime free of charge or continue for only $7.99/month If you are experiencing any issues, please visit - http://support.sundancenow.com/ Our Privacy Policy can be found here - https://www.amcnetworks.com/privacy-policy/ Our Terms of Use can be found here - https://www.amcnetworks.com/terms-of-use/

About

Windrider Studios

Explore award-winning films and engaging conversation content. Watch films and companion series, then dive deeper with written guides. Spark thoughtful discussions on significant cultural topics.

Highlights
  • Award-winning film library
  • Conversation series with creators
  • Written exploration guides
  • Thoughtful cultural discussions
  • Sundance Institute partnership
Features
Read full description

Access a library of award-winning films and conversation content through Windrider Studios! Explore Content: — Watch films and corresponding episodes of "The W", Windrider's conversation series with filmmakers and culture creators. — Engage in discussion around the films and their themes with Windrider's written Exploration Guides. As an official partner of The Sundance Institute, Windrider invites you to join as they create, curate and respond to film and visual media, sparking thoughtful conversation around the most significant topics in our culture. "The Windrider presence at the Sundance Institute is really valuable to us. Through engaging with films, being in deep discussion with the directors, it's what meaning-making is and Windrider brings it every year. There could not be a better audience." - Tabitha Jackson, Director of the Sundance Institute, 2020-2022. To access all features and content you can subscribe to Windrider Studios 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://windriderinstitute.vhx.tv/tos Privacy Policy: https://windriderinstitute.vhx.tv/privacy

Screenshots

Sundance Now4 screens
Windrider Studios4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Windrider Studios at 4.8 against Sundance Now's 4.1. Sundance Now's advantage is ratings volume (3.6K vs 5) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sundance Now sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Windrider Studios sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Windrider Studios holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sundance Now has 3.6K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sundance Now ships an update monthly, Windrider Studios every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Sundance Now versus Windrider Studios: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSundance NowWindrider Studios
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (3.6K ratings)4.8 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews15.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings3.6K — better5
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size108 MB80 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAMC Networks Inc.Windrider Institute Inc

Customer experience

Sundance Now

All ratings3,559 ratings
Positive78.3%
Neutral4.5%
Negative17.2%
Written reviews162 reviews
Positive15.4%
Neutral6.8%
Negative77.8%

Windrider Studios

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Sundance Now

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Doesn't remember watched episodes
  • Doesn't save playback progress
  • Subscription issues (can't login, get charged despite cancellation)
  • Compatibility issues with certain devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add skip intro feature
  • Improve episode tracking and resume playback
  • Add multiple user profiles
  • Improve casting and TV integration
  • Add offline viewing/downloading option

Windrider Studios

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Sundance Now

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Membership7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Annual Membership7 Days trial$74.991 Year
2 purchases

Windrider Studios

Subscriptions2
  • Windrider Studios Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Windrider Studios Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Sundance Now free?
Sundance Now is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Windrider Studios free?
Windrider Studios is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sundance Now or Windrider Studios?
Windrider Studios is rated higher. Sundance Now averages 4.1 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while Windrider Studios averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.
Do Sundance Now or Windrider Studios have ads?
Neither Sundance Now nor Windrider Studios shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sundance Now or Windrider Studios?
Sundance Now ships an update monthly, and Windrider Studios every 3 months. Most recently, Sundance Now was updated on September 15, 2026 and Windrider Studios on September 8, 2026.

Other comparisons