# Sundance Now vs Windrider Studios

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.

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 29, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sundance Now | Windrider Studios |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sundance-now/id879902807/reviews) | **[4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/windrider-studios/id1640646301/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.6K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 15.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 108 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AMC Networks Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/545340158) | [Windrider Institute Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1640646303) |

## What reviewers say

### Sundance Now

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sundance-now/id879902807)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Membership | $7.99 | per month |
| Annual Membership | $74.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great content
- 👍 Variety of shows
- 🤩 Love the shows
- 🤩 Enjoyed the shows
- 👍 Decent streaming app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app
- 🤯 Terrible app
- 😡 Doesn't work
- 😡 Subscription issues
- 😡 Terrible customer service

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/windrider-studios/id1640646301)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Windrider Studios Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Windrider Studios Yearly | $99.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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 29, 2026 and Windrider Studios on September 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*