# HISTORY Vault vs MagellanTV Documentaries

The clearest difference is rating: MagellanTV Documentaries at 4.6 against HISTORY Vault's 3.9. MagellanTV Documentaries also leads on ratings volume (3.9K vs 1.1K). HISTORY Vault's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HISTORY Vault sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and MagellanTV Documentaries sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MagellanTV Documentaries holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 3.9K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of HISTORY Vault's written reviews are positive against 37% of MagellanTV Documentaries's.

HISTORY Vault ships an update monthly, MagellanTV Documentaries every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HISTORY Vault | MagellanTV Documentaries |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/history-vault/id1076619087/reviews) | **[4.6 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magellantv-documentaries/id1449628141/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K | **3.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 29.3% of reviews | **36.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 100 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [A+E Global Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/366448555) | [MagellanTV LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1449628140) |

## What reviewers say

### HISTORY Vault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/history-vault/id1076619087)

Explore thousands of documentaries and specials about history, from ancient times to modern conflicts. Watch full-length, commercial-free videos on demand, with new content added weekly. Access classic series and discover the events and people that shaped our world.

**Highlights:** Thousands of documentaries and specials, Commercial-free viewing, New videos added weekly, Classic HISTORY Channel series, No TV provider needed, On-demand streaming

**Features:** Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| History Vault | $5.99 | per month |
| History Vault | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great content
- 🚀 Interesting documentaries
- 👍 Variety of historical topics
- 👍 Reasonable subscription price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent crashes
- 🐛 Streaming and downloading issues
- 🐛 Inconsistent user experience across devices
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🔒 Billing and account issues

**Reported bugs**

- Login and password reset problems
- Incompatibility with certain devices
- Inconsistent content availability

**Requested features**

- Add more recent and popular shows
- Improve search and navigation
- Implement resume playback and favorites
- Add Chromecast/casting support
- Provide multi-language options


### MagellanTV Documentaries

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magellantv-documentaries/id1449628141)

Access an expansive library of documentaries across various genres like history, nature, and science. Enjoy unlimited streaming with new content added weekly, free from advertisements. Cast content to your TV and explore exclusive playlists.

**Highlights:** Unlimited streaming, Extensive genre collections, Exclusive playlists, New content added weekly, No advertising, Cast to TV

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Membership | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Membership | $6.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Membership | $17.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual Membership | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great content and selection
- 💡 Diverse range of documentaries
- 🚀 Excellent customer service
- 🤩 Impressive content quality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent crashes
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and search
- 🔌 Inconsistent streaming performance
- 🤯 Frustrating login and account issues
- 🤔 Lack of basic features (e.g. continue watching, auto-play)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Videos freeze or have audio-only playback
- Login issues and inability to access account
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Download failures and unreliable offline viewing

**Requested features**

- Add skip forward/backward buttons
- Implement picture-in-picture mode
- Improve offline viewing and downloads
- Provide better content organization and search
- Add user profile and watch history features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HISTORY Vault free?

HISTORY Vault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MagellanTV Documentaries free?

MagellanTV Documentaries is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, HISTORY Vault or MagellanTV Documentaries?

MagellanTV Documentaries is rated higher. HISTORY Vault averages 3.9 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while MagellanTV Documentaries averages 4.6 from 3.9K ratings.

### Do HISTORY Vault or MagellanTV Documentaries have ads?

Neither HISTORY Vault nor MagellanTV Documentaries shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HISTORY Vault or MagellanTV Documentaries?

HISTORY Vault ships an update monthly, and MagellanTV Documentaries every 3 weeks. Most recently, HISTORY Vault was updated on September 20, 2026 and MagellanTV Documentaries on September 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*