# NYC Media vs Thirteen Explore

The clearest difference is ads: NYC Media at none against Thirteen Explore's shown. NYC Media also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 70%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Thirteen Explore's advantage is ratings volume (5.8K vs 8). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

NYC Media holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thirteen Explore has 5.8K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of NYC Media's written reviews are positive against 70% of Thirteen Explore's.

NYC Media ships an update every 4 months, Thirteen Explore every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NYC Media | Thirteen Explore |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nyc-media/id433177943/reviews)** | [4.8 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **5.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **87.5% of reviews** | 69.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 3 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Department of Information Technology And Telecomm](https://appshunter.io/developer/324897622) | [Thirteen/WNET](https://appshunter.io/developer/446797258) |

## What reviewers say

### NYC Media

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nyc-media/id433177943)

This official broadcast network informs, educates, and entertains New Yorkers. Discover the city's diverse people, neighborhoods, government services, and attractions through its media productions.

**Highlights:** Informative content about NYC, Educational programming, Entertainment for New Yorkers, Highlights city services, Showcases attractions and activities

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 NYC Media free?

NYC Media 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, NYC Media or Thirteen Explore?

NYC Media is rated higher. NYC Media averages 5.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 from 5.8K ratings.

### Do NYC Media or Thirteen Explore have ads?

Thirteen Explore shows ads; NYC Media does not.

### Which is updated more often, NYC Media or Thirteen Explore?

NYC Media ships an update every 4 months, and Thirteen Explore every 5 months. Most recently, NYC Media was updated on October 7, 2026 and Thirteen Explore on October 17, 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.*