How to Cancel CuriosityStream (2026 Guide) — The Documentary Service You Forgot You Had
Updated 2026-02-24 · 5 min read
CuriosityStream costs $2.99/month (Standard) or $9.99/month (Smart Bundle with Nebula). It's cheap enough to forget about — which is exactly why so many people keep paying for it months after they stopped watching. A YouTube creator probably recommended it. You signed up. You watched 2 documentaries. Now it's been 8 months. Sound familiar?
⚠️ Nebula Bundle Users: If you have the Smart Bundle ($9.99/mo), canceling also cancels your Nebula access. If you only want to keep Nebula, you'll need to subscribe to Nebula separately ($5/mo or $50/year) before canceling the bundle.
The YouTube Sponsor Pipeline
Here's what happened: CuriosityStream aggressively sponsors YouTube creators (especially education/science channels). They offer insanely good deals like "$1/month" or "free month" through creator links. The strategy:
You hear your favorite creator recommend it
You click their link and get a discount
You watch 1-3 documentaries
The discount expires, price jumps to $2.99/mo
You forget about it because it's "only $3"
12 months later: $36 spent on nothing
Free Documentary Alternatives
You don't need a subscription for documentaries in 2026:
YouTube — Thousands of full-length documentaries for free (PBS, DW Documentary, VICE, Real Stories)
Tubi — Free ad-supported streaming with a solid documentary section
Pluto TV — Dedicated documentary channels, completely free
Kanopy — Free with a library card, excellent documentary selection
PBS — Nature, Frontline, Nova all available free on pbs.org
CuriosityStream vs YouTube Premium
If you're choosing between the two:
YouTube Premium ($13.99/mo) — Ad-free YouTube + YouTube Music + YouTube originals. Way more content variety
CuriosityStream ($2.99/mo) — Documentaries only. Cheaper but much narrower
The math: If you watch YouTube daily and documentaries occasionally, YouTube Premium is better value. If you only watch documentaries, CuriosityStream is cheaper — but free alternatives exist
Annual Plan Refund
CuriosityStream's annual plan is $19.99/year ($1.67/mo). If you want to cancel mid-year:
No prorated refunds on annual plans
You keep access until the annual renewal date
Set a calendar reminder a week before renewal so you don't auto-renew
At $19.99/year, some people just keep it — but if you're not watching, that's still $20 wasted
🔍 $3/Month Adds Up: CuriosityStream is the poster child for "it's only $3." Upload your bank statement to JustCancel and see how many of those small charges are hiding in your account. Most people find $200-400/month in subscriptions they forgot about.