Spooky season is upon us, and some of the best streaming services we’ve tested carry impressive selections of both classic and recent horror movies. Michael Myers, Valak, and the Babadook are all available for a scare this Halloween, thanks to streaming apps like Peacock, Paramount Plus, HBO Max, Prime Video, Disney Plus, Hulu, and Shudder.
The best horror-friendly streaming services offer a mix of can’t-miss classics and new releases. While there’s occasionally some overlap between streaming catalogs, especially for older movies that have less exclusive licensing agreements, many services hold sole streaming rights for movies, so they’re the only place you can watch a movie without having to rent or buy it.
Whether you’re looking to go retro with “The Exorcist” and “Halloween” or you’re hoping to get lost in the latest films from “The Conjuring” universe, there’s an app for every kind of horror movie fan. We’ve broken down everything you need to know about some of our favorite horror-friendly streamers and highlighted the best scary movies you can find on them. All of these services also offer some spooky television options.
Peacock
NBCUniversal’s streaming service might be best known for Sunday Night Football, NBC sitcom reruns, and Bravo binge-watching, but the app also carries a surprising number of horror hits. Peacock typically gives Universal films their streaming debut, so Universal monsters often find a home there after their theatrical releases (although they don’t always remain there indefinitely).
Peacock currently hosts a selection of films from “The Purge” franchise, multiple “Halloween” installments, the “Terrifier” movies, the first four “Scream” films, the three original “Friday the 13th” movies, and several films from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” franchise, including the 1974 original. The streamer’s “Halloween Horror 2025” collection also includes playlists of Halloween specials from hit TV shows, so you can catch every “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” Halloween Heist in one place.
Peacock is a convenient streaming source for hit NBC TV shows, Universal movies, and select sports like Sunday Night Football. The service also carries its own slate of original programming.
Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus is another stealth horror streamer with an impressive collection of both horror classics and more recent releases. Most notably, the streamer hosts the full “Scream” franchise, including the two most recent installments, the entire “Friday the 13th” series, all three “A Quiet Place” movies, and the original “I Know What You Did Last Summer.”
The rest of the app’s horror movie offerings tend to be one-off gems, like “The Fly,” “American Psycho,” “Cloverfield,” and “Annihilation” (which leans more sci-fi speculative with scary moments than straight horror). The service also has a fair number of spooky TV shows, including “Evil” and Showtime programs like “Yellowjackets” and “Penny Dreadful” (although you’ll need to be subscribed to the ad-free Premium tier for Showtime access).
Paramount Plus is perfect for viewers who want to stream CBS TV shows, local NFL games, and tons of content from Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, and MTV. And if you get the premium tier you can also unlock ad-free streaming and access to Showtime.
Disney Plus and Hulu
We’re going to cheat here and recommend a bundle, but only because subscribing to both services together costs just $1 a month more than just signing up for one by itself, and they cover a range of spooky movies and TV shows when combined. The Disney Plus and Hulu bundle brings together adult-focused horror from Hulu (including “The Village,” “The Cabin in the Woods,” “Longlegs,” and “Jennifer’s Body”) and slightly family-friendlier Halloween tales on Disney Plus (the “Hocus Pocus” franchise and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” for younger kids, and the “Goosebumps” series for teens).
One of the best features of the bundle is that you can stream most Hulu content on the Disney Plus app, so you don’t need to keep going back and forth between the two. Yes, that means you can technically stream “Saw” on Disney Plus if you’re into that, but you can also set some parental controls to keep little ones from stumbling across Jigsaw. If you’d prefer to stay in the Hulu app, the “Huluween” page gathers all of the streamer’s best horror offerings in one place, along with a playlist of classic Halloween sitcom episodes.
There’s a huge double-saving on these two bundled popular ad-supported streaming platforms. The plan offers all content from both Hulu and Disney Plus at a fraction of what it would cost to pay for them separately.
HBO Max
Warner Bros. has maintained its status as a big-hitter in the horror film industry, so its streaming counterpart, HBO Maxis a must-have for scary movie lovers. This year alone, the app has been the home of can’t-miss new horror movies such as “Sinners” and “Weapons.”
Just as solid as HBO Max’s new horror acquisitions is the streaming service’s deep catalog of classics, such as “The Exorcist,” “Poltergeist,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” and “The Shining.” The streamer also houses A24’s collection of films, so “Hereditary,” “The Witch,” and “Talk To Me” are all available in one place. More recent but nevertheless classic horror franchises like “The Conjuring,” “Insidious,” and “It” are also available, with the streamer’s “Face Your Demons” page offering its full lineup of scary movies in one place.
HBO Max is a premium service for fans of prestige television, iconic films, and unscripted programs like Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Succession, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, and more. The ad-supported tier is $10.99 a month, but you can upgrade to ad-free for $18.49 or view your programming in 4K for $22.99.
Prime Video
Prime Video hosts an impressive selection of horror films, ranging from licensed classics to original productions. “Nosferatu, “Smile 2,” and “Companion” are some of the newer horror flicks to hit the streamer this year, but you’ll also find familiar hits like “Dracula” and “Jeepers Creepers” in the massive library. Prime Video has even begun to dip its toes into horror as part of its growing foray into original films distributed via Amazon Studios, including “Nanny,” “Master,” and the Naomi Watts-helmed “Goodnight Mommy” remake.
There are also some older horror-friendly TV shows on the service, like “Hannibal” and “The Twilight Zone.” Plus, if you can’t find a movie on demand on any major streaming services, you’ll likely still be able to rent or buy it through Prime Video.
Amazon Prime Video is a capable, competitive streaming service that’s more than just a Prime membership perk. You can also sign up for a stand-alone plan at $9/month.
Shudder
No horror movie streaming list is complete without including Shudderan app created specifically for horror films. The streaming service offers enough mainstream horror flicks to attract the casual viewer, including the original “Halloween” and “The Evil Dead,” but it excels most with its selection of under-the-radar films that might not ever find a home on more mainstream services.
Indie horror movies that generate buzz, like the 2022 word-of-mouth experimental sensation “Skinamarink” and the 2019 Guatemalan folk horror “La Llorona,” will often find their way to Shudder. The service has its own collection of originals, including hits like “Late Night with the Devil,” “Host,” and installments from the “V/H/S” anthology franchise.
Shudder is a streaming service that gives users unlimited access to the largest collection of uncut and ad-free thriller, suspense, and horror films.
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