# CBS vs Second Stream

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Second Stream at 100% against CBS's 36%. Second Stream also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). CBS's advantage is chart position (#102 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

CBS ships an update fortnightly, Second Stream weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CBS | Second Stream |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (71K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cbs/id1540866664/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **71K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 35.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#102** | — |
| Size | 240 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CBS Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/295669712) | [Nicolas Widynski](https://appshunter.io/developer/687198503) |

## What reviewers say

### CBS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cbs/id1540866664)

**Currently charting:** #102 Top Free · Entertainment (US App Store)

Stream the latest episodes of popular shows for free without a login. Access full seasons and live TV by signing in with your cable provider. Enjoy news, sports, and major live events on demand.

**Highlights:** Stream new episodes for free, No login required for new episodes, Watch on any device, Next-day episode streaming, Live TV with cable provider login, Access full seasons

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 High-quality content
- 👍 Convenient app experience
- 💡 Useful features like live TV and on-demand shows
- 🙌 Consistent and reliable performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Region restrictions preventing access in certain countries
- 📺 Too many commercials interrupting viewing experience
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and technical issues
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find desired content

**Reported bugs**

- Fatal errors when trying to watch shows
- Playback issues like freezing, restarting, and losing progress
- Compatibility problems on certain devices and platforms

**Requested features**

- Resume playback from where user left off
- Expand content availability globally
- Reduce number of commercials or provide ad-free option
- Improve search functionality and content organization


### Second Stream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/second-stream/id6760979035)

This app consolidates all your subscribed content, including podcasts, YouTube channels, and RSS feeds, into one unified reader. AI-generated summaries help you quickly grasp key information from new episodes and articles, saving you time and reducing distractions.

**Highlights:** AI-generated summaries for podcasts and YouTube, Unified reader for multiple content sources, Curated weekly news digests, Distraction-free reading experience, Obsidian vault sync for bookmarks and notes, Background feed refresh, Shake to mark all as read

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CBS free?

CBS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Second Stream free?

Second Stream is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do CBS or Second Stream have ads?

CBS shows ads; Second Stream does not.

### Which is updated more often, CBS or Second Stream?

CBS ships an update fortnightly, and Second Stream weekly. Most recently, CBS was updated on October 2, 2026 and Second Stream on September 17, 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.*