# Smithsonian Magazine vs Thirteen Explore

Smithsonian Magazine and Thirteen Explore both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Thirteen Explore's written reviews are positive against 22% of Smithsonian Magazine's. Thirteen Explore also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ratings volume (5.8K vs 423). Smithsonian Magazine's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smithsonian Magazine sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Thirteen Explore asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Smithsonian Magazine against 4.8 for Thirteen Explore. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thirteen Explore has 5.8K ratings behind it against 423, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 22% of Smithsonian Magazine's written reviews are positive against 70% of Thirteen Explore's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smithsonian Magazine | Thirteen Explore |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (423 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-magazine/id484193368/reviews) | **[4.8 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 423 | **5.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 22.1% of reviews | **69.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 62 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Smithsonian Institution](https://appshunter.io/developer/370564865) | [Thirteen/WNET](https://appshunter.io/developer/446797258) |

## What reviewers say

### Smithsonian Magazine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-magazine/id484193368)

Access a digital version of a renowned magazine covering history, science, culture, and travel. Enjoy in-depth articles, photos, and departments. Purchase single issues or subscribe for ongoing access to engaging content.

**Highlights:** Digital magazine issues, History and archaeology articles, Cutting-edge science reporting, Virtual travel and culture features, In-app subscriptions and single purchases

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smithsonian Annual Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Smithsonian Magazine Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Smithsonian Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| 12-Month Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Smithsonian Magazine | $3.99 | one-time |
| Smithsonian Magazine - February 2014 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Smithsonian Magazine - September 2014 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Smithsonian Magazine 07/2024 | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to navigate
- 🔍 Great content
- 👍 Intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔒 Difficult to authenticate subscription
- 💰 Requires separate digital subscription
- 🔧 Clunky and buggy
- 🗂️ Loses downloaded issues

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to download new issues
- Fails to remember last read position
- Incompatible with newer iOS versions
- Incorrect issue labeling in library

**Requested features**

- Allow login with existing subscription
- Restore previously downloaded issues
- Improve stability and performance
- Provide better customer support


### 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 Smithsonian Magazine free?

Smithsonian Magazine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Thirteen Explore free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Smithsonian Magazine or Thirteen Explore?

Thirteen Explore is rated higher. Smithsonian Magazine averages 4.7 out of 5 from 423 ratings, while Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 from 5.8K ratings.

### Do Smithsonian Magazine or Thirteen Explore have ads?

Thirteen Explore shows ads; Smithsonian Magazine does not.

### Which is updated more often, Smithsonian Magazine or Thirteen Explore?

Smithsonian Magazine ships an update every 5 months, and Thirteen Explore every 5 months. Most recently, Smithsonian Magazine was updated on October 15, 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.*