# Watch Essentials vs Kanopy

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Kanopy at 153K against Watch Essentials's 24. Kanopy also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and chart position (#146 vs unranked). Watch Essentials's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 72%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Kanopy holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kanopy has 153K ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 88% of Watch Essentials's written reviews are positive against 72% of Kanopy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Watch Essentials ships an update every 5 weeks, Kanopy every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Watch Essentials | Kanopy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watch-essentials/id1141456162/reviews) | **[4.8 (153K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanopy/id1205614510/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 24 | **153K** |
| Positive reviews | **88.4% of reviews** | 72.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#146** |
| Size | 154 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie](https://appshunter.io/developer/335774748) | [Kanopy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1205614509) |

## What reviewers say

### Watch Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watch-essentials/id1141456162)

Learn the fundamentals of watchmaking through an engaging course. Explore topics like terminology, parts, operation, materials, complications, and history. Unlock new lessons and build your own virtual watch.

**Highlights:** Watchmaking course, Terminology, External parts, Operation, Materials, Introduction to complications, Build virtual watch

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Kanopy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanopy/id1205614510)

**Currently charting:** #146 Top Free · Entertainment (US App Store)

Access a vast library of films and documentaries for free with your library card. Enjoy ad-free streaming of award-winning movies, The Criterion Collection, and curated content for children, with new titles added regularly.

**Highlights:** Free film streaming, Ad-free viewing, Library card required, Festival award-winning films, Documentaries, The Criterion Collection, Kanopy Kids with parental controls

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎥 Eclectic and engaging selection of films and series
- 🎬 Great movies and documentaries
- 🏆 Excellent content and thoughtful entertainment
- 🌍 Wide selection of various international material
- 🧠 Fantastic educational content like The Great Courses

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes, freezes, and has stability issues
- 🔍 Difficult to search and navigate, poor user experience
- 🕰️ Losing credits just for resuming a movie
- 🔇 No way to turn off closed captions
- 📺 Chromecast and TV integration problems

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes frequently
- Login issues, unable to sign in or access account
- Chromecast and TV streaming problems
- Video playback issues, including blurry or out of sync
- Inconsistent behavior when resuming or rewatching movies

**Requested features**

- Add ability to pause, rewind, and resume movies without using credits
- Improve search and browsing functionality
- Provide more content filtering and parental control options
- Add support for offline viewing and downloads
- Enhance Chromecast and TV integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Watch Essentials free?

Watch Essentials is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Kanopy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Watch Essentials or Kanopy?

Kanopy is rated higher. Watch Essentials averages 4.5 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Kanopy averages 4.8 from 153K ratings.

### Do Watch Essentials or Kanopy have ads?

Neither Watch Essentials nor Kanopy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Watch Essentials or Kanopy?

Watch Essentials ships an update every 5 weeks, and Kanopy every 2 weeks. Most recently, Watch Essentials was updated on October 20, 2026 and Kanopy on October 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.*