A standard Shudder subscription costs $5.99 per month but the price can drop as low as $4.75 per month if signing up for an annual plan. Due to the more niche nature of Shudder compared to other streaming services, a horror and thriller-based subscription won’t be as appealing to everyone. However, for those that do want access to more horror and thriller movies, shows and documentaries, Shudder is going to be worth considering.
There’s no shortage of streaming services to choose from and most come with their own unique selling points. The most common of which is content owned by the service provider. For example, Paramount Plus is packed with content owned by Paramount. Then there are services like Netflix. Although Netflix does have its own Originals, and the list of its original programming is constantly growing, Netflix is still stocked with plenty of content that it doesn’t own.
Shudder is more similar to Netflix and can actually be viewed as an a ‘Netflix for horror’ as it brings together a wide variety of horror and thriller content produced by different companies and studios. That’s not to say Shudder doesn’t also have its own movies and shows, as it does. It is just, like Netflix, subscribers get access to significantly more content than just its original programming.
In terms of the price, Shudder is not an expensive service compared to others. A standard subscription costs $5.99 per month when signing up through the Shudder website. Alternatively, consumers can also sign up to an annual plan. At $56.99 per year, the annual subscription breaks down to around $4.75 a month, and results in a saving of around $15 over the course of the full 12 months.
Regardless of whether signing up to the monthly or annual plan, Shudder does offer a 7-day free trial. This makes it possible to test out the service before having to make the first monthly or annual payment.
It is also possible to get access to Shudder through an AMC Plus subscription. A standard AMC+ subscription starts at $8.99 per month and not only unlocks full access to Shudder but also Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited, as well as access to additional AMC content. Similar to when signing up to Shudder directly, there is also a free trial available. In addition, consumers opt to sign up to an AMC Plus annual subscription for $83.88 per year, which breaks down to around $6.99 per month.
What you get with a Shudder subscription
Shudder is designed to be a premium service which specializes in horror and thriller content, and that’s exactly what’s on offer. A subscription opens up access to thousands of hours of on-demand videos. In addition, Shudder also has some live channels which makes it possible to immediately jump in and start watching whatever is showing live at the time.
In terms of the on-demand content, the sheer majority of videos are movies. The catalog is fairly wide, is updated regularly with newer releases and older cult classics, and subscribers can filter results down based on subgenres. For example, some of the options to filter movies include Supernatural, Killers, Creature Features, and Psychological Thriller, among others.
Outside of movies, the selection of content is a little lighter. Shudder does provide access to some horror and thriller-based shows, such as Channel Zero, but the selection is far more limited. Instead, what makes Shudder a little more unique is its selection of podcasts.
These are audio-based stories told over a varying number of episodes. In spite of being audio-based, these podcasts do come with some visuals to add another element to the experience. These horror and thriller-themed podcasts are not a reason to sign up to Shudder on their own, but they do offer something extra that horror fans might not find elsewhere.
As mentioned, there is also a live TV element to Shudder which horror fans will likely appreciated. While not substantial, Shudder TV does offer a small selection of themed channels that continuously stream horror content throughout the day.
How much is Shudder summary
Shudder is a premium horror and thriller-based subscription service that costs $5.99 per month. Consumers do have the option of signing up for an annual plan to reduce the cost over the course of 12 months, or even bundling Shudder with other streaming services through an AMC Plus subscription. Regardless of which method a subscription is started with, subscribers get access to a wide selection of horror and thriller-themed movies, as well as some shows and podcasts.
Overall, Shudder is worth a subscription. At $5.99 per month, it does provide access to a good selection of content which includes original programming that probably won’t be available to watch elsewhere. However, this is a very niche service and isn’t going to be one that every household should sign up for. If you want more horror content in your streaming diet, Shudder is worth checking out.
