Sundance Now vs Windrider Studios
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Independent film library
- New movies direct from theaters
- Curated collections
- True crime and documentaries
- Weekly new titles
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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/
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.
- Award-winning film library
- Conversation series with creators
- Written exploration guides
- Thoughtful cultural discussions
- Sundance Institute partnership
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Sundance Now | Windrider Studios |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (3.6K ratings) | 4.8 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 15.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3.6K — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 108 MB | 80 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | AMC Networks Inc. | Windrider Institute Inc |
Customer experience
Sundance Now
Windrider Studios
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
Sundance Now
- Monthly Membership7 Days trial$7.991 Month
- Annual Membership7 Days trial$74.991 Year
Windrider Studios
- Windrider Studios Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Windrider Studios Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year
Questions
Is Sundance Now free?
Is Windrider Studios free?
Which has better reviews, Sundance Now or Windrider Studios?
Do Sundance Now or Windrider Studios have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sundance Now or Windrider Studios?
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