By giving more than 2 million customers a way to see multiple movies in theaters each month at a discounted price, MoviePass is disrupting the cinema industry in a big way. While not nearly as much of a household name, Sinemia is vying to do the same. With new subscription plans starting at lower prices and boasting features that its rival doesn't offer, Sinemia may seem like an appealing alternative — and it may be for some types of moviegoers. But as is typically the case, the devil is in the details.
A couple days ago, Sinemia announced a new set of plans starting at .99 per month, which earned the company plenty of press. Here's the overview of Sinemia's new subscription plans, all billed annually up front:
- $4.99 per month ($59.88 per year): one ticket to any movie per month
- $6.99 per month ($83.88 per year): two tickets to any movie per month
- $9.99 per month ($119.88 per year): two tickets to any movie per month including 3D, 4D, and IMAX formats
- $14.99 per month ($179.88 per year): three tickets to any movie per month including 3D, 4D, and IMAX formats
These prices are reduced from previous promotional offerings. In February, for example, Sinemia ran a "Black Panther Promo" offering two movies per month for $10.99 with no commitment or $8.99 per month billed annually; and three movies per month for $15.99 with no commitment or $13.99 per month billed annually.
Sinemia offers advanced ticketing (with restrictions, as noted below) and seat selection as standard features. There's also a "Sinemia for Two" tier, which offers double the tickets per month with a single membership at prices that are doubled for each subscription level — an appealing feature for couples.
MoviePass, known for offering promotional pricing every now and then, currently sells two month-to-month plans:
- $7.95 per month (regular MoviePass): three movies per month and a free three-month iHeartRadio All Access trial
- $9.95 per month (the recently reinstated MoviePass Unlimited): one movie a day
Unlike Sinemia, MoviePass doesn't offer advanced ticketing and seat selection at all of its eligible theaters, and premium film formats are blacked out.
Overall, Sinemia is a fine alternative if you aren't drawn to the idea of seeing three or more movies per month; or if advanced ticketing, reserved seats, and premium formats are must-haves. Busy couples and parents, for instance, seem like a particularly viable fit for these plans. That said, there are some important things to note in the company's terms and conditions.
To start, Sinemia's touted advanced-ticketing feature is limited to three sites: Fandango.com, MovieTickets.com, and AtomTickets.com. Also, the convenience fee charged by those sites for booking tickets ahead of time is not covered by Sinemia. The company apparently made those two changes to its terms last month without clearly announcing them to users, which doesn't exactly instill confidence if you're locking yourself in to a whole year with them. And it may be worth noting that MoviePass (founded in 2011) sued Sinemia (founded in 2015) for patent infringement back in February.
If you're deciding between MoviePass and Sinemia, it's worth doing some research beyond comparing monthly prices. Let us know what you think of both of these companies' offerings in the comments below.