Comparison

Means TV vs HEINetwork

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

HEINetwork

Access a unique comedic cinematic universe and a satirical take on American culture. Stream every season and special from a popular movie review show, exclusively on this independent network.

Highlights
  • Exclusive access to On Cinema content
  • Stream all seasons
  • Watch Oscar Specials
  • Comedic cinematic universe
  • Satire of American culture
Features
Read full description

The Official HEI Network App - Your portal to On Cinema at the Cinema, a comedic cinematic universe, a grand satire of America itself. Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington’s On Cinema has built a dedicated cult following as a sprawling comedic soap opera masquerading as a disastrous movie review show. Join the On Cinema Family and watch every Season, every Oscar Special, and much more content, exclusively on the independent HEI Network.

Screenshots

Means TV4 screens
HEINetwork3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HEINetwork at none against Means TV's 2. HEINetwork also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Means TV's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and ratings volume (394 vs 50). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support 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. HEINetwork asks for nothing beyond the download.

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 394 ratings behind it against 50, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 90% and 89% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Means TV ships an update every 6 weeks, HEINetwork every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Means TV versus HEINetwork: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMeans TVHEINetwork
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (394 ratings) — better4.8 (50 ratings)
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews — better89.4% of reviews
Number of ratings394 — better50
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPod, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB35 MB
Age rating17+12+
Developermeans, llcOn Cinema, Inc.

Customer experience

Means TV

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

HEINetwork

All ratings50 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive89.4%
Neutral4.3%
Negative6.4%

User reviews

Means TV

From 394 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✊ 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

Room to improve

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

HEINetwork

From 50 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🍿 Certified Popcorn Classic
  • 🍿 Bags to stars conversion
  • 🍿 Film buffs rejoice!
  • 🍿 John Greatman of apps!
  • 🍿 5 bags of popcorn

Room to improve

  • 😞 Terrible app created by an incompetent businessman/criminal

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

HEINetwork

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Confusion with Heineken EN

Requested features

1 request
  • Ads and HEI points bonuses and betting

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Means TV

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$109.991 Year
None

HEINetwork

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Means TV free?
Means TV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HEINetwork free?
HEINetwork is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Means TV or HEINetwork?
Means TV is rated higher. Means TV averages 5.0 out of 5 from 394 ratings, while HEINetwork averages 4.8 from 50 ratings.
Do Means TV or HEINetwork have ads?
Neither Means TV nor HEINetwork shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Means TV or HEINetwork?
Means TV ships an update every 6 weeks, and HEINetwork every 3 weeks. Most recently, Means TV was updated on September 21, 2026 and HEINetwork on September 5, 2026.

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