Comparison

PBS vs Split Flap

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read 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.

About

Split Flap

Transform your devices into a retro message board with authentic flip animations and sound. Display custom messages, live feeds like weather and stocks, and schedule content. Offers a premium upgrade for advanced formatting and scheduling.

Highlights
  • Authentic split-flap flip animation
  • Customizable messages with line breaks
  • Live weather and stock feeds
  • Multiple display themes
  • Message scheduling
  • Cross-platform support
Features
Read full description

Turn any screen into a beautiful signage display. Split-Flap Board recreates the mechanical charm of airport departure boards — then goes further with LED matrices, retro marquees, glowing neon, and cinematic text crawls. Write a message, pick a style, and watch it come to life. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Type any message and watch it flip, glow, scroll, or reveal itself character by character • Build playlists that rotate through your messages automatically • Schedule messages to appear at the right time of day • Add live feeds — time, weather, news, and stock prices update themselves • Use it on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV DISPLAY STYLES • Split-Flap — the classic Solari board, in basic and sepia variants (free) • LED Dot Matrix — crisp pixel displays with animated reveals (free) • Cyberpunk Neon — glowing borders that pulse, chase, blink, and hum • Retro Marquee — warm theater bulbs in any color you like • Galaxy Crawl — cinematic perspective scrolling • Word Matrix — dramatic letter-by-letter reveals, in light or dark • Background Image — your own photos behind animated text MADE FOR REAL PLACES Shop hours and daily specials. The Wi-Fi password for guests. A welcome message by the door. A birthday surprise on the TV. A countdown to your next trip. A dashboard on a spare iPad. However you use it, it looks the part. WORKS OFFLINE, STAYS PRIVATE No account. No sign-in. No ads, no tracking, no analytics. Your messages stay on your device. Live feeds only reach the internet when you switch them on. FOR POWER USERS Turn on the built-in local REST API and drive the board from another device on your Wi-Fi — a home server, a shortcut, a script. PREMIUM — ONE PURCHASE, YOURS FOREVER The Split-Flap and LED themes — and all core editing — are free. A single one-time purchase, never a subscription, unlocks every premium theme, unlimited playlists, Fullscreen mode, and the REST API. Buy once, use it on all your devices.

Screenshots

PBS4 screens
Split Flap4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PBS at none against Split Flap's 2. PBS also leads on ratings volume (356K vs 1) and chart position (#167 vs unranked). Split Flap's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 81%). On price, rating, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Split Flap sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. PBS asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for PBS against 5.0 for Split Flap. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PBS has 356K ratings behind it against 1, 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 100% of Split Flap's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PBS ships an update every 5 weeks, Split Flap every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
PBS versus Split Flap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPBSSplit Flap
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (356K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings356K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#167 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB15 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPBSGregory Dolder

Customer experience

PBS

All ratings356,336 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral0.9%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews944 reviews
Positive80.5%
Neutral3.8%
Negative15.7%

Split Flap

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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 more
  • Expand availability to international users

Split Flap

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

PBS

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Split Flap

One-time1
  • Premium Features2 variants$0.99

Questions

Is PBS free?
PBS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Split Flap free?
Split Flap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PBS or Split Flap?
Split Flap is rated higher. PBS averages 4.9 out of 5 from 356K ratings, while Split Flap averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do PBS or Split Flap have ads?
Neither PBS nor Split Flap shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PBS or Split Flap?
PBS ships an update every 5 weeks, and Split Flap every 4 weeks. Most recently, PBS was updated on November 4, 2026 and Split Flap on October 30, 2026.

Other comparisons