Starz Review: Is Starz Worth it?

What is Starz?

What started as a simple premium channel in the 1990s eventually grew into the hugely-popular Lionsgate-owned Starz network you know today. 

Currently home to more than 7,500 movies and TV show episodes, Starz now includes nearly 20 premium channels, a streaming service, and a mobile app for Android and iOS. Starz has launched popular shows as well -- notable TV shows include Outlander, American Gods, The Girlfriend Experience, Power, and much more. 

Starz is widely advertised as an add-on to just about any cable service, though it can also be purchased as a standalone service -- plus, it's an affordable option starting at just $9/mo. Here's everything you need to know about Starz streaming and programming.

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Starz compared to other TV streaming services

Compared to the other premium channels and services like HBO Max and Showtime, Starz is definitely the best option as far as price. Not only is Starz cheaper right off the bat than the other options, but if you get it as an add-on to your cable or another subscription plan, there's a chance you can get it even cheaper. 

Starz also offers a selection of original programming that you won't find anywhere else (though the ultra-popular Outlander can now be found on Netflix, albeit not live like on Starz), and you can usually try it for free for seven days with no obligation to continue, should you change your mind and cancel your subscription.

Starz content and add ons

Starz offers a healthy collection of TV shows and movies and though you might just think of Starz as its own entity, there are actually several channels under the Starz umbrella, including the following:

• Starz
• 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 Español
• Movie Plex
• Indie Plex
• Retro Plex

These channels house all the original content Starz has to offer, and while not every Starz subscription through a streamer or through cable will get you every channel, subscribing directly through the Starz app will. The Starz app is home to all of the content Starz has to offer. 

What Movies Are on Starz?

The Starz movie library currently has nearly 1,000 movies, with new titles being added all the time. Some of the popular new titles on the platform include The Humans, Naked Singularity, She Ball, City of Lies, and more. You can also find old favorites like Bad Boys, Iron Man, Forrest Gump, The Devil Wears Prada, and much more.

What TV Shows Are on Starz?

Starz currently has nearly 100 TV shows you can enjoy. Some of its most popular titles right now include Power Book, Heels, Run the World, Hightown, BMF, American Gods, and more; as well as award-worthy originals, including Dublin Murders, Hightown, Outlander, Power, Vida, and much more.

How much does Starz cost?

We've seen plenty of deals for Starz, whether it's subscribing to the premium network independently or through your cable provider or another service. Check with the provider sites for their current deals and specials. The Starz price is $9/mo., but if you can catch it while there's a deal running -- like the current promotion for $3/mo. for three months -- you can get it even cheaper. 

However, the Starz subscription cost can vary. There are plenty of options for adding Starz to another service, in which you are currently subscribed. 

For those who already have a Hulu subscription, you can add on Starz for just $9/mo. even as an included free trial. This usually includes all Hulu subscriptions -- Hulu, Hulu (No Ads), Hulu + Live TV, and Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV. 

Similarly, you can add Starz to your Amazon Prime Video subscription for $9/mo. Because Prime Video is ad-free, you shouldn't have any ads on your Starz content. You can also get a Starz add-on through your Philo subscription for $9/mo., which includes three channels.

A Starz subscription on Sling TV currently includes six channels, while a subscription through fuboTV includes seven channels. You can also get Starz through your YouTube TV subscription for, you guessed it, $9/mo. which comes with just 14 Starz channels.

Starz Compared

Starz is one of a few popular premium streaming services that offers award-worthy originals and an extensive library of older movies and TV shows. Its closest competitors are HBO Max and Showtime.

Starz, HBO Max, and Showtime are all known for offering premium content, including popular movies and original series. You can purchase all three of them as standalone streaming services. You can also purchase them as an add-on to a cable plan or streaming service like Hulu or Amazon Prime Video.

Starz stands out as being the most affordable of the three services. It has a price tag of $9/mo. compared to the $10/mo. starting price for HBO Max (or $15 for the ad-free plan) and $11 for Showtime.

It's also important to mention the areas where Starz falls short of its competitors. Starz doesn't have nearly as many titles as HBO Max. It also has a shorter free trial than Showtime's 30 days (though HBO Max has no free trial at all).

Starz Features

DVR Services

One thing to note is that Starz doesn't offer its own DVR storage, which means if you're subscribing to Starz independently and not through another streaming service, you may be without DVR completely. However, if you've added Starz onto a subscription service with a DVR like Hulu + Live TV or YouTube TV, you can record and store your Starz content. 

Simultaneous Streams

Starz can be streamed on up to four devices simultaneously. We love to see a high number like that, because it means it's especially a great service for families. Four people can be in four different rooms on four different devices watching four different shows, and it's absolutely no issue. 

You can even start a show on one device, pause it, and pick up where you left off on another device. Once you subscribe to Starz, you can also stream what's airing live -- which is great if you're watching Starz originals and want to catch them the day they air. 

Sports

Something you'll find missing from Starz's lineup though is sports. Starz is primarily designed for movies, TV shows, and documentaries, and thus, doesn't air live sports. Though you'll find some popular sports-themed shows and movies, there are no actual games or matches offered on the network.

Offline Downloads

Like many other streaming services, Starz allows customers to download titles to watch offline. To download titles from Starz, open the Starz app and navigate to the title you'd like to download. Once it's downloaded, you can use the Starz menu to find those titles and watch them offline.

Starz Supported Devices

You can access Starz using many of your favorite devices, which makes it an attractive option for many viewers. The only major device missing from the list of Starz's supported devices is Sony PlayStation. Here's the full list of supported devices:

• iPhone, iPad, & iPod with iOS 10.3 or higher
• Kindle Fire Tablet 2014 and newer with Fire OS 5 or higher
• Kindle Fire phones
• Most Android devices with Android 5 or higher
• Apple TV 3rd generation and Apple TV 4th generation running tvOS 9 or higher
• Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
• Nexus Player
• NVIDIA Shield
• Razer Forge
• Roku 2, 3, and 4 (second generation)
• Roku stick
• Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox One 
• Select Sony TV's 2014 and newer with Android 5 or higher
• Select Samsung Smart TVs 2014 and newer with Smart Hub
• LG TVs with WebOS 3.0 or higher
• Microsoft Windows 10 or newer
• Apple OSX 10.5.7 or newer
• Current versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari

Is Starz Worth It?

At a reasonable price, Starz offers thousands of TV show episodes and movies -- more than 7,500. Along with its enticing original content, it also offers award-winning titles. If you're someone who wants to add a new collection of movies to your streaming library, Starz is a great option.