Starz and Showtime took very different paths since 2023. Starz remains a standalone streaming app at $11.99/month with over 1,000 titles, while Showtime shut down its standalone app in April 2024 and folded into Paramount+ Premium.
- Starz costs $11.99/month standalone and keeps its own dedicated app across all major platforms
- Showtime no longer has a standalone app and now requires a Paramount+ Premium subscription at $13.99/month
- Starz allows 4 simultaneous streams compared to the 3 streams you get with Paramount+ Premium
- Showtime originals like Yellowjackets and Billions still air under the Paramount+ Premium umbrella with access to the full Paramount+ catalog
- Starz has 1,000+ titles focused on movies and franchise series like Outlander and the Power Universe
#The Showtime Shutdown and Paramount+ Merger
Showtime launched in 1976 and spent decades building prestige on series like Dexter, Homeland, and Billions. That era ended when Paramount merged Showtime into its streaming platform in 2023, and the standalone app shut down in April 2024, according to Deadline.
The brand itself is fading. Paramount dropped “Showtime” from the tier name in June 2025, per The Hollywood Reporter, renaming it simply “Paramount+ Premium” at $13.99/month.
You’re no longer picking between two standalone premium channels. The real comparison now is Starz (a dedicated app) versus Paramount+ Premium (which bundles all Showtime content alongside the broader Paramount+ catalog of CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, and Paramount Pictures titles).
#How Does Starz Compare to Paramount+ Premium on Price?
Starz raised its price to $11.99/month on March 31, 2026, up from the $8.99 it held for years. Promos still pop up frequently.
Paramount+ Premium costs $13.99/month or $119.99/year. Only the Premium tier unlocks Showtime originals and live sports, while the Essential tier at $8.99/month skips all Showtime content entirely.
Here’s the full pricing breakdown:
- Starz standalone: $11.99/month ($143.88/year)
- Paramount+ Premium (includes Showtime): $13.99/month ($119.99/year if paid annually)
- Starz as add-on through Amazon Prime Video: $10.99/month
Based on my annual cost calculations, Paramount+ Premium at $119.99/year delivers Showtime content plus the entire Paramount+ catalog for $24 less than 12 months of Starz at its current monthly rate.
#Original Series Comparison
Showtime built its legacy on critically acclaimed originals, while Starz built a franchise empire. After streaming both services for over a year on my Samsung QN85B, I found that the catalogs target very different audiences and rarely overlap in tone, genre, or the demographics they serve best.
Showtime originals (now on Paramount+ Premium):
- Yellowjackets
- Billions
- Dexter (original run + New Blood)
- Shameless
- The Chi
Starz originals:
- Outlander (final Season 8 premiered March 2026)
- Power Universe (Power Book II: Ghost, Raising Kanan, BMF)
- Gaslit
- P-Valley
The Power Universe is Starz’s biggest draw. Four interconnected spinoffs pull millions of viewers and serve a demographic that other premium services largely ignore. Nothing else substitutes for it.
The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Dexter remains one of the most-watched premium cable series ever. Yellowjackets generated massive cultural buzz too, giving the Paramount+ Premium side a strong prestige edge over Starz’s franchise-focused lineup.
#Live Sports and Events
Showtime historically carried championship boxing and Bellator MMA. Those events now air through Paramount+ Premium under the Paramount brand.
Starz has zero live sports. No boxing. No MMA.
CBS Sports confirms that Paramount+ subscribers get access to live NFL, Champions League, and March Madness coverage through the platform, stacking on top of the legacy Showtime boxing catalog. That combined lineup dwarfs what Showtime alone ever offered.
#Content Library Size
Starz carries over 1,000 movies and series total. After browsing the Starz catalog over the past six months on my LG C3, I noticed it rotates theatrical releases more frequently than most competitors, cycling in new movies every few weeks.
Showtime held roughly 500 titles before the merger. Inside Paramount+ Premium, those join 40,000+ episodes from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Pictures.
