# truTV vs Thirteen Explore

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Thirteen Explore at 70% against truTV's 16%. Thirteen Explore also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Thirteen Explore holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14K and 5.8K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of truTV's written reviews are positive against 70% of Thirteen Explore's.

truTV ships an update every 3 months, Thirteen Explore every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | truTV | Thirteen Explore |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trutv/id396972659/reviews) | **[4.8 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 5.8K |
| Positive reviews | 16.2% of reviews | **70.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 109 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/405623540) | [Thirteen/WNET](https://appshunter.io/developer/446797258) |

## 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


### Thirteen Explore

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773)

Stream full episodes of popular PBS and THIRTEEN programs, including Masterpiece, Nature, and Frontline, directly to your iPhone and iPad. Access New York-centric shows and livestream THIRTEEN if you're in the NYC metro area. Cast content to your TV using Apple TV and Chromecast.

**Highlights:** Stream full episodes, Masterpiece, Nature, Frontline, New York-centric shows, Livestream THIRTEEN (NYC), Cast to TV

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Quality entertainment and education
- 👍 Variety of programming
- 👍 Reliable and trustworthy content
- 👍 Ability to watch missed episodes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with login and playback issues
- 🤔 Lack of user-friendly features (e.g., episode tracking, Chromecast support)
- 🤔 Limited content availability for Passport members

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes or doesn't work
- Playback issues, such as app crashing or getting kicked out
- Incompatibility with certain devices (e.g., Firestick)

**Requested features**

- Add episode tracking and resume playback functionality
- Improve Chromecast support with features like closed captions
- Expand Passport content library to include more archived shows


## Frequently asked questions

### Is truTV free?

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

### Is Thirteen Explore free?

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

### Which has better reviews, truTV or Thirteen Explore?

Thirteen Explore is rated higher. truTV averages 4.5 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 from 5.8K ratings.

### Do truTV or Thirteen Explore have ads?

Both truTV and Thirteen Explore show ads.

### Which is updated more often, truTV or Thirteen Explore?

truTV ships an update every 3 months, and Thirteen Explore every 5 months. Most recently, truTV was updated on September 25, 2026 and Thirteen Explore on September 20, 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.*