Comparison

BBC America vs MagellanTV Documentaries

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

BBC America

Stream full episodes of popular BBC America series like Killing Eve and Top Gear. Access video extras, sneak peeks, and live TV with your cable provider login. Resume watching where you left off.

Highlights
  • Full episode streaming
  • Video extras and sneak peeks
  • Live TV streaming
  • Cable/satellite provider login
  • Resume watching
  • Searchable library
  • Airplay/casting support
Features
Read full description

Get caught up in your favorite BBC America shows with full episodes, video extras, and sneak peeks at upcoming series. Log in with your cable or satellite provider to watch BBC America LIVE or full episodes of Killing Eve, Top Gear, The Graham Norton Show, and more of your favorite series. Plus you can search the library and track recently-viewed episodes and resume where you left off. Most full episodes require a cable or satellite login, though season premieres are sometimes made available with no login required. You can also sample trailers and behind-the-scenes clips. New episodes are available in-season, usually the day after broadcast. Use your iPhone or iPad to Airplay or cast to your television.

About

MagellanTV Documentaries

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
Read full description

Documentaries Worth Watching MagellanTV is more than just a streaming service—it's a journey of discovery. Designed for the inquisitive, our expansive library offers documentaries that enlighten, inspire, and feed your lifelong love of learning. For those craving substantial content and awe-inspiring insights, MagellanTV is your refuge. Rekindle your sense of wonder and dive into a world where every film is a chance to learn, explore, and grow. MagellanTV membership includes: -Unlimited streaming anytime, anywhere, on multiple devices. -Extensive genre collections in History, Nature, Science, Space, Crime, and more. -Exclusive playlists that explore personalities and events that shaped our world. -New content added weekly. -No advertising or other interruptions ever. -Cast MagellanTV programs from your iOS device to a Roku, FireTV, Chromecast, or Smart TV. Please Note: -All subscriptions automatically renew at the end of your selected plan period, unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of your plan period. -Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of your current plan period, and the cost of the renewal will be identified. -If you paid for your subscription through In-App Purchases, go to your App Store Account to cancel the service, change the plan period, or turn off auto-renew. -If you cancel your subscription, you can continue to enjoy all MagellanTV programs and features right up to the end of your plan period. -By downloading the MagellanTV app, you agree to its Terms & Conditions (https://www.magellantv.com/terms_conditions) and its Privacy Policy (https://www.magellantv.com/privacy_policy).

Screenshots

BBC America4 screens
MagellanTV Documentaries4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: MagellanTV Documentaries at 4.6 against BBC America's 1.8. MagellanTV Documentaries also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (37% vs 5%). BBC America's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MagellanTV Documentaries sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. BBC America asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MagellanTV Documentaries holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MagellanTV Documentaries has 3.9K ratings behind it against 589, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 5% of BBC America's written reviews are positive against 37% of MagellanTV Documentaries's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BBC America ships an update monthly, MagellanTV Documentaries every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
BBC America versus MagellanTV Documentaries: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBBC AmericaMagellanTV Documentaries
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.8 (589 ratings)4.6 (3.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews5.0% of reviews36.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5893.9K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB67 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperBBC AmericaMagellanTV LLC

Customer experience

BBC America

All ratings589 ratings
Positive17.1%
Neutral5.9%
Negative76.9%
Written reviews101 reviews
Positive5.0%
Neutral6.9%
Negative88.1%

MagellanTV Documentaries

All ratings3,881 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral4.4%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews195 reviews
Positive36.9%
Neutral16.9%
Negative46.2%

User reviews

BBC America

From 589 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Great app for watching shows
  • 🚀 Streams in high quality
  • 👍 Straightforward and easy to use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • 🤯 Frustrating navigation and controls
  • 💸 Too many ads and interruptions
  • 🤔 Inconsistent content availability

MagellanTV Documentaries

From 3.9K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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)

Bugs and requests

BBC America

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues and sign-in problems
  • Playback freezes and restarts randomly
  • Closed captions not working as expected
  • Casting and mirroring features broken

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add search and browse functionality
  • Improve rewind/fast-forward controls
  • Provide a paid ad-free subscription option
  • Sync playback progress across devices

MagellanTV Documentaries

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

None

BBC America

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

MagellanTV Documentaries

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Membership1 Month trial$5.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Quarterly Membership14 Days trial$17.993 Months
Show 1 more
  • Annual Membership1 Year trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is BBC America free?
BBC America is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MagellanTV Documentaries free?
MagellanTV Documentaries is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BBC America or MagellanTV Documentaries?
MagellanTV Documentaries is rated higher. BBC America averages 1.8 out of 5 from 589 ratings, while MagellanTV Documentaries averages 4.6 from 3.9K ratings.
Do BBC America or MagellanTV Documentaries have ads?
BBC America shows ads; MagellanTV Documentaries does not.
Which is updated more often, BBC America or MagellanTV Documentaries?
BBC America ships an update monthly, and MagellanTV Documentaries every 3 weeks. Most recently, BBC America was updated on October 21, 2026 and MagellanTV Documentaries on October 26, 2026.

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