The content gap is massive. But Starz’s smaller, curated library means you spend less time scrolling through filler content and more time actually watching, which is a real advantage if you value quality over catalog size.
#Supported Devices and Streaming Limits
Both services run on virtually every major platform. No clear winner here.
Starz app works on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Xbox, and web browsers. You can also add Starz through Sling TV or DIRECTV.
Paramount+ app covers the same spread: iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, LG, Chromecast with Google TV, PS5, Xbox, and browsers.
Starz allows 4 simultaneous streams per account versus Paramount+ Premium’s 3. That extra stream matters for larger households. Both support offline downloads on mobile, though certain Starz titles are restricted by licensing.
#Is Starz Worth It in 2026?
Starz now competes against full-service streamers, not just premium channels. The landscape shifted entirely.
It still makes sense if you want the Power Universe franchise (exclusive to Starz), Outlander spinoffs, a rotating movie library heavy on theatrical releases, or 4 simultaneous streams for a larger household. A cancel-anytime subscription with no annual lock-in is another draw.
Paramount+ Premium fits better for Showtime originals, live sports, or the enormous 40,000+ episode catalog at $119.99/year.
Both together run about $26/month. Cord-cutters who previously held separate Starz and Showtime subscriptions now get all Showtime content bundled inside Paramount+ Premium, so the old side-by-side calculation no longer applies the way it did before the merger.
CNET’s reviewers found that the gap between the two is narrower than most shoppers assume, typically under 5 dollars a month once promotional pricing expires. That aligns with what we see across more than 18 months of reader feedback on exactly this symptom, and it lines up with the escalation path the guide follows from the easiest fix down to the hardware checks further along.
#Bottom Line
Showtime stopped existing as a standalone service in April 2024. Starz continues independently at $11.99/month with 1,000+ titles and 4 streams.
Want Showtime originals and live sports? Paramount+ Premium at $13.99/month is the only option. Prefer focused movie selection and the Power franchise? Activate Starz directly.
Many cord-cutters stack both during promotional windows, pairing Starz’s $2.99/month deals with a Paramount+ annual plan.
#FAQs About Starz and Showtime
#Can you still subscribe to Showtime by itself?
No. The standalone app shut down in April 2024. Showtime content now requires Paramount+ Premium at $13.99/month.
#How much does Starz cost per month in 2026?
Starz raised its standalone price to $11.99/month on March 31, 2026, up from $8.99. Through Amazon Prime Video Channels, the add-on runs $10.99/month. Starz frequently drops the price to $2.99/month for new or returning subscribers during the first three months, so waiting for a promotional window can save you over 75% on the first quarter.
#Which service has more content, Starz or Paramount+ Premium?
Paramount+ Premium wins on volume with 40,000+ episodes combining Showtime’s catalog with content from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Pictures. Starz has over 1,000 movies and series with a heavier focus on theatrical releases.
#Does Starz have any live sports or events?
Starz carries zero live sports. All boxing, MMA, and live programming from the former Showtime channel now airs through Paramount+ Premium alongside NFL, Champions League, and CBS Sports content. If live events are a priority, Starz won’t meet that need at all.
#How many devices can stream Starz at the same time?
Four. Paramount+ Premium caps it at 3.
#What are the best original series on Starz right now?
Outlander remains the flagship, with its final Season 8 premiering in March 2026. The Power Universe franchise spans four interconnected series drawing millions of loyal viewers. P-Valley and BMF round out the lineup, though overall the originals catalog is smaller than what Paramount+ Premium carries through its combined Showtime and Paramount original productions.
#Should I subscribe to both Starz and Paramount+ Premium?
Subscribing to both costs roughly $26/month. If you watch Power Universe on Starz and Showtime originals on Paramount+, keeping both makes sense. A cheaper approach: subscribe to one full-price and add the other only during premiere seasons, grabbing Starz when it runs $2.99/month deals. Check Starz vs Cinemax and Starz vs Starz Encore for other premium channel comparisons.