Shudder vs. Apple TV+ 2024: Which Service Is Better for You?

Shudder and Apple TV+ are both primarily on-demand streaming services, but they both have very different content libraries.

If you’re a horror fan, Shudder was made for you. Shudder specializes in horror, thriller, and suspense movies and shows—from zombie flicks to slashers, you’ll find all the spooky content you need to stay entertained. It offers a wide range of classic and contemporary horror movies, as well as original content like exclusive series and documentaries. In a nutshell, it's perfect for horror enthusiasts who want to immerse themselves in the genre.

On the other hand, Apple TV+ is a streaming service that offers a mix of popular and often award-winning original movies, TV shows, and documentaries. The service has a smaller library of content than most of its competitors but focuses instead on delivering quality over quantity.

How do Shudder and Apple TV+ compare?

How do their pricing and plans compare?

When it comes to pricing, Shudder is the cheaper option. Its one and only plan includes access to all of Shudder's content, including its library of scary movies, TV shows, and original content.

Apple TV+ is only slightly more expensive, but its library is much more diverse, with original content across various genres. The streaming service offers one plan that gives you access to all of Apple TV+'s original content, including TV shows, movies, and documentaries.

Which has the better on-demand library?

Shudder and Apple TV+ carry two very different on-demand libraries, so which one is better will depend on your personal preferences.

Shudder specializes in horror, thriller, and suspense content, offering a range of classic and newer horror movies, TV shows, and original content. Shudder's library contains over 400 titles, and its focus on horror makes it a must-have for horror fans.

Some classics you’ll find on Shudder include Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Night of the Living Dead. A few top TV shows you won’t want to miss are Creepshow, The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, and Cursed Films.

In contrast, Apple TV+ offers a ton of original content —a growing selection of high-quality, award-winning, and star-studded movies, TV shows, and documentaries.

Some of the most popular original shows on Apple TV+ include The Morning Show, Ted Lasso, and For All Mankind. The service also offers a handful of movies like the psychological crime thriller Sharper, the highly-anticipated Emancipation which follows the tale of a former slave as he fights for his life in 1860s Louisiana after President Lincoln declared an end to slavery, and the animated family film Luck.

Do both services have a free trial?

Both Shudder and Apple TV+ offer a 7-day free trial.

Apple also offers 3 months of Apple TV+ with the purchase of an Apple device. If you buy a new iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, or Mac computer, you may be eligible for a free 3-month subscription, so long as you redeem the offer within 90 days of purchase.

How do the other features compare?

There are plenty of other features that may come into play when making a decision on a streaming service. Below, we’ve covered a few additional things you may want to consider when choosing between Shudder and Apple TV+.

What are the simultaneous streaming options?

You can only stream on one device at a time with a Shudder subscription, which is below par when you consider the industry standard for streaming services (typically 2-3).

Apple TV+ on the other hand lets you stream on up to six devices at once, which is an incredibly generous simultaneous streaming policy. So if you’ve got a big family, Apple TV+ was designed with you in mind.

What are the device support options?

When it comes to device support, Apple TV+ offers slightly more options than Shudder.

To make sure you can stream with ease, check these links for the supported devices lists for Shudder and Apple TV+.

Here's our verdict: Apple TV+ is better than Shudder

Whether Apple TV+ or Shudder is a better choice for you is completely subjective. But with the average viewer in mind, we would have to say that Apple TV+ is a better streaming service overall.

With better features—4K and Dolby Atmos, the ability to stream on up to 6 devices at once, and easy offline viewing, to name a few—and more variety in terms of content, it’s the better choice for those not looking for horror-focused content.

If you’re looking for a well-rounded streaming service that doesn’t only offer its own original content, consider checking out Hulu or Netflix.

And if you are a horror buff, Shudder is hard to pass on. Despite its lower streaming quality and lack of special features, its focus on carrying the best scary films and TV series, its bigger on-demand library, and its consistent release schedule makes it worth a shot.