# truTV vs HISTORY

truTV and HISTORY both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 49% of HISTORY's written reviews are positive against 15% of truTV's. HISTORY also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months). truTV's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (14K vs 1.8K). On price, rating, 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for truTV against 4.6 for HISTORY. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: truTV has 14K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 15% of truTV's written reviews are positive against 49% of HISTORY's.

truTV ships an update every 3 months, HISTORY every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | truTV | HISTORY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trutv/id396972659/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/history-shows-and-documentaries/id576009463/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 1.8K |
| Positive reviews | 15.3% of reviews | **49.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 109 MB | 113 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


### HISTORY

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/history-shows-and-documentaries/id576009463)

Stream a vast library of popular HISTORY TV series and documentaries. Watch full episodes, catch up on seasons, and access exclusive clips. Create a profile to continue watching across devices.

**Highlights:** Watch full episodes and clips, Catch up on entire seasons, Exclusive clips and deleted scenes, Create a user profile, Continue watching on any device, Discover new documentary events

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fascinating mystery
- 👍 Diligent and dedicated team
- 🎉 Exciting new discoveries
- 🙌 Integrity and care for the work
- 📺 Enjoyable to watch

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Slow progress
- 🚨 Frequent commercial breaks
- 🐛 Streaming issues and glitches
- 🤯 Too many ads
- 🔒 Limited access without cable subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Video and audio desynchronization
- Unexpected playback interruptions
- Inability to resume from last watched position
- Freezing and crashing during commercials

**Requested features**

- Faster release of new episodes
- Offline viewing option
- Ability to cast to TV
- Subscription-based access without cable
- Improved streaming reliability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is truTV free?

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

### Is HISTORY free?

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

### Which has better reviews, truTV or HISTORY?

HISTORY is rated higher. truTV averages 4.5 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while HISTORY averages 4.6 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do truTV or HISTORY have ads?

Both truTV and HISTORY show ads.

### Which is updated more often, truTV or HISTORY?

truTV ships an update every 3 months, and HISTORY every 4 weeks. Most recently, truTV was updated on October 30, 2026 and HISTORY 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.*