# YouTube TV vs Fiends

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Fiends at 100% against YouTube TV's 12%. Fiends also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.6) and monetization model (free vs subscription). YouTube TV's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 45 months) and ratings volume (60K vs 5). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Fiends holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: YouTube TV has 60K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of YouTube TV's written reviews are positive against 100% of Fiends's.

YouTube TV ships an update weekly, Fiends every 45 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | YouTube TV | Fiends |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (60K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/youtube-tv/id1193350206/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fiends/id1451783299/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **60K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 12.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 45 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#40** | — |
| Size | 151 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) | [Brian Kammourieh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1451783298) |

## What reviewers say

### YouTube TV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/youtube-tv/id1193350206)

**Currently charting:** #40 Top Free · Entertainment (US App Store)

Stream live TV from over 100 networks, including local sports and news, without a cable box. Record shows with unlimited cloud DVR storage and share accounts with household members. Cancel anytime with a monthly membership.

**Highlights:** Watch live TV from 100+ networks, Unlimited cloud DVR storage, Record and store shows for 9 months, Multiple household accounts, Cancel anytime monthly membership, Exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great alternative to cable
- 👍 Lots of channel options
- 👍 Sports features like key plays
- 👍 Ability to record shows
- 👍 Ability to access on the go

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Too many ads
- 🐛 Playback issues like freezing and audio problems
- 🐛 Difficulty finding and managing recorded shows
- 🐛 Inconsistent volume levels
- 🐛 Buggy app behavior on various devices

**Reported bugs**

- Recorded shows not marking as watched
- Playback issues like freezing and audio problems
- App crashing when trying to resume watching
- Difficulty finding recently recorded shows
- Location-based content restrictions causing issues for travelers

**Requested features**

- Add delete and mark as watched buttons for library
- Improve navigation and organization of recorded shows
- Add option to select preferred video quality
- Improve channel browsing and customization
- Add profile support for multiple users


### Fiends

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fiends/id1451783299)

Watch fun videos and play games with a cast of unique characters. This app offers an interactive experience for learning, singing, creating, and playing together. Join the Fiends for an entertaining time.

**Highlights:** Watch videos, Play games, Learn and sing, Create and play, Meet animated characters

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is YouTube TV free?

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

### Is Fiends free?

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

### Which has better reviews, YouTube TV or Fiends?

Fiends is rated higher. YouTube TV averages 3.6 out of 5 from 60K ratings, while Fiends averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do YouTube TV or Fiends have ads?

YouTube TV shows ads; Fiends does not.

### Which is updated more often, YouTube TV or Fiends?

YouTube TV ships an update weekly, and Fiends every 45 months. Most recently, YouTube TV was updated on November 6, 2026 and Fiends on November 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.*