CuriosityStream Review 2023: Everything you need to know

What is CuriosityStream? 

CuriosityStream is an ad-free video-on-demand streaming service. The owner of Discover Channel launched the service in 2015. It’s a niche service that concentrates on documentaries, much like ESPN+ does when it comes to sports. CurosityStream specializes in educational documentary titles with a library that delves into fields such as history, nature, science, and technology.

CuriosityStream features content from the BBC, NHK, and ZED. It also incorporates its own original content into the mix.

It gives exclusive discounts to educators, companies, and libraries interested in purchasing more than 10 subscriptions. CuriosityStream works as a resource inside the classroom with subjects appropriate for Arts, SEL, World Cultures, History Innovation, and STEM instruction. 

CuriosityStream plans and pricing

Curiosity Stream offers a Standard and a Smart Bundle plan which are available monthly or annually. Below are details of each plan: 

The Standard Plan

Access to the full library of content, including thousands of documentaries and the ability to download and watch. A Standard subscription is only $4.99/mo. or $39.99 annually.

Sign up for the Standard Plan

The Smart Bundle Plan

Upgrade your curiosity by subscribing to the Smart Bundle plan and getting everything in the Standard plan plus more. The Smart Bundle allows you to watch on different screens simultaneously, and bundled access to Tastemade, Da Vinci, One Day University, Topic, Nebula, and SOMM TV for only $9.99/mo. or $69.99 annually.

Sign up for the Smart Bundle Plan

CuriosityStream supported devices 

The CuriosityStream app is compatible with several products, including Android and iOS devices. It doesn’t work with PlayStation, Nintendo, or smart TVs like VIZIO, LG, and Samsung. 

  • Amazon Fire TV
  • Android devices
  • Android TV
  • Apple TV
  • Google Chromecast
  • iOS devices
  • Roku
  • Web browsers
  • Xbox 

What to watch on CuriosityStream 

From popular titles to series led by famous names and industry-leading scientists, CuriosityStream offers an extensive documentary collection. The service has movies, series, shorts, lectures, and more. Just don’t expect to find reality show-based documentaries in its catalog. You’ll also be hard-pressed to find big-budget documentaries like HBO’s Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief or Netflix’s Wild Wild Country

CuriosityStream divides its content into a few major categories. 

  • Science
  • Technology
  • Civilization
  • Human Spirit

Movie Documentaries

CuriosityStream has several movies featuring Sir David Attenborough, including documentaries like Light On Earth, Ant Mountain, and Deep Ocean. There are also heady docs like, What is Reality? with David Eagleman, who has given lectures on TedTalks, as well as the docuseries Illusions and Exploring Quantum History with Brian Greene. 

Original Docuseries

There are plenty of original titles available on CuriosityStream with docuseries like Digits (with Edward Snowden), Deep Time History, Sacred Spaces, Living Universe, Breakthrough, and A Curious World, among others. The documentary streaming service also has original features like Miniverse, The Woodstock Bus, Top Science Stories of 2018 (as well as 2016 and 2017), The Kingdom: How Fungi Made Our World, JFK: Fact & Fable, and many more. 

Educational Content

When it comes to educational resources, CuriosityStream has titles that work well as supplemental K-12 learning tools. It also has several selections appropriate for college and university students. With titles like Stephen Hawking’s Favorite Places, Out of the Cradle, Return to the Moon, The Body, Ancient Earth, and Age of Big Cats, there’s a ton to enjoy in CuriosityStream’s library. 

Both public and university libraries can set up a plan with CuriosityStream. These institutions can arrange things so that patrons can enjoy the service using their library card. Businesses and corporations also can establish accounts and provide access to employees. 

CuriosityStream features 

CuriosityStream doesn’t offer DVR storage. But you can download titles to Android and iOS devices to watch away when you’re away from a Wi-Fi connection. Just download the CuriosityStream app to get started. You have the option to save up to 10 hours of videos. To free up more room on your device, navigate to My Stuff, and click on Saved. You’ll be able to remove and delete videos as you please.  

When it comes to sharing your account with members of your household, CuriosityStream’s got you covered. The service offers unlimited simultaneous streams. Disney+, another niche service, only provides four. The ability to watch on several devices at once works well for large households that want to stream freely without worrying about who else is watching the app. 

If you have kids, you don’t need to worry about them seeing mature content on CuriosityStream. Toggle the Kids Mode feature to prevent children from gaining access to mature content. The service streamlines this feature across all your devices. Simply turn the filter off to view all available content again. 

The final cut 

CuriosityStream offers documentary-junkies a ton of content at a more than competitive price. And it even gives you two plans to choose between. The service is all about documentaries — so don’t expect dramas, animation, and comedies like you’d find on Netflix or a service that works like a cable TV alternative. CuriosityStream brings together some of the best documentaries and docuseries out there and puts them together in the same place. It’s a fantastic option for educational institutions, libraries, schools, and anyone who enjoys watching thought-provoking programming. Whether you decide to go with the HD or UHD experience is up to you.

Sign up and try CuriosityStream today

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