# truTV vs A&E

The clearest difference is rating: truTV at 4.5 against A&E's 3.9. truTV also leads on monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.6). A&E's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (25% vs 15%). On price, ratings volume, 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.

truTV holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14K and 7.9K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 15% of truTV's written reviews are positive against 25% of A&E's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

truTV ships an update every 3 months, A&E monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | truTV | A&E |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trutv/id396972659/reviews)** | [3.9 (7.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-and-e-tv-shows-that-matter/id571711580/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 7.9K |
| Positive reviews | 15.3% of reviews | **25.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 109 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/405623540) | [A+E Global Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/366448555) |

## What reviewers say

### truTV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trutv/id396972659)

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.

**Highlights:** Watch live sports, Stream full TV episodes, Enjoy blockbuster movies, Sign in with TV provider, Access truTV originals, Watch anytime, anywhere

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Great content like Impractical Jokers and Adam Ruins Everything
- 👍 Decent user interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Add ability to turn off closed captions
- Implement Chromecast/AirPlay support
- Add a 'continue watching' feature
- Improve overall app stability and performance


### A&E

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-and-e-tv-shows-that-matter/id571711580)

Stream full episodes and clips of popular A&E TV series, including true crime, biography, and reality shows. Discover new binge-worthy content and catch up on entire seasons. Create a profile to continue watching across devices.

**Highlights:** Stream full episodes and clips, Catch up on entire seasons, Exclusive clips and deleted scenes, Create a user profile, Watch on any device, True crime, biography, and reality shows

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Excellent app
- 🚀 Works perfectly
- 🚀 Awesome shows
- 🚀 Love the app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes constantly
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🐛 Terrible performance
- 🐛 Problematic and frustrating
- 🐛 Horrible app

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Audio/video sync issues
- Freezing during ads
- Inability to log in with TV provider
- Inconsistent episode ordering

**Requested features**

- Allow Airplay/Chromecast
- Add YouTube TV as a provider
- Improve Chromecast functionality
- Implement Picture-in-Picture
- Reduce ads or offer ad-free option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is truTV free?

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

### Is A&E free?

A&E is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, truTV or A&E?

truTV is rated higher. truTV averages 4.5 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while A&E averages 3.9 from 7.9K ratings.

### Do truTV or A&E have ads?

Both truTV and A&E show ads.

### Which is updated more often, truTV or A&E?

truTV ships an update every 3 months, and A&E monthly. Most recently, truTV was updated on October 30, 2026 and A&E on October 29, 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.*