Every year, more and more people are cutting the cord and saving a few bucks by subscribing to a streaming service instead. But with so many options to choose from, how do you decide which one to go with?
In this guide, we'll do an in-depth comparison of Shudder and Netflix to help you decide which is the better option for you.
A quick overview: Shudder vs. Netflix
If you're a horror fan, Shudder was made just for you. Shudder is an on-demand streaming service, but with a twist: all its content falls into the horror genre. Subscribers not only get thousands of classic horror movies but also all kinds of horror-related TV shows as well, including a growing list of Shudder originals to enjoy.
On the other hand, with hundreds of millions users worldwide, Netflix is still the most popular streaming service in the world, having come a long way from its humble beginnings as a DVD delivery service. With tons of popular content and an unmatched output of original shows and movies, the streaming service doesn't seem keen on letting up its #1 spot.
But which one is better? To be able to declare an overall winner, we had to pin the two services against each other in several categories including price, special features and content.
Without further ado, let's start with the basics:
| Shudder | Netflix | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $6.99/month | Standard w/ ads: $6.99/month |
| Standard: $15.49/month | ||
| Premium: $19.99/month | ||
| Free Trial Length | 7 days | None |
| Popular Content | Mayhem | |
| The Dark and the Wicked | ||
| Halloween | Love is Blind | |
| Bridgerton | ||
| The Adam Project | ||
| Original Content | Creepshow | |
| The Mortuary Collection | ||
| Revenge | The Haunting of Hill House | |
| Squid Game | ||
| Ozark | ||
| Home Theater Features | Up to 720p | Up to 4KHDR |
| Dolby Atmos 5.1 surround sound | ||
| Offline Viewing | No | Yes |
| Device Support | Apple, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Xbox, select Samsung TVs | Apple, Android, Roku, Chromecast, Xbox, PlayStation, most smart TVs |
| Simultaneous Streams | 1 | 1-4 (depending on plan) |
Shudder is definitely the cheaper option
When it comes to pricing, Shudder is the cheaper option, with one plan matching Netflix’s Standard with ads pricing, without the ads. You have the option to pay monthly or yearly. However, if you're looking for more variety in terms of content than and don't just want titles in the horror genre, it may be worth splurging the extra few bucks for a Netflix subscription.
Shudder
$6.99/month
In contrast, Netflix has three plans to choose from: Standard with ads, Standard, and Premium. You’ll get a lot more content including non-scary shows, but that’s still something to consider if you’re on a budget.
Netflix Standard with Ads
- Stream on two screens
- On demand content
- HD video quality
- Downloads on up to two devices
$6.99/month
Netflix Standard
- No ads
- Stream on two screens
- HD video quality
- Downloads on up to two devices
$15.49/month
Netflix Premium
- No ads
- Stream on four screens
- HD and 4K video quality
- Downloads on up to six devices
$22.99/month
Shudder offers a free trial
Shudder wins this category too. The service offers a 7-day free trial so you can give it a fair go before committing.
Unfortunately, Netflix doesn't offer any free trial or discounts for first-timers - you'll have to pay for the first month and cancel if before the month is up if you don't want to keep your subscription.
Netflix’s content library offers more variety
When it comes to which has the better overall content library, Netflix is the clear winner. Not only does it offer a ton more content to choose from with a library of over 15,000 titles, but also tons of great original horror content that you won't find anywhere else, like The Babysitter, The Haunting of Hill House, and more.
That said, if you prefer scary flicks, Shudder may be the better choice, with over 650+ horror titles to browse and watch - much more than Netflix offers.
What to Watch on Netflix
Netflix has an unmatched range of shows, movies, documentaries, reality shows, and more. You name it - they’ve got it. And in recent years, they’ve spent lots of money on original content, with more than 1,500 original shows and movies as of 2022.
