Comparison

OVID vs Means TV

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

OVID

Discover a curated selection of independent documentaries, art-house films, and global cinema. This subscription service offers unique titles not found on other platforms, with new content added monthly. Enjoy high-quality independent films and television series.

Highlights
  • Curated streaming for indie films
  • Documentaries and global cinema
  • Art-house film collection
  • Exclusive titles not on other platforms
  • 20-35 new films added monthly
Features
Read full description

A curated streaming destination for documentaries, art-house films, and global cinema. A new subscription video-on-demand service, OVID draws from the collections of the leading distributors of high-quality, independent, art-house, documentary, and social issue films and television series. Most of the films on OVID are not available on any other subscription streaming platform. We add 20-35 new films every month. To access all features and content you can subscribe to OVID on a monthly or yearly basis with an auto-renewing subscription right inside the app.* Pricing can vary by region and will be confirmed before purchase in the app. In app subscriptions will automatically renew at the end of their cycle. * All payments will be paid through your iTunes Account and may be managed under Account Settings after the initial payment. Subscription payments will automatically renew unless deactivated at least 24-hours before the end of the current cycle. Your account will be charged for renewal at least 24-hours prior to the end of the current cycle. Any unused portion of your free trial will be forfeited upon payment. Cancellations are incurred by disabling auto-renewal. Terms of Service: https://www.ovid.tv/tos Privacy Policy: https://www.ovid.tv/privacy

About

Means TV

This worker-owned streaming service offers an ad-free library of independent movies, original shows, documentaries, and news. It provides a curated, ethically sourced content experience without algorithmic recommendations or data tracking.

Highlights
  • Worker-owned and ad-free platform
  • Expansive library of movies, shows, and documentaries
  • Independent news content
  • Ethically sourced and human-curated library
  • Strict data privacy policy
  • Stream on multiple devices and smart TVs
  • New content added regularly
Read full description

Nearly all film and television made in the United States is produced by just 5 corporations. Means TV is here to change that. Means TV is 100% worker-owned and ad-free, with a constantly expanding library of movies, original shows, documentaries, news and more. Reasons you’ll love Means TV: - A premium ad-free experience. - Totally independent and completely subscriber funded. No venture capital or rich guys pulling the strings. - Access to daily news content with an independent voice. - Ethically sourced and human-curated library of content from around the world. No algorithms telling you what to watch or tracking your habits. - A strict data privacy policy. We’ll never sell your data to make a quick buck. - Watch at home or on the go. Enjoy Means TV on the big screen using AirPlay, Chromecast, or your Smart TV. - We’re adding new content all the time! Browse new titles or search for your favorites, and stream videos right on your smartphone, tablet or computer. - A subscription to Means TV helps to build a long-standing, worker-owned media infrastructure that reflects and empowers working class people. SUBSCRIBE: To access all features and content you can subscribe to Means TV on a monthly or yearly basis with an auto-renewing subscription right inside the app.* *All payments will be paid through your iTunes Account and may be managed under Account Settings after the initial payment. Subscription payments will automatically renew unless deactivated at least 24-hours before the end of the current cycle. Means TV offers an auto-renewing subscription: You'll receive unlimited access to content on all your devices. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Pricing can vary be region and will be confirmed before purchase in the app. Monthly Subscription automatically renews unless canceled within 24-hours of the end of the current billing period. You can turn off auto-renewal at any time in account settings, but you must do so at least 24 hours before the end of the current term. View renewal date, manage, or cancel subscription any time in Apple ID account settings. For more information see our: Terms of Service: https://means.tv/pages/terms-conditions Privacy Policy: https://means.tv/pages/privacy-policy

Screenshots

OVID4 screens
Means TV4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Means TV at 5.0 against OVID's 4.8. Means TV also leads on ratings volume (405 vs 40) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. OVID sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Means TV sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Means TV holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Means TV has 405 ratings behind it against 40, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 95% of OVID's written reviews are positive against 90% of Means TV's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OVID ships an update every 3 months, Means TV every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
OVID versus Means TV: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOVIDMeans TV
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (40 ratings)5.0 (405 ratings) — better
Positive reviews95.5% of reviews — better90.2% of reviews
Number of ratings40405 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB63 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperDocuseek, LLCmeans, llc

Customer experience

OVID

All ratings41 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive95.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.5%

Means TV

All ratings394 ratings
Positive99.2%
Neutral0.5%
Negative0.3%
Written reviews51 reviews
Positive90.2%
Neutral7.8%
Negative2.0%

Bugs and requests

OVID

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Means TV

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Picture-in-Picture mode causes audio duplication and video disappearance
  • App requires restart when switching between devices
  • Video playback fails with HTTP 500 error
  • Cannot exit app and return to previous position
  • Video plays without picture on some devices
Show 5 more
  • Subscription button non-functional
  • App crashes on iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • Slow performance on older Apple TVs
  • Sign-in required repeatedly across devices
  • App doesn't return to last watched position

Requested features

13 requests
  • Consistent daily news programming (morning and evening)
  • Playback speed controls (2x, 3x speed)
  • Remember watch position and resume playback
  • Comprehensive subtitle/closed caption support
  • Creator channel navigation from video player
Show 8 more
  • Filter to show only subscribed creators
  • Mark videos as watched
  • Disable auto-play option
  • UI refresh for better navigation efficiency
  • Lighthearted non-political content (cooking shows, kids programs, meditation)
  • Book review series on critical theory
  • Spacebar pause functionality
  • Video download capability for offline viewing

In-app purchases

6 purchases

OVID

Subscriptions2
  • OVID Subscription7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • OVID Subscription7 Days trial$69.991 Year
One-time4
  • OVID.tv - 499$4.99
  • OVID.tv - 999$9.99
  • OVID.tv - 1299$12.99
Show 1 more
  • OVID.tv - 1499$14.99
2 purchases

Means TV

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$109.991 Year

Questions

Is OVID free?
OVID is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Means TV free?
Means TV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, OVID or Means TV?
Means TV is rated higher. OVID averages 4.8 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Means TV averages 5.0 from 405 ratings.
Do OVID or Means TV have ads?
Neither OVID nor Means TV shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OVID or Means TV?
OVID ships an update every 3 months, and Means TV every 6 weeks. Most recently, OVID was updated on November 2, 2026 and Means TV on November 3, 2026.

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