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Vudu Overview and Prices

Updated: Jan. 22, 2024

Vudu doesn't place in our rating of the Best On-Demand Streaming Services of 2024, but it is one of the few services not requiring a paid subscription. Read our review to see if Vudu is right for you.

Free streaming available
No subscription fee
Extensive library

All free content has ads
Rental and purchase prices can add up

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Vudu

Table of Contents

What Is Vudu?
Vudu Overview
How Much Does Vudu Cost?

More

What Is Vudu?

The Fandango-owned Vudu streaming service doesn't make it onto our list of the Best On-Demand Streaming Services of 2024 but has a lot going for it, including offering movies and TV shows to watch for free (provided you don’t mind a few advertisements). It's essentially an a la carte video service, with no paid subscription, offering more than 200,000 titles to stream at any time. A selection of A-list shows and movies, including some still in theaters, are available to stream or purchase, while lesser content is available to watch for free as well as rent or purchase if you can’t deal with ads.

Vudu Overview

Vudu Details

Add to Compare

Monthly Fees:: N/A
Ad-Free:: Optional
Number of Channels:: N/A
Cloud DVR:: Unlimited

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It’s free, but expect plenty of ads
4K quality is only available for rented content, not free movies or TV
A large library centers around older or lesser-known content

Those who prefer an ad-free service

Vudu is a convenient way to stream TV shows and movies on demand without being tied to a monthly subscription rate. With a large catalog of recent and classic titles, chances are good that you'll find something to watch.

Vudu Details

Add to Compare

Monthly Fees: N/A

Ad-Free: Optional

Number of Channels: N/A

Cloud DVR: Unlimited

More Details

It’s free, but expect plenty of ads
4K quality is only available for rented content, not free movies or TV
A large library centers around older or lesser-known content

Those who prefer an ad-free service

Fandango-owned Vudu holds a lot of allure for cord-cutters who don’t like commitment. Unlike most streaming services, it doesn’t charge a monthly subscription rate, instead offering movies and TV shows for rent and purchase a la carte. With a library of more than 200,000 titles, you’ll find everything from classics to current TV shows and movies still in theaters, many available in 4K. Prices for renting are comparable to other services, with most older movies starting at $3.99 and new releases as much as $19.99. TV shows are only available for purchase and are usually $1.99 or $2.99 per episode, though you can save when you buy a complete season or multiple seasons of a show.

In addition to its paid services, Vudu also offers a rotating selection of film and TV titles to stream for free. The catch is that you’ll have to watch a handful of ads. Still, it’s hard to gripe about free content.

In addition, Vudu frequently offers deals where you can purchase multiple titles at once at a discount, making it easy to build your own movie/TV library. Vudu also lets you convert DVD and Blu-ray discs that you already own to digital for including in your library for a fee.

It also offers features like parental controls and Kids Mode so you can keep your young ones from accessing inappropriate content.

Bottom Line: Offering a breadth of movies and TV shows to rent or purchase, Vudu is like a virtual video store, except there are no membership fees.

What Is the Base Price for Vudu?

Vudu doesn’t charge a subscription fee for using its streaming service. Instead, it offers a selection of shows and movies to rent or purchase. It usually costs $3.99 to rent older releases and as much as $19.99 to rent those still in theaters. TV shows are only available for purchase and cost $1.99 or $2.99 per episode, but you can save if you buy an entire season or multiple seasons.

Vudu Rental Prices

$3.99 - $19.99

This is to rent older releases, and those still in theaters.

What Other Plans Does Vudu Offer?

In addition to its library of content for rent or purchase, Vudu offers a selection of content to watch for free (albeit with ads). As such, it is possible to use Vudu without paying a dime. This content is also available for rent or purchase like the rest of Vudu’s catalog if you don't want to watch ads.

Does Vudu Have a Free Trial?

Vudu does not have a free trial.

Vudu doesn’t offer a free trial, but it’s not necessary as it doesn’t charge a subscription fee. As such, you're free to create an account and only pay for what you watch or take advantage of the free content.

What Channels Can You Watch With Vudu?

As a purely on-demand service, Vudu doesn’t offer channels. However, its library of TV shows is representative of programming from a host of channels, including the big broadcast networks and cable channels like Nickelodeon and HBO.

Vudu is best for:

Users who want free access to movies and TV shows
Those looking for a convenient and affordable way to rent videos
Budget-minded viewers that don’t want to pay a monthly fee

Vudu is not recommended for:

Viewers that want to watch original programming
Users who want to watch ad-free content
Those that enjoy access to a large selection of current or critically acclaimed films and shows

Vudu

How To Stream Vudu

Vudu is easy to stream on most devices. It's compatible with Hisense, LG, Samsung, Sony, TCL, Vizio, Roku, and Android/Google Smart TVs, as well as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Roku streaming devices using the Vudu app. Or if you use your PlayStation or Xbox One gaming console to stream, that will work as well. You can also watch on your Mac or PC using Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge browsers, and on your Android or iOS mobile device using the applicable app.

