# StarTimes ON vs SABC+

The clearest difference is rating: StarTimes ON at 3.5 against SABC+'s 1.9. StarTimes ON also leads on review sentiment (30% vs 8%) and ratings volume (216 vs 14). SABC+'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 21) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

StarTimes ON holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StarTimes ON has 216 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of StarTimes ON's written reviews are positive against 8% of SABC+'s.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StarTimes ON | SABC+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.5 (216 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startimes-on/id1168518958/reviews)** | [1.9 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sabc-plus/id6444331178/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | **29.5% of reviews** | 7.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 83 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Union Shine Holdings Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1449436876) | [South African Broadcasting Corporation Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1021206195) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### SABC+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sabc-plus/id6444331178)

Stream popular South African shows, films, news, radio, and live sports. Catch up on weekday dramas and never miss an episode, all accessible from anywhere.

**Highlights:** Live TV streaming, On-demand content, News broadcasts, Radio stations, Sports coverage, Catch-up TV

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StarTimes ON free?

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

### Is SABC+ free?

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

### Which has better reviews, StarTimes ON or SABC+?

StarTimes ON is rated higher. StarTimes ON averages 3.5 out of 5 from 216 ratings, while SABC+ averages 1.9 from 14 ratings.

### Do StarTimes ON or SABC+ have ads?

StarTimes ON shows ads; SABC+ does not.

### Which is updated more often, StarTimes ON or SABC+?

StarTimes ON ships an update every 2 months, and SABC+ every 2 months. Most recently, StarTimes ON was updated on October 8, 2026 and SABC+ on October 2, 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.*