Is STARZ good?
Although STARZ streaming may not offer as much content overall as its premium competitors HBO Max and SHOWTIME, it compensates with a lower price point ($8.99 per month) and a lineup of popular original series such as Outlander, Heels, and the Power crime drama franchise. Moreover, with a substantial library of movies, STARZ represents a great value in premium TV.
STARZ is available as an add-on channel to nearly all cable, satellite, and live TV streaming services, as well as a standalone streaming app. In this article, we will focus on the STARZ on-demand streaming app, which boasts several advantages over the cable add-on.
| Pros | Pros |
|---|---|
| Low price | Less content than HBO Max or SHOWTIME |
| Popular original series | No sports programming |
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STARZ free trials and deals
STARZ provides a seven-day free trial for users to test the service before committing to a subscription.
By opting for an annual STARZ subscription at $74.99, you could save approximately $33.00 per year as opposed to paying the regular monthly fee of $108.00 over 12 months.
Furthermore, STARZ is currently offering a promotional rate of $3.00 per month for the first six months of subscription.
STARZ plans and prices
| Service | Price | Video | Streams | Details |
| STARZ | $8.99/mo. | 1080p | 4 | VIEW PLAN |
Paying nine dollars for access to over 1,000 movies and TV shows is quite reasonable. In fact, we would happily pay that amount just to repeatedly watch the STARZ classic Party Down, which we believe to be the best catering comedy ever made. We are willing to defend this position against anyone who disagrees.
STARZ vs. the premium competition
| Service | Price | Video | Streams | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STARZ | $8.99/mo. | 1080p | 4 | VIEW PLAN |
| HBO Max | $9.99–$15.99/mo. | 1080p, 4K | 3 | VIEW PLAN |
| SHOWTIME | $10.99/mo. | 1080p, 4K | 3 | VIEW PLAN |
| CINEMAX | $9.99/mo. | 1080p, 4K | 3 | VIEW PLAN |
| MGM+ | $5.99/mo. | 1080p | 3 | VIEW PLAN |
“STARZ is a top-notch premium service that offers excellent value for money. While EPIX is the only premium channel/streaming service app that is cheaper than STARZ, we believe that STARZ boasts a stronger lineup of original series and a more extensive selection of movies. Although CINEMAX is priced similarly, it actually provides less content compared to STARZ. Furthermore, the $9.99 tier of HBO Max features ads, which, in our opinion, diminishes its “premium” status.”
STARZ shows and movies
STARZ ventured into producing original programming in 2005, but it wasn’t until the release of the flashy Spartacus series in 2010, which was essentially a more fun, dumbed-down version of the movie 300, that the network landed a mainstream hit.
Since then, STARZ has created and acquired several popular and critically acclaimed series, such as Outlander, American Gods, and the Power franchise produced by 50 Cent. While it is not yet a serious contender to HBO and SHOWTIME, STARZ consistently produces some cool content.
In addition to boasting over 100 TV series, the service also offers a vast selection of over 1,000 movies, ranging from recent releases to older films. STARZ’s library is particularly rich in westerns from the 1930s onwards, catering to those with an appetite for classic gun-slinging action.
Current originals
- Outlander
- Hightown
- P-Valley
- Power Book II: Ghost
- Power Book III: Raising Kanan
- Power Book IV: Force
- Heels
- The Girlfriend Experience
- BMF
- Run the World
- Blindspotting
- Shining Vale
Past originals
- Power
- American Gods
- Black Sails
- Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult
- Sweetbitter
- Vida
- Counterpart
- Crash
- Magic City
- Ash vs. Evil Dead
- Spartacus
- Party Down
Acquired series (partial list)
- The Spanish Princess
- The White Princess
- The White Queen
- Luther
- Ice
- The Gloaming
- The Rook
- Luminaries
- Dublin Murders
- Rescue Me
- Rules of Engagement
- Drop Dead Diva
Movies (partial list)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Venom
- Bad Boys for Life
- Bloodshot
- Monster Hunter
- Kingpin
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
- Iron Man 3
- Spiral
- The Devil Wears Prada
- American Hustle
- Saw I–VII
STARZ specs and features
Similar to most other premium TV services, STARZ offers closed-captioning subtitles and PIN-protected parental settings that adhere to standard TV ratings, such as TV–Y, TV–Y7, TV–G, TV–PG, TV–14, and TV–MA for series, and G, PG, PG–13, R, and NC–17 for movies.
