# MagellanTV Documentaries vs A&E Crime Central

The clearest difference is rating: MagellanTV Documentaries at 4.6 against A&E Crime Central's 3.4. MagellanTV Documentaries also leads on review sentiment (37% vs 15%) and ratings volume (3.9K vs 186). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MagellanTV Documentaries sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and A&E Crime Central sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MagellanTV Documentaries holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MagellanTV Documentaries has 3.9K ratings behind it against 186, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of MagellanTV Documentaries's written reviews are positive against 15% of A&E Crime Central's.

MagellanTV Documentaries ships an update every 3 weeks, A&E Crime Central monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MagellanTV Documentaries | A&E Crime Central |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magellantv-documentaries/id1449628141/reviews)** | [3.4 (186 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-and-e-crime-central/id1534755973/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 186 |
| Positive reviews | **36.6% of reviews** | 14.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Subscription | Subscription |
| Size | 66 MB | 101 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [MagellanTV LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1449628140) | [A+E Global Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/366448555) |

## What reviewers say

### MagellanTV Documentaries

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magellantv-documentaries/id1449628141)

Access an expansive library of documentaries across various genres like history, nature, and science. Enjoy unlimited streaming with new content added weekly, free from advertisements. Cast content to your TV and explore exclusive playlists.

**Highlights:** Unlimited streaming, Extensive genre collections, Exclusive playlists, New content added weekly, No advertising, Cast to TV

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Membership | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Membership | $6.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Membership | $17.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual Membership | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great content and selection
- 💡 Diverse range of documentaries
- 🚀 Excellent customer service
- 🤩 Impressive content quality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent crashes
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and search
- 🔌 Inconsistent streaming performance
- 🤯 Frustrating login and account issues
- 🤔 Lack of basic features (e.g. continue watching, auto-play)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Videos freeze or have audio-only playback
- Login issues and inability to access account
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Download failures and unreliable offline viewing

**Requested features**

- Add skip forward/backward buttons
- Implement picture-in-picture mode
- Improve offline viewing and downloads
- Provide better content organization and search
- Add user profile and watch history features


### A&E Crime Central

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-and-e-crime-central/id1534755973)

Access a vast library of A&E's true crime documentaries and series, all commercial-free. Stream over 1,500 titles, download episodes for offline viewing, and discover new content added weekly. Enjoy unlimited streaming without ad interruptions.

**Highlights:** Commercial-free streaming, Over 1,500 true crime titles, Offline episode downloads, New content added weekly, Personalized watchlist, Search and curated browsing

**Features:** Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A&E Crime Central | $4.99 | per month |
| A&E Crime Central | $5.99 | per month |
| A&E Crime Central | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good content for true crime fans
- 👍 Some users enjoy the shows
- 👍 App has some bingeable shows

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App frequently crashes
- 🐛 Login issues and errors
- 🐛 Subscription not recognized
- 🐛 Content is outdated and limited
- 🐛 Missing many episodes/seasons

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes constantly
- App freezes and won't open
- Subscription status not recognized
- Login/sign-in issues
- Videos reset or skip in the middle of playback

**Requested features**

- Add fast forward/rewind options
- Implement picture-in-picture (PIP)
- Improve background playback functionality
- Update app content with current episodes
- Make search more robust (keywords, episode names)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MagellanTV Documentaries free?

MagellanTV Documentaries is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is A&E Crime Central free?

A&E Crime Central is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, MagellanTV Documentaries or A&E Crime Central?

MagellanTV Documentaries is rated higher. MagellanTV Documentaries averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while A&E Crime Central averages 3.4 from 186 ratings.

### Do MagellanTV Documentaries or A&E Crime Central have ads?

Neither MagellanTV Documentaries nor A&E Crime Central shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MagellanTV Documentaries or A&E Crime Central?

MagellanTV Documentaries ships an update every 3 weeks, and A&E Crime Central monthly. Most recently, MagellanTV Documentaries was updated on September 22, 2026 and A&E Crime Central on September 26, 2026.

---

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