Comparison

Means TV vs NoBudge

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

Head to head
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

About

NoBudge

Discover a curated daily selection of new short films and features from emerging filmmakers. This platform celebrates low-budget cinema, DIY visions, and student films across various genres, offering exclusive content not found elsewhere.

Highlights
  • Daily new film releases
  • Exclusive content
  • Extensive browsing and curation
  • Diverse filmmaker selection
  • Focus on low-budget cinema
Features
Read full description

NoBudge is a streaming platform for young & emerging filmmakers. Curated daily, it's a unique collection of short films and features from new talent in the indie film world. Operating since 2011, it's a well-established platform started by filmmakers and focused on low-budget cinema, DIY visions, youth culture, and student films. It features a wide range of narrative, experimental, animation, documentary, sketch, web series and dance/music videos. -New films daily -Exclusive films not available anywhere else -Extensive browsing and curation -Diverse selection of filmmakers -Filmmaker friendly "One of the best places to sample what’s happening in low-budget cinema worldwide." -Glenn Kenny, The New York Times. "NoBudge celebrates the creative freedom often only found in work made free from commercial considerations. It’s a place to discover fun, stimulating short works from artists you didn’t previously know." -Mark Asch, Vulture "One of the most singular streaming outlets on the block." -Guy Lodge, The Guardian. "Like a great film festival shorts section beamed into your home, NoBudge is one of the internet’s top showcases for independent work. The scope of its programming spans and defies genres; it’s a place where the concept of film-as-art always feels honored." -Eric Allen Hatch, Endcrawl. "One of the premier destinations for true independent movies" -No Film School. To access all features and content you can subscribe to NoBudge 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.nobudge.com/tos Privacy Policy: https://www.nobudge.com/privacy

Screenshots

Means TV4 screens
NoBudge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: NoBudge at free with in-app purchases against Means TV's subscription. NoBudge also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 90%). Means TV's advantage is ratings volume (394 vs 24) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, 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. Means TV sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and NoBudge sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Means TV against 5.0 for NoBudge. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Means TV has 394 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Means TV's written reviews are positive against 100% of NoBudge's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Means TV ships an update every 6 weeks, NoBudge every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Means TV versus NoBudge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMeans TVNoBudge
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (394 ratings)5.0 (24 ratings)
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings394 — better24
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB68 MB
Age rating17+12+
Developermeans, llcNoBudge LLC

Customer experience

Means TV

All ratings394 ratings
Positive99.2%
Neutral0.5%
Negative0.3%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative2.0%

NoBudge

All ratings24 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and 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

NoBudge

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Means TV

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

NoBudge

Subscriptions2
  • NoBudge Monthly$5.991 Month
  • NoBudge Yearly$54.991 Year

Questions

Is Means TV free?
Means TV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NoBudge free?
NoBudge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Means TV or NoBudge?
Means TV and NoBudge are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 394 and 24 ratings respectively.
Do Means TV or NoBudge have ads?
Neither Means TV nor NoBudge shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Means TV or NoBudge?
Means TV ships an update every 6 weeks, and NoBudge every 3 months. Most recently, Means TV was updated on September 21, 2026 and NoBudge on September 4, 2026.

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