Vudu vs. the Competition

Vudu vs. Amazon Prime Video

While Vudu didn’t place on our list of Best On-Demand Streaming Services of 2024, Amazon Prime Video lands in the No. 6 spot. Vudu only allows users to rent and purchase titles a la carte or watch its free content with ads. By contrast, Amazon offers several different ways to access its video content.

An Amazon Prime Video membership is included with an Amazon Prime membership, currently $14.99 per month, while non–Prime members can sign up for a membership separately for $8.99 per month. A Prime Video membership gives subscribers access to a sizable library of movies and shoes, including Amazon’s award-winning original programming.

Even if you don’t have an Amazon Prime Video membership, you can rent and purchase content at a cost comparable to what Vudu charges. Newer titles are available at a higher price for both members and non-members alike.

If you’re a Prime member then you’re likely already taking advantage of your Prime Video access, but even non-members might find that a Prime Video membership ends up paying for itself when compared to Vudu’s rental fees.

Learn more in our Amazon Prime Video review.

Vudu

Amazon Prime Video

Rating

3.8

Monthly Fees

N/A

$8.99

Accolade

N/A

Ad-Free

Optional

Yes

User Profiles

N/A

Up to 6 Profiles

Trial Period

N/A

30 Days

Vudu vs. Peacock

Peacock ties for No. 3 on our list of the Best On-Demand Streaming Services of 2024. For $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year for Peacock’s Premium plan, you’ll get access to Peacock’s extensive library of movies and TV shows, including films still in theaters and original programming like Poker Face and Based on a True Story. You’ll also be able to watch live sports events from the Premier League, WWE, Sunday Night Football, and MLB Sunday Leadoff. And you can see next-day episodes of NBC and Bravo TV programs.

The one caveat is that you’ll also have to watch ads unless you pay for the Plus plan ($11.99 per month/$119.99 per year), which will also let you watch offline and live stream NBC.

While Vudu doesn’t charge a subscription fee, Peacock offers a lot for the price, even if you have to watch ads. Besides, there’s nothing stopping you from opening a Vudu account and watching when you can’t find what you want on Peacock.

Learn more in our Peacock review.

Vudu

Peacock

Rating

3.9

Monthly Fees

N/A

$4.99

Accolade

N/A

Ad-Free

Optional

User Profiles

N/A

Up to 6 Profiles

Trial Period

N/A

Vudu FAQ

Yes, Vudu has parental controls. After setting a passcode, parents can make it so their children can browse, rent, buy, and play movies only within certain ratings.

Vudu also has Kids Mode, which is a separate interface that is only populated by age-appropriate movies and shows you’ve purchased or rented, while you can also opt for appropriate free content to be included as well.

Vudu hasn’t officially named the number of devices that can simultaneously access an account at once, but users have put the number at eight to 12 in Vudu’s online forum. This should only be a problem if a good number of people in your household want to access content in your library. Otherwise, it’s easy enough to just set up another free account to watch free content or movies and shows that you haven’t purchased already.

Vudo doesn't allow multiple user profiles on a single account. In order to share your Vudo purchase library with your household, everyone will need to use the same username and password, and everyone will have access to viewing history and all purchases.

Vudo doesn't have cloud storage. With no live content, there's no need to store movies or TV shows for later use. All of the movies and shows you purchase through Vudo will remain in your account and be available on demand. Anything that you rent will be automatically returned (and no longer watchable) at the end of your rental period.

CyberGhost
Surfshark
ExpressVPN

Vudu claims that you can’t access its service using a VPN, but you may find that not to be true. ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, which both make our list of the Best VPNs of 2024, purport to be compatible with Vudu. Using a VPN can ensure that your ISP won’t throttle your speed and can let you access the service while traveling abroad.

Get ExpressVPN

Learn more about VPNs here and see our rating of the Best VPNs of 2024.

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Vudu Coupons & Promo Codes

If you think Vudu would be a good fit for you and are looking to purchase, you might also want to see our Vudu coupon page for sales and promo codes to help you save on your new subscription.

Learn More

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Vudu Overview and Prices

Vudu

What Is Vudu?

Vudu Overview

What Is the Base Price for Vudu?

What Other Plans Does Vudu Offer?

Does Vudu Have a Free Trial?

What Channels Can You Watch With Vudu?

How To Stream Vudu

Vudu vs. the Competition

Vudu vs. Amazon Prime Video

Vudu vs. Peacock

Vudu FAQ

Popular Streaming Services

Vudu Coupons & Promo Codes

Learn More

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On-Demand:

Live TV:

Internet Service Providers

VPNs

TVs

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Password Managers

Antivirus Software

Why You Can Trust Us: 24 On-Demand Streaming Services, 12 Live TV Streaming Services Researched