# SYFY vs BBC America

The clearest difference is rating: SYFY at 4.6 against BBC America's 1.8. SYFY also leads on review sentiment (35% vs 5%) and ratings volume (17K vs 590). On price, update cadence, ads 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.

SYFY holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SYFY has 17K ratings behind it against 590, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of SYFY's written reviews are positive against 5% of BBC America's.

SYFY ships an update every 5 weeks, BBC America monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SYFY | BBC America |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/syfy/id378092432/reviews)** | [1.8 (590 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbc-america/id1089249069/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17K** | 590 |
| Positive reviews | **35.3% of reviews** | 5.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 240 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Versant Media LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1840809836) | [BBC America](https://appshunter.io/developer/1089249068) |

## What reviewers say

### SYFY

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/syfy/id378092432)

Stream your favorite TV shows and movies on demand, including the latest episodes the day after they air. Access live TV and a vast library of content from multiple networks. Requires a TV provider subscription for full access.

**Highlights:** Watch latest episodes day after airing, Live stream TV 24/7, On-demand content from multiple networks, Filter shows by network and genre, Sign in with TV provider subscription, Access content in US and US territories

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for watching shows
- 🔥 Awesome content selection
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Frequent technical issues
- 💸 Excessive commercials
- 🔌 Casting problems
- 🐛 Buggy video player

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Video playback errors
- Inconsistent episode listings
- Linking cable provider issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to skip commercials
- Resume playback from where you left off
- Improved Chromecast/AirPlay support
- Offline viewing option


### BBC America

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbc-america/id1089249069)

Stream full episodes of popular BBC America series like Killing Eve and Top Gear. Access video extras, sneak peeks, and live TV with your cable provider login. Resume watching where you left off.

**Highlights:** Full episode streaming, Video extras and sneak peeks, Live TV streaming, Cable/satellite provider login, Resume watching, Searchable library, Airplay/casting support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Great app for watching shows
- 🚀 Streams in high quality
- 👍 Straightforward and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🤯 Frustrating navigation and controls
- 💸 Too many ads and interruptions
- 🤔 Inconsistent content availability

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and sign-in problems
- Playback freezes and restarts randomly
- Closed captions not working as expected
- Casting and mirroring features broken

**Requested features**

- Add search and browse functionality
- Improve rewind/fast-forward controls
- Provide a paid ad-free subscription option
- Sync playback progress across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SYFY free?

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

### Is BBC America free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SYFY or BBC America?

SYFY is rated higher. SYFY averages 4.6 out of 5 from 17K ratings, while BBC America averages 1.8 from 590 ratings.

### Do SYFY or BBC America have ads?

Both SYFY and BBC America show ads.

### Which is updated more often, SYFY or BBC America?

SYFY ships an update every 5 weeks, and BBC America monthly. Most recently, SYFY was updated on November 13, 2026 and BBC America on November 2, 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.*