Comparison

ARTE.tv vs Second Stream

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

Head to head
About

ARTE.tv

Access a vast library of documentaries, reports, magazine shows, and concerts from ARTE. Stream content on demand, download for offline viewing, and cast to your TV. Enjoy personalized recommendations and continue watching where you left off.

Highlights
  • Documentaries, reports, and concerts
  • Offline viewing with downloads
  • Chromecast and AirPlay support
  • Automatic episode playback
  • Personalized 'MyARTE' space
  • Multi-language support
Features
Read full description

Compatible with AirPlay and Chromecast Documentaries, reportages, magazine shows and concerts, all on the ARTE app. Watch your favourite ARTE shows whenever and wherever you want. A whole world of ARTE in one App New programmes every week: documentaries on social issues and engaging exposés. Reportage, live concerts and more… Find what you want to watch by browsing our categories. Are you a Binge-watcher? With automatic play you don’t need to move. We will automatically play the next episode for you. Sit back and relax. Watch ARTE offline With our download option you can now watch ARTE programmes offline. That means on the plane, on the beach or wherever you like. Download videos by pressing the download button (before you go off grid). Your downloads are stored in your “MyARTE” space for 72 hours and are accessible abroad. Linkup to your TV screen If you have a Chromecast key or Apple TV you can connect the ARTE app to your TV screen. Just click on the ‘Cast’ icon in the video player. MyARTE In your “MyARTE” space you can continue watching videos from where you left off, select your favourites and add content to watch later. Language - Choose your language by clicking on the cog on the bottom-right of the video player. (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish). You can also change languages in the app settings. For optimal performance the ARTE app needs to access to - Calendar in order to add upcoming programmes - Bluetooth for access to Chromecast - Microphone to configure Chromecast Authorisation for access will be asked when you navigate the app. You can refuse access at any time. If you have any comments or suggestions https://www.arte.tv/sites/en/corporate/users-guide/contact/ For legal reasons some of our programmes are only available in France and Germany whereas others are only available in Europe.

About

Second Stream

This app consolidates all your subscribed content, including podcasts, YouTube channels, and RSS feeds, into one unified reader. AI-generated summaries help you quickly grasp key information from new episodes and articles, saving you time and reducing distractions.

Highlights
  • AI-generated summaries for podcasts and YouTube
  • Unified reader for multiple content sources
  • Curated weekly news digests
  • Distraction-free reading experience
  • Obsidian vault sync for bookmarks and notes
  • Background feed refresh
  • Shake to mark all as read
Read full description

Second Stream brings together everything you follow — podcasts, YouTube channels, RSS feeds, and curated weekly news — in a single, distraction-free reader. KNOW BEFORE YOU LISTEN AI-generated summaries surface the key points from new podcast episodes and YouTube videos the moment they publish. Decide what's worth your full attention before you press play. CURATED WEEKLY COVERAGE Subscribe to topics that matter to you and receive a digest of the week's most relevant articles — no algorithm, no noise, no doom-scrolling. YOUR FEEDS, UNIFIED One clean interface for everything you follow. No switching apps. No missing updates. BUILT FOR PRIVACY Sign in with Apple. Face ID protection. No tracking, no ads. Your subscriptions and reading history stay on your device — always. POWER USER FEATURES - Sync bookmarks and notes to your Obsidian vault - Background refresh keeps your feeds current - Shake to mark all as read Second Stream is completely free.

Screenshots

ARTE.tv4 screens
Second Stream4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Second Stream at 100% against ARTE.tv's 61%. Second Stream also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). ARTE.tv's advantage is device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ARTE.tv ships an update every 6 weeks, Second Stream weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ARTE.tv versus Second Stream: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterARTE.tvSecond Stream
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (383 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews61.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings383 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Vision Pro — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size119 MB12 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperARTE.TVNicolas Widynski

Customer experience

ARTE.tv

All ratings383 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative8.1%
Written reviews241 reviews
Positive61.4%
Neutral9.1%
Negative29.5%

Second Stream

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ARTE.tv

No in-app purchases

None

Second Stream

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ARTE.tv free?
ARTE.tv is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Second Stream free?
Second Stream is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ARTE.tv or Second Stream have ads?
Neither ARTE.tv nor Second Stream shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ARTE.tv or Second Stream?
ARTE.tv ships an update every 6 weeks, and Second Stream weekly. Most recently, ARTE.tv was updated on October 20, 2026 and Second Stream on October 4, 2026.

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