# Channels vs Pixelcade

The clearest difference is rating: Channels at 4.7 against Pixelcade's 4.0. Channels also leads on ratings volume (623 vs 1). Pixelcade's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). 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.

Channels holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Channels has 623 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Channels ships an update every 3 weeks, Pixelcade every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Channels | Pixelcade |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (623 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/channels-whole-home-dvr/id1405359767/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelcade/id6505077613/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **623** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 72.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 108 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fancy Bits, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1064811458) | [OPEN GADGETS LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1038238337) |

## What reviewers say

### Channels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/channels-whole-home-dvr/id1405359767)

This app allows you to watch live TV and recorded shows on any device, even when you're away from home. It offers a unified viewing experience across all your platforms, with features like commercial skipping and the ability to record new episodes of favorite shows.

**Highlights:** Record and watch on any device, Pause and resume viewing across devices, Schedule recordings remotely, Skip commercials automatically, Watch live TV with pause, rewind, and fast forward, Support for surround sound and closed captioning

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pixelcade

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelcade/id6505077613)

This companion app allows users to manage their Pixelcade LED and LCD marquees. Browse, update, and change settings for your marquee artwork and access widgets. Connect wirelessly over Wi-Fi for a seamless experience.

**Highlights:** Browse Pixelcade artwork, Update marquee artwork, Change marquee settings, Access Pixelcade widgets (LED only), Wi-Fi connectivity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Channels free?

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

### Is Pixelcade free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Channels or Pixelcade?

Channels is rated higher. Channels averages 4.7 out of 5 from 623 ratings, while Pixelcade averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Channels or Pixelcade have ads?

Neither Channels nor Pixelcade shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Channels or Pixelcade?

Channels ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pixelcade every 8 days. Most recently, Channels was updated on November 2, 2026 and Pixelcade on October 30, 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.*