Better Nate Than Ever had its world premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on March 15, 2022, and was released in the United States as a Disney+ original film on April 1.

While Heidi is happy to see Nate, she decides to do the responsible thing and call Sherrie to inform her sister of her son's whereabouts.

Not having a place to stay, and needing to earn money, Nate discovers street performers and begins to sing, becoming a TikTok star overnight.

He calls Libby, who responds positively to the news before going to the Museum of Natural History to find Heidi, who, while upset that Nate did not return home, gives him a place to stay.

Back at home, Anthony discovers Nate's TikTok video and heads over to Libby's house to demand an explanation for what is happening.

The next day at school, Nate is called into the principal's office where his parents learned what happened and reveal that he successfully landed the part.

[13] Federle said that adapting a book he wrote allowed him to make several changes while being faithful to the source material, such as expanding the roles of Libby and Anthony.

[4] In response to backlash surrounding this, it was re-released digitally on multiple platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and Google Play on September 26, 2023.

The site's critical consensus reads: "A modern musical with old-fashioned charm, Better Nate Than Ever hits heartwarming high notes with its joyous message of self-acceptance.

"[19] Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stated: "Better Nate Than Ever is likely to serve as a charming celebration of young dreamers and how far they’ll go to find a community that fully accepts them.

"[21] Amy Nicholson of The New York Times praised the performances of the actors and found the script creative, but stated that the movie does not engage explicitly enough with LGBT themes.

[22] Jennifer Green of Common Sense Media rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and wrote: "Better Nate Than Ever is a charming tween musical about celebrating differences and following your dreams based on Tim Federle's same-named book.

[...] The film has positive messages about staying true to yourself and accepting friends and relatives for who they are, sometimes making personal sacrifices for their benefit.

"[23] Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com gave the movie a 3,5 out of 4 stars rating, praised the performances of the cast, complimented the humor, and found the film manages to depict a positive render of musicals.