Criterion Channel is built for you if you want classic or international films. The service has independent and arthouse movies too.
Its appeal is careful programming. Films are arranged into director spotlights, actor retrospectives, and genres.
Before you subscribe, here are five essential things to know.
1. It is not the complete Criterion Collection online
The Criterion Channel and the Criterion Collection’s disc business do not have identical libraries.
Many films released through its DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD collection are available on the Channel, but not all of them. A film can have a Criterion disc and still be missing from the streaming service because physical and streaming rights are handled separately.
The Channel also licenses movies from studios and independent distributors. As a result, you will find films that have never received a Criterion physical release.
The accounts are separate, too. A Criterion.com account does not give you streaming access. CriterionChannel.com requires its own account and subscription, as explained in Criterion’s official Channel FAQ.
If you are joining for one title, search the streaming catalog instead of assuming every Criterion film is included.
2. The main attraction is curation and film extras
Here you get more than 2,000 films. Its holdings include over 1,500 films from the Criterion Collection and Janus Films libraries.
There is more than feature-length cinema. As a subscriber, you also get over 500 shorts and more than 5,000 supplementary features. These include:
- Commentary tracks
- Filmmaker interviews
- Introductions
- Behind-the-scenes documentaries
- Video essays
- Trailers and archival footage
The service groups films into useful themes. The July 2026 program, for example, included Harry Dean Stanton, Murderous Melodramas, BlackStar Film Festival selections, and Jonathan Demme. It also offered The Prisoner, but television remains an occasional extra.
3. The catalog rotates, and Canada does not always get the same films
The library is large, but part of it changes each month. Licensed collections leave when Criterion’s streaming agreements expire, while new themes and films arrive.
Criterion maintains a Leaving at Month’s End collection, so subscribers can prioritise films before they disappear.
There is also a regional difference inside the service. Criterion Channel is available in the United States and Canada, but some licensed films are restricted to the U.S. The monthly lineup marks these titles with an asterisk. Canadian subscribers, therefore, may not receive every film promoted in a collection.
4. The annual plan saves money, but monthly billing is more flexible
The current price is $10.99 per month. You can also pay $99.99 per year. Both choices include a seven-day trial if you are an eligible new subscriber.
Twelve monthly payments total $131.88. That means if you pay annually, you’ll be saving $31.89. This is about 24 percent and brings the average cost down to roughly $8.33 per month.
Billing management depends on where you subscribed. If you joined through Apple, Google Play, or Amazon, cancellation will need to be completed through that provider.
5. Device support is good
You can watch in several ways. The service supports any modern web browser or apps for iOS and Android.
Television options include Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and select Samsung Tizen TVs. It also works on Xbox One or Xbox Series consoles. Chromecast and AirPlay could cover some televisions without a native app.
Compatibility is not universal. Criterion does not list a PlayStation app, and Samsung support depends on the model.
Offline viewing is available in the iOS and Android apps. Once saved offline, you have 30 days to begin a protected download. You also have 48 hours to finish it after playback starts. Such downloads are not a computer or television feature.