In addition, users can create up to five profiles, including one for kids with appropriate parental settings in place. Each profile can be given a nickname, and users can upload their own avatar images or choose from STARZ’s 12 color-coded icons. (We opted for the green alien, but the yellow dinosaur is also adorable.)
On-demand
| Service | Movies and TV shows | Offline downloads |
|---|---|---|
| STARZ | 1,100+ | Yes |
STARZ’s on-demand movie and series sections are organized into easily navigable categories such as Comedy, Action, Drama, and more. There are also helpful sections such as Coming Soon, which provides a preview and release date, as well as slightly unclear sections such as High Replay Value. However, the overall navigation is clean and straightforward.
Multiple streams
| Service | Simultaneous streams |
|---|---|
| STARZ | 4 |
STARZ provides users with four streams, one more than what is offered by both HBO Max and SHOWTIME’s streaming apps. With larger families and households, three streams may not be sufficient, making STARZ the winner in this aspect.
Compatible devices
| Device | STARZ |
|---|---|
| Amazon Fire Cube, Stick, TV | ✔ |
| Android phones, tablets | ✔ |
| Android TV | ✔ |
| Apple TV (4th gen.) | ✔ |
| Apple TV 4K | ✔ |
| Chromecast, Chromecast with Google TV | ✔ |
| Facebook Portal | ✔ |
| Echo Show | ✔ |
| iPhone, iPad | ✔ |
| LG TVs (select models) | ✔ |
| Nintendo Switch | — |
| NVIDIA SHIELD Pro TV | ✔ |
| PC, Mac web browsers | ✔ |
| PlayStation 4, 5 | — |
| Roku Ultra, Express, Premiere, Stick, TV | ✔ |
| Samsung TVs (select models) | ✔ |
| Sony TVs (select models) | ✔ |
| TiVo Stream | ✔ |
| Vizio TVs (select models) | — |
| Wii | — |
| Xbox One | ✔ |
| Xfinity Flex, X1 | ✔ |
That’s an impressive device coverage, except for gaming consoles. Unfortunately, PlayStation and Nintendo users are out of luck.
Video and audio quality
STARZ streams content in 1080p HD but does not offer any 4K content. As with any streaming service, a strong internet connection is crucial, with or without 4K. While STARZ recommends a minimum download speed of 6 Mbps, we suggest at least 25 Mbps for TV streaming as a minimum.
STARZ’s audio streams in standard 2.0 stereo, with select movies and shows available in Dolby 5.1 surround sound. However, the STARZ streaming app does not support Dolby Atmos.
Final take: Is STARZ worth it?
In terms of content, STARZ may not be a direct competitor to HBO or SHOWTIME, but its $8.99 price point certainly helps level the playing field. With enough popular original content to sustain its cool factor, as well as a deep and diverse selection of movies, STARZ holds its own. However, it should be noted that if you’re into documentaries and sports, strong areas for HBO and SHOWTIME, STARZ may not have much to offer. Entertainment is STARZ’s forte, not documentaries and sports. At its price point, we believe that STARZ is a worthwhile investment, especially with the upcoming Party Down reboot.
Methodology
Our team of TV experts dedicated hours to testing and evaluating STARZ, assessing its value, reliability, and features. We then compared the service against other premium streaming TV services to provide a comprehensive analysis of its strengths and weaknesses. For more details on our methodology, please visit our How We Rank page.
STARZ FAQ:
Is STARZ available to stream?
In 2016, the STARZ premium cable channel launched as a standalone streaming app. The monthly subscription fee for the STARZ streaming service is $8.99, or $74.99 if paid annually in advance.
What channels are included with STARZ?
As a cable channel, STARZ offers an additional 16 genre-specific subchannels, including STARZ Edge, STARZ in Black, STARZ Comedy, STARZ Cinema, STARZ Kids & Family, STARZ Encore, STARZ Encore Action, STARZ Encore Classic, STARZ Encore Black, STARZ Encore Family, STARZ Encore Suspense, STARZ Encore Westerns, STARZ Encore Espanol, Movie Plex, Indie Plex, and Retro Plex.
Although these channels are not available live on the STARZ streaming service, all of their content is available on-demand.
Is the STARZ app compatible with all streaming devices?
The STARZ app is compatible with a wide range of streaming devices, smart TVs, and web browsers. However, it’s not currently supported on gaming consoles like PlayStation or Nintendo.