# 2CTV vs StarTimes ON

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 2CTV at none against StarTimes ON's 21. 2CTV also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (53% vs 30%). StarTimes ON's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 20 months) and ratings volume (216 vs 24). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. StarTimes ON sells 21 one-off in-app purchases. 2CTV asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.5 for 2CTV against 3.5 for StarTimes ON. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StarTimes ON has 216 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 53% of 2CTV's written reviews are positive against 30% of StarTimes ON's.

2CTV ships an update every 20 months, StarTimes ON every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 2CTV | StarTimes ON |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/2ctv/id1101316803/reviews) | [3.5 (216 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startimes-on/id1168518958/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 24 | **216** |
| Positive reviews | **52.9% of reviews** | 29.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 16 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PREP-EEZ TECH LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1678282302) | [Union Shine Holdings Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1449436876) |

## What reviewers say

### 2CTV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/2ctv/id1101316803)

Experience African television on your mobile device with live channels and an integrated TV guide. This app offers crystal-clear picture quality and features like picture-in-picture and live channel previews. It's currently free to install, allowing you to test video quality before a subscription is required.

**Highlights:** Live TV channels, Integrated TV guide, On Screen Display, Picture-in-Picture, Live Channel Preview, Matrix Channel View

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### StarTimes ON

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startimes-on/id1168518958)

Stream live TV channels, popular dramas, blockbuster movies, and live football matches from Africa and around the world. Access thousands of hours of entertainment, including kids and educational content, all in one app.

**Highlights:** Live TV streaming, Live football matches, Thousands of TV series, Blockbuster movies, Kids and education content, Local and international dramas

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

**In-app purchases (21)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| StarTimes ON VIP-1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-4 | $3.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-5 | $4.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-6 | $5.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-7 | $6.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-8 | $7.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-11 | $10.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-12 | $11.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-13 | $12.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-14 | $13.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-15 | $14.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-16 | $15.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-20 | $19.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-25 | $24.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-27 | $26.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-30 | $29.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-33 | $32.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-35 | $34.99 | one-time |
| StarTimes ON VIP-44 | $43.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fast and active app
- 👍 Not too expensive
- 👍 No need for decoder
- 👍 Streams live TV and sport nicely
- 👍 No buffering issues (for some)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Nothing is organized
- 👎 Shows stupid football matches
- 👎 Some commentary in Chinese
- 👎 No code sent for mobile plan renewal
- 👎 App crashes a lot

**Reported bugs**

- No code sent for mobile plan renewal
- App crashes a lot
- Repeating scenes in episodes
- App crashes when launched multiple times
- Subscription disappears after activation

**Requested features**

- Allow Airplay
- Add Cast feature to allow watching on TV
- Bring ID channel to the app
- Improve app for iPad screens
- Allow watching on both Android and iOS simultaneously


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 2CTV free?

2CTV is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is StarTimes ON free?

StarTimes ON is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, 2CTV or StarTimes ON?

2CTV and StarTimes ON are both rated 3.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 24 and 216 ratings respectively.

### Do 2CTV or StarTimes ON have ads?

StarTimes ON shows ads; 2CTV does not.

### Which is updated more often, 2CTV or StarTimes ON?

2CTV ships an update every 20 months, and StarTimes ON every 2 months. Most recently, 2CTV was updated on September 6, 2026 and StarTimes ON on September 17, 2026.

---

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