PBS vs Thirteen Explore
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PBS
Stream a vast library of award-winning documentaries, iconic series, and live local TV from your PBS station. Discover new shows and catch up on favorites across drama, news, history, science, and arts anytime, anywhere.
- Stream live local PBS station
- Watch thousands of full-length episodes on demand
- Access award-winning documentaries
- Explore iconic series across multiple genres
- Save episodes to a custom watchlist
- Daily additions of new videos and episodes
Read full descriptionHide full description
Get the PBS app and stream heartwarming shows like All Creatures Great & Small and Call the Midwife, plus new documentary series like Ken Burns’ American Buffalo. The PBS app features the latest news, live TV from your local PBS station, award-winning documentaries, and iconic series. Download the PBS app and stream thousands of full-length episodes anytime, anywhere! Streaming and watching TV is made easy with the PBS app. Watch series you love and discover brand new shows, live or on demand, with PBS’s streaming app available on your mobile phone, tablet, or Smart TV. Unlike conventional streaming apps, PBS lets you access local TV live! Stream local content with the PBS app livestream and discover your favorite local PBS station shows. Stay up to date with the latest news; watching shows like Frontline, PBS NewsHour, and Washington Week. Catch up on your favorite British dramas with Masterpiece classics including complete seasons of Miss Scarlet & the Duke, World on Fire, Endeavour, and Sanditon. Learn about history and science with new episodes of Finding Your Roots, Antiques Roadshow, Nature, and NOVA. Discover exciting musical performances watching Great Performances and Austin City Limits. You never have to miss a show with brand new videos and episodes added daily to the PBS app. WHAT DO YOU GET WITH THE FREE PBS APP? STREAM LOCAL & LIVE TV - Connect to your local PBS station and watch your local station livestream - Tune in to the latest from your local community on the PBS app - Stream your local station TV channel live anytime WATCH TV SHOWS ON DEMAND - Watch TV shows on demand with the PBS app - TV shows of all genres - from drama and romance to murder and mystery - Watch a new series and your all-time favorites - Save episodes of your favorite TV shows to a custom watchlist STREAM A VARIETY OF CONTENT - Watch a new TV show or explore videos from the PBS archives - Stream specially curated playlists, short films, interviews, extras, and more - Binge TV shows of all genres on the PBS app - Watch films, documentaries and TV shows WATCH TV SERIES ACROSS MULTIPLE GENRES - Enjoy the best of streaming and entertainment with PBS - Drama: All Creatures Great and Small, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Broadchurch, Poldark, Vienna Blood, Grantchester, Sanditon, World on Fire, Call the Midwife, Jamestown, and more. - Foreign Language Dramas: Professor T, Seaside Hotel, The Paris Murders, Luna and Sophie, and Sisi: Austrian Empress - News & Public Affairs: Programs from PBS NewsHour, Frontline, Amanpour and Company, Firing Line, and Washington Week. - Award-Winning Films & Documentaries: Discover new perspectives with Ken Burns, Independent Lens, POV,, and the PBS Short Film Festival. - History: Antiques Roadshow, American Experience, American Masters, Finding Your Roots, and more. - Arts & Performances: Great Performances, Austin City Limits, Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting, and Variety Studio: Actors on Acting. - Science & Nature: Explore astonishing new worlds from NOVA, Nature, Deep Look, Expedition, and more. WATCH MORE WITH PBS PASSPORT Passport is an added benefit of station membership. By donating to your local PBS station you can: - Stream an expanded library of acclaimed PBS programming - Extended and exclusive access to 1,500+ episodes of your favorite shows - Watch past and current seasons of popular shows like All Creatures Great and Small, Endeavour, and Sanditon - Binge watch new TV series and your favorite PBS programs, like Finding Your Roots - Stream early releases and special collections, like Ken Burns films and Antiques Roadshow WHAT’S NEW ON PBS MASTERPIECE: Moonflower Murders Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames Big Cats 24/7 NOVA: Dog Tales MASTERPIECE: Van der Valk S4 Finding Your Roots Watch TV anywhere and stream PBS shows today. PBS offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new worlds through trusted, educational television and digital content.
Thirteen Explore
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.
- Stream full episodes
- Masterpiece, Nature, Frontline
- New York-centric shows
- Livestream THIRTEEN (NYC)
- Cast to TV
Read full descriptionHide full description
Your favorite THIRTEEN and PBS programs like Masterpiece, Nature and Frontline - streamed right to your iPhone and iPad! THIRTEEN Explore includes: * Full episodes from programs such as Masterpiece, American Masters, PBS NewsHour, Great Performances, Nature, NOVA, Antiques Roadshow and Frontline * New York-centric shows like NYC-ARTS, MetroFocus, Treasures of New York and NJTV News * Stream via Apple TV and Chromecast to your TV * Livestream THIRTEEN (must be in the NYC metropolitan area)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: PBS at none against Thirteen Explore's shown. PBS also leads on ratings volume (356K vs 6.1K) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). Thirteen Explore's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for PBS against 4.8 for Thirteen Explore. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PBS has 356K ratings behind it against 6.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of PBS's written reviews are positive against 70% of Thirteen Explore's.
PBS ships an update every 5 weeks, Thirteen Explore every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PBS | Thirteen Explore |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (356K ratings) — better | 4.8 (6.1K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.5% of reviews — better | 69.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 356K — better | 6.1K |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Best chart rank | #170 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 15.4 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | PBS | Thirteen/WNET |
Customer experience
PBS
Thirteen Explore
User reviews
PBS
From 356K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎥 Excellent programming, especially documentaries
- 🎨 High-quality, diverse content
- 📺 Ability to watch shows on-demand
- 🎬 Exclusive access to shows through Passport
- 🌍 Variety of international and British shows
Room to improve
- 🤖 Buggy app with frequent crashes
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and resuming shows
- 💰 Paywall for most content, even for donors
- 🇨🇦 Limited availability for Canadian users
- 📢 Intrusive ads even for Passport members
Thirteen Explore
From 6.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Quality entertainment and education
- 👍 Variety of programming
- 👍 Reliable and trustworthy content
- 👍 Ability to watch missed episodes
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy app with login and playback issues
- 🤔 Lack of user-friendly features (e.g., episode tracking, Chromecast support)
- 🤔 Limited content availability for Passport members
Bugs and requests
PBS
Reported bugs
5 issues- App freezes and crashes frequently
- Unable to cast or stream content reliably
- Watch history and progress not saved properly
- Incompatibility issues with certain devices
- Inconsistent behavior when navigating the app
Requested features
6 requests- Add option to skip ads for Passport members
- Improve resume functionality to remember progress
- Enhance discoverability of shows and categories
- Provide more free content for non-Passport users
- Optimize app performance and stability
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Expand availability to international users
Thirteen Explore
Reported bugs
3 issues- 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
3 requests- Add episode tracking and resume playback functionality
- Improve Chromecast support with features like closed captions
- Expand Passport content library to include more archived shows
In-app purchases
PBS
No in-app purchases
Thirteen Explore
No in-app purchases