Some popular titles include:
- Survival of the Thickest
- Extraordinary Attorney Woo
- Nimona
- Lucifer
- Sweet Magnolias
What to Watch on Shudder
Thrillers, horror movies, zombie flicks, and all kinds of other horror-related titles can be found in Shudder's online vault. One of the service's main attractions is its growing library of original content. New releases come out very frequently, as well. In addition to on-demand content, some themed live channel feeds are also available.
Some popular titles include:
- Anything for Jackson
- Kandisha
- Knife + Heart
- Scare Me
- They Look Like People
Netflix offers the best home features
When it comes to a better home theatre experience, Netflix wins. It comes with tons of killer features, like 4K UHD support, Dolby Atmos 5.1 surround sound support, and Dolby Vision and HDR10 support on select content on supported devices.
Shudder is lacking behind most other streaming services by only offering up to 720p streaming quality and no support for Dolby Atmos.
If video and audio quality are your top priorities, Netflix definitely comes out on top.
Download hundreds of titles with Netflix
Netflix will let you download shows and movies. You can then watch this content, later on, offline, on any compatible device of your choosing. The process for downloading shows and other content is relatively simple and you can do so on your iPhone, your Mac, or other Apple devices. Each device can have up to 100 pieces of downloaded content.
Unfortunately, you can't download content with Shudder. The standalone Shudder app doesn't support this feature.
The only way to get around this and watch Shudder content offline is to get the Shudder add-on for Amazon Prime Video. if you have an Amazon Fire Tablet or the Amazon Prime Video app, you can download content for offline viewing.
Watch both streamers on a multitude of devices
When it comes to device support, Netflix offers slightly more options than Shudder.
Both streamers offer support for the basic devices like:
- iOS and Android
- Web browsers like Safari, Windows, and Edge
- Roku devices
- Amazon Fire TV
- Chromecast
- Xbox consoles
- Smart TVs like Samsung and Apple
To check out the full device support for each streaming service, check out our complete Shudder and Netflix supported devices lists.
Watch on more devices at once with Netflix
Netflix takes this category. You get 2 simultaneous streams with the Standard with ads and Standard plans, and 4 with the Premium plan.
Unfortunately, Shudder doesn't support simultaneous streaming. In other words, you can only stream to one device at a time. You can try and get around this by getting YouTube TV's Shudder add-on. Since YouTube TV supports three simultaneous streams, you'll be able to watch Shudder through the YouTube TV app even if two other people are watching streams through your account.
Like YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video also has a Shudder add-on and supports simultaneous streaming. If you get Shudder through Amazon Video, you can watch Shudder content on three devices at once. But keep in mind that if you subscribe to Shudder through a different streaming service, you won't be able to watch Shudder's live feeds.
Our takeaway: Horror fans will love Shudder
Overall, Netflix gets our recommendation in this face-off. With better features and more variety in terms of content, it's the better overall choice, and you'll never run out of things to watch.
However, if you love the horror genre, Shudder is hard to pass on. Despite its lower streaming quality and lack of special features, its focus on carrying the best scary flicks and series with a consistent release schedule make it worth trying out. Thanks to its 7-day free trial, what's there to lose?
Tara Khudairi • Author
Tara Khudairi is a freelance content writer and copywriter based in Toronto. Since 2014, she has contributed to brands and blogs alike to tackle popular topics relating to technology, personal finance, entertainment, travel and lifestyle. Whether it’s the latest streaming service or cryptocurrency, she’s passionate about making the complex simple. When she’s not busy typing away, you’ll find Tara watching Netflix’s latest true crime doc or a classic 90’s horror flick.
Davan Hamilton • Editor
Davan Hamilton is an editor and writer based in Jacksonville, FL. Holding a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, her writing spans a wide range, from essays on film criticism and analysis to surreal poetry. Now, she works for Flixed as an editor, continuing to ignore the list of passion projects she’s accumulated. When she’s not glued to her computer, you can find her building endless amounts of Lego sets, binge-reading manga, or playing with (fighting) her cat.
How To Watch
Flixed.io's contributors and editorial team will often recommend products we believe to be useful for our readers. We may receive an affiliate commission from product sales generated through these affiliate links.