Comparison

U vs Watch OWN

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

Head to head
About

U

Stream live TV and on-demand content from your home network or on the go. Manage your DVR, personalize your viewing experience, and use your device as a remote control. Discover new shows and manage your recordings with ease.

Highlights
  • Watch Live TV
  • On Demand library
  • Personalized homepage
  • TV programming guide
  • Remote control functionality
  • DVR management
Read full description

Take the U-verse experience with you with the U-verse App. Watch Live TV and On Demand shows, manage your DVR, and use the app as a remote control. Live TV Watch Live TV in the palm of your hand! Watch even more channels live when connected to your home network. On Demand Watch on your schedule! Choose from thousands of On Demand movies and shows from top networks. My U-verse Homepage Personalize your U-verse experience by adding your favorite shows, channels, and people to My U-verse Favorites. The new Homepage highlights the shows that you care about most and recommends new shows for you to discover. Guide Browse or search your personal TV programming guide to find your favorite shows. Schedule one-time or series recordings on your DVR at home. Remote Control Control your home TV receivers with the remote control feature.† Recordings Easily manage your scheduled and recorded shows on your U-verse DVR at home. Settings Set Parental Controls and Notifications, manage your receivers, find support tools and more. Requires qualifying device, U-family or higher TV plan and Wi-Fi or data connection. Content may vary by device, TV plan, and viewing location. Data charges may apply. †U-verse Internet service and qualifying device required. This app features Nielsen’s proprietary measurement software which will allow you to contribute to market research, like Nielsen’s TV Ratings. Please see http://www.nielsen.com/digitalprivacy for more information.

About

Watch OWN

Stream OWN shows and content from up to 14 additional networks, including TLC, HGTV, and ID. Access new episodes the same day they air on TV and enjoy thousands of on-demand episodes. Continue watching across devices and save favorites to your list.

Highlights
  • Stream OWN and 14+ networks live
  • Access thousands of on-demand episodes
  • New episodes same day as TV premiere
  • Browse by genre
  • Continue watching across devices
  • Save shows to My List
Features
Read full description

Catch up with your favorite OWN shows anytime, anywhere with the all-new Watch OWN app - and now get access to up to 14 additional networks including TLC, HGTV, ID and more - all in one app. It’s FREE with your pay TV subscription. Link your pay TV provider (cable, satellite, telco, live TV streaming service) to access OWN favorites like Ready to Love, Love & Marriage: Huntsville, The Haves and the Have Nots, Queen Sugar, Put a Ring On It and many more - plus top shows from other networks including Flip or Flop (HGTV), 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? (TLC), Evil Lives Here (ID), Naked and Afraid (Discovery) and more. New episodes are available the same day as they premiere on TV. With Watch OWN You Can: • Stream OWN and more networks LIVE anytime, anywhere on all your favorite devices • Find shows to watch with the live schedule guide • Access thousands of episodes on demand - from current hits to classic favorites • See new episodes of shows on the app the same day and time they premiere on TV • Binge your favorite OWN series and specials including Ready to Love, Love & Marriage: Huntsville, The Haves and the Have Nots, Queen Sugar, Put a Ring On It - and many more! • Get unlimited access to everything the Discovery family of networks has to offer - free with your pay TV subscription Features: • Stream live TV when you log in with your pay TV provider • Watch select episodes and entire seasons of your favorite shows from up to 15 networks! • Browse by genre - from Natural History, Science and Tech to Food, Home and more - to find your favorite shows and discover new ones • Continue watching episodes where you left off across all of your devices • Save shows and episodes to watch later with My List • Compatible with tvOS and Chromecast • Closed-captioning support Requirements: • Available in the U.S. only • Wi-Fi connection recommended • iOS 12 or higher Need help? Visit gohelp.discovery.com. Visitor Agreement: https://corporate.discovery.com/visitor-agreement/ Privacy Notice: https://corporate.discovery.com/privacy-policy California Privacy Notice: https://corporate.discovery.com/privacy-policy/#cappi California Do Not Sell My Personal Info: https://corporate.discovery.com/california_dns We may work with third-party advertising companies and other partners that help us deliver tailored advertisements to you. To opt out of behavioral tracking on mobile devices, you may use the DAA AppChoices Tool, available at http://www.aboutads.info/appchoices.

Screenshots

Watch OWN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: U at none against Watch OWN's shown. U also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (390K vs 41K). Watch OWN's advantage is review sentiment (47% vs 14%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for U against 4.8 for Watch OWN. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: U has 390K ratings behind it against 41K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 14% of U's written reviews are positive against 47% of Watch OWN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

U ships an update every 3 months, Watch OWN every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
U versus Watch OWN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUWatch OWN
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (390K ratings)4.8 (41K ratings) — better
Positive reviews14.1% of reviews47.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings390K — better41K
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS16.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size132 MB96 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperAT&T Services, Inc.OWN LLC

Customer experience

U

All ratings390,061 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral4.0%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews241 reviews
Positive14.1%
Neutral5.8%
Negative80.1%

Watch OWN

All ratings40,833 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews114 reviews
Positive47.4%
Neutral14.0%
Negative38.6%

User reviews

U

From 390K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient remote control
  • 🚀 Easy to schedule recordings
  • 🚀 Good on-demand functionality
  • 👍 Reliable service when working

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Unreliable channel access and streaming
  • 🐛 Guide data not kept up-to-date
  • 🐛 Inconsistent functionality across devices
  • 🔒 Security and login issues

Watch OWN

From 41K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Inspiring and empowering content
  • 📺 Convenient access to favorite shows
  • ❤️ Commitment to diverse voices and personal growth

Room to improve

  • 🤯 Excessive and repetitive commercials
  • 🐛 Glitches, crashes, and login issues
  • 🤔 Lack of features like rewind/fast-forward and episode tracking

Bugs and requests

U

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App frequently logs users out
  • Remote control feature not working consistently
  • Certain channels not available through the app
  • Sync issues between app and TV experience

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to access and manage recordings remotely
  • Improved guide with more future programming data
  • Seamless integration with home receivers
  • Support for casting to TV from mobile devices

Watch OWN

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezes during commercial breaks
  • Inability to log in with certain cable providers
  • Inconsistent performance across devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Reduce commercial frequency and duration
  • Implement better episode navigation and resume functionality
  • Expand provider options and improve login experience

In-app purchases

None

U

No in-app purchases

None

Watch OWN

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is U free?
U is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Watch OWN free?
Watch OWN is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, U or Watch OWN?
Watch OWN is rated higher. U averages 4.7 out of 5 from 390K ratings, while Watch OWN averages 4.8 from 41K ratings.
Do U or Watch OWN have ads?
Watch OWN shows ads; U does not.
Which is updated more often, U or Watch OWN?
U ships an update every 3 months, and Watch OWN every 6 weeks. Most recently, U was updated on November 4, 2026 and Watch OWN on November 3, 2026.

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