truTV vs The CW
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
truTV
Stream live sports, full episodes of popular TV shows, and movies on demand. Sign in with your TV provider to access content from truTV and enjoy entertainment anytime, anywhere.
- Watch live sports
- Stream full TV episodes
- Enjoy blockbuster movies
- Sign in with TV provider
- Access truTV originals
- Watch anytime, anywhere
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ALWAYS HERE FOR A GOOD LAUGH The truTV app makes watching live sports, full episodes and movies easy! Sign in with your TV Provider to catch live sports like Mountain West football, MotoGP, MLB, NHL , and classic truTV originals like Impractical Jokers, Tacoma FD, Adam Ruins Everything, and more. Watch anytime, anywhere with the truTV app. Plus, enjoy blockbuster movies -- on any screen. The truTV app supports most TV Providers, including AT&T, Spectrum (incl. Time Warner Cable, Charter & Bright House), Comcast XFINITY, Cox, DIRECTV, Dish, Optimum, Suddenlink, Verizon, and many more.
The CW
Stream the latest episodes of popular TV shows, full series, movies, and live sports. Enjoy content the day after broadcast, binge-watch favorites, and discover new films. Access 24/7 programming and manage your viewing with a personal profile.
- Latest episodes next-day streaming
- Binge full series
- Growing movie collection
- Live and on-demand sports
- 24/7 channel programming
- Personalized profiles and watchlists
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Stream all the latest episodes from The CW, plus movies, sports, and full series! Keep up with new episodes of All American and Sullivan’s Crossing, stream hit series like Wild Cards, Drop Dead Diva, Law & Order Toronto and Marvel’s Runaways, or find your new favorite film in our fast-growing movie collection. And we’ve got sports! Stream NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races live and catch up on the latest action from the PAC-12 football and WWE NXT. Features Include: LATEST EPISODES: Watch new episodes of primetime shows the day after broadcast. FULL SERIES: Binge CW favorites like 90210, Beauty and the Beast and The Carrie Diaries, or discover new obsessions like Drop Dead Diva, Lost Girl, Bates Motel and Marvel’s Runaways. MOVIES: New films are being added all the time. CW SPORTS: All NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series practice and qualifying races are live and on demand, plus replay of all the action from the PAC-12 Football, Professional Bull Riders and WWE NXT. CHANNELS: Stream 24/7 programming, there’s something for everyone. PROFILE: Create a login and continue watching content on any device and create a watch list with My CW. NO HASSLE: No cable subscription, no credit cards. Please note: This app features Nielsen’s proprietary measurement software which will allow you to contribute to market research, like Nielsen’s TV Ratings. Please visit http://www.nielsen.com/digitalprivacy for more information. Ad Choices: https://www.cwtv.com/thecw/privacy-policy/#advertising Terms of Use: http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/terms-of-use/ Do Not Sell My Personal Information: https://privacycenter.cwtv.com/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: truTV at 4.5 against The CW's 3.3. truTV also leads on monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). The CW's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months) and chart position (#86 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
truTV holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14K and 22K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of truTV's written reviews are positive against 11% of The CW's.
truTV ships an update every 3 months, The CW every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.
| Parameter | truTV | The CW |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (14K ratings) — better | 3.3 (22K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 16.2% of reviews — better | 11.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 14K | 22K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #86 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 109 MB | 40 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. | The CW Network |
Customer experience
truTV
The CW
User reviews
truTV
From 14K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Great content like Impractical Jokers and Adam Ruins Everything
- 👍 Decent user interface
Room to improve
- 🐛 Constant crashes and bugs
- 🔁 Endless ad loops and poor ad integration
- 📺 Inability to continue watching from where you left off
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find content
- 🔒 Frequent sign-out issues and login problems
The CW
From 22K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Free streaming service
- 🔍 Wide variety of shows
- 📺 Convenient way to watch missed episodes
Room to improve
- ⏱️ Too many repetitive ads
- 🔀 Inconsistent episode tracking and resume functionality
- 🤯 Buggy playback and app crashes
- 🔍 Limited episode availability per show
Bugs and requests
truTV
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes when trying to watch episodes
- Freezes and becomes unresponsive
- Login screen issues and inability to sign in
- Video playback problems and constant buffering
Requested features
4 requests- Add ability to turn off closed captions
- Implement Chromecast/AirPlay support
- Add a 'continue watching' feature
- Improve overall app stability and performance
The CW
Reported bugs
3 issues- Playback stalling and freezing issues
- Incorrect episode resume points
- Orientation and layout problems on tablets
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to watch full seasons of shows
- Improved episode resume and tracking
- Reduced ad frequency and more variety
In-app purchases
truTV
No in-app purchases
The CW
No in-app purchases
