# Means TV vs NoBudge

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 (403 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.

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.

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 403 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.

Means TV ships an update every 6 weeks, NoBudge every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Means TV | NoBudge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (403 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/means-tv/id1490462989/reviews) | **[5.0 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nobudge/id1558634469/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **403** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | 90.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 63 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [means, llc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1490462988) | [NoBudge LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1558634471) |

## What reviewers say

### Means TV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/means-tv/id1490462989)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $109.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- ✊ Worker-owned cooperative business model
- 📰 Quality leftist news and documentary content
- 🎯 Anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist perspective
- 💰 Fair compensation for creators
- 🎬 Diverse range of educational content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📉 Declining content volume and frequency
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and bugs
- 🔄 Poor session persistence across devices
- ⚠️ Inconsistent video playback issues
- 🔐 Login functionality problems

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### NoBudge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nobudge/id1558634469)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NoBudge Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| NoBudge Yearly | $54.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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?

NoBudge is rated higher. Means TV averages 5.0 out of 5 from 403 ratings, while NoBudge averages 5.0 from 24 ratings.

### 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 October 26, 2026 and NoBudge on October 24, 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.*