Comparison

Shudder vs Second Stream

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

Head to head
About

Shudder

Access a vast and growing collection of curated horror, thriller, and suspense films and TV series. Enjoy unlimited, ad-free, and uncensored content, including exclusive originals. Stream on your Apple devices with a commitment-free trial.

Highlights
  • Largest horror film selection
  • Curated content
  • Exclusive originals
  • Unlimited streaming
  • Ad-free and uncensored
  • 7-day free trial
Features
Read full description

Shudder is the #1 streaming service for horror fans. Whether you're a horror buff or just darkly curious, Shudder delivers a scary good time with unlimited access to the largest curated horror library—featuring everything from chilling classics to the latest spine-tingling releases. Don't be left in the dark. Start your free trial and get all the nightmares you can handle now. Watch on your iPhone, iPad, or TV through Airplay with your Apple TV. Please Note: – Payments are charged to the user's Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. – Subscription will automatically renew unless the user cancels at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. – Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. – The default subscription length is 1 month of unlimited access to the full library of films and TV series—unlimited, ad-free, and uncensored. – Users can manage and cancel subscriptions in their account settings on the App Store. If you are experiencing any issues, please visit—http://support.shudder.com/ Our Privacy Policy can be found here—https://www.amcnetworks.com/privacy-policy Our Terms of Use can be found here—https://www.shudder.com/terms

About

Second Stream

This app consolidates all your subscribed content, including podcasts, YouTube channels, and RSS feeds, into one unified reader. AI-generated summaries help you quickly grasp key information from new episodes and articles, saving you time and reducing distractions.

Highlights
  • AI-generated summaries for podcasts and YouTube
  • Unified reader for multiple content sources
  • Curated weekly news digests
  • Distraction-free reading experience
  • Obsidian vault sync for bookmarks and notes
  • Background feed refresh
  • Shake to mark all as read
Read full description

Second Stream brings together everything you follow — podcasts, YouTube channels, RSS feeds, and curated weekly news — in a single, distraction-free reader. KNOW BEFORE YOU LISTEN AI-generated summaries surface the key points from new podcast episodes and YouTube videos the moment they publish. Decide what's worth your full attention before you press play. CURATED WEEKLY COVERAGE Subscribe to topics that matter to you and receive a digest of the week's most relevant articles — no algorithm, no noise, no doom-scrolling. YOUR FEEDS, UNIFIED One clean interface for everything you follow. No switching apps. No missing updates. BUILT FOR PRIVACY Sign in with Apple. Face ID protection. No tracking, no ads. Your subscriptions and reading history stay on your device — always. POWER USER FEATURES - Sync bookmarks and notes to your Obsidian vault - Background refresh keeps your feeds current - Shake to mark all as read Second Stream is completely free.

Screenshots

Shudder4 screens
Second Stream4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Second Stream at 100% against Shudder's 20%. Second Stream also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Shudder's advantage is chart position (#59 vs unranked) and device support (4 vs 1). On price 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. Shudder sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Second Stream asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shudder ships an update monthly, Second Stream weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Shudder versus Second Stream: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShudderSecond Stream
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (15K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews19.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings15K — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
Best chart rank#59 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size129 MB12 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperAMC Networks Inc.Nicolas Widynski

Customer experience

Shudder

All ratings15,122 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral4.1%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews524 reviews
Positive19.8%
Neutral13.2%
Negative67.0%

Second Stream

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Shudder

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes or freezes
  • Subscription issues (double charges, unable to cancel)
  • Playback issues (buffering, restarting from beginning)
  • Syncing issues across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved search and filtering options
  • Resume playback from where you left off
  • Ability to cast to TV devices
  • Closed captions on all content
  • Better account management tools

Second Stream

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Shudder

Subscriptions7
  • Monthly with Ads7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership$9.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Monthly Membership1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Premium7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Annual Membership7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Annual Premium7 Days trial$99.991 Year
None

Second Stream

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shudder free?
Shudder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Second Stream free?
Second Stream is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Shudder or Second Stream have ads?
Neither Shudder nor Second Stream shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shudder or Second Stream?
Shudder ships an update monthly, and Second Stream weekly. Most recently, Shudder was updated on November 4, 2026 and Second Stream on October 31, 2026.

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