Thirteen Explore vs Discovery GO
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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
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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)
Discovery GO
Stream your favorite Discovery shows and access content from up to 14 additional networks, including TLC and HGTV. Watch new episodes the same day they premiere on TV and enjoy thousands of episodes on demand. Requires a pay TV subscription to access.
- Stream live TV from multiple networks
- Access thousands of on-demand episodes
- Watch new episodes same day as TV premiere
- Browse by genre
- Continue watching across devices
- Save shows with My List
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Catch up with your favorite Discovery shows anytime, anywhere with the all-new Discovery GO app - and now get access to up to 14 additional networks including TLC, HGTV, Food Network and more - all in one app. It’s FREE with your pay TV subscription. Link your pay TV provider (cable, satellite, telco, live TV streaming service) to access Discovery favorites like Gold Rush, Moonshiners, Bering Sea Gold, Deadliest Catch, Battle Bots, Street Outlaws, Naked and Afraid, Naked and Afraid XL, Expedition Unknown, Alaska: The Last Frontier and many more - plus top shows from other networks including Home Town (HGTV), Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network), Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC), Evil Lives Here (ID), Ghost Adventures (Travel Channel) and more. New episodes are available the same day as they premiere on TV. With Discovery GO You Can: • Stream Discovery and more networks LIVE anytime, anywhere on all your favorite devices • Find shows to watch with the live schedule guide • Access thousands of episodes on demand - from current hits to classic favorites • See new episodes of shows on the app the same day and time they premiere on TV • Binge your favorite Discovery series and specials including Gold Rush, Moonshiners, Bering Sea Gold, Deadliest Catch, Battle Bots, Street Outlaws, Naked and Afraid, Naked and Afraid XL, Expedition Unknown, Alaska: The Last Frontier - and many more! • Get unlimited access to everything the Discovery family of networks has to offer - free with your pay TV subscription. Features: • Stream live TV when you log in with your pay TV provider • Watch select episodes and entire seasons of your favorite shows from up to 15 networks! • Browse by genre - from Natural History, Science and Tech to Food, Home and more - to find your favorite shows and discover new ones • Continue watching episodes where you left off across all of your devices • Save shows and episodes to watch later with My List • Compatible with tvOS and Chromecast • Closed-captioning support Requirements: • Available in the U.S. only • Wi-Fi connection recommended • iOS 12 or higher Need help? Visit gohelp.discovery.com. Visitor Agreement: https://corporate.discovery.com/visitor-agreement/ Privacy Notice: https://corporate.discovery.com/privacy-policy California Privacy Notice: https://corporate.discovery.com/privacy-policy/#cappi California Do Not Sell My Personal Info: https://corporate.discovery.com/california_dns We may work with third-party advertising companies and other partners that help us deliver tailored advertisements to you. To opt out of behavioral tracking on mobile devices, you may use the DAA AppChoices Tool, available at http://www.aboutads.info/appchoices.
Screenshots
Verdict
Thirteen Explore and Discovery GO both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Thirteen Explore's written reviews are positive against 37% of Discovery GO's. Thirteen Explore also leads on monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). Discovery GO's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (35K vs 5.8K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 — 4.8 for Thirteen Explore against 4.7 for Discovery GO. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Discovery GO has 35K ratings behind it against 5.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Thirteen Explore's written reviews are positive against 37% of Discovery GO's.
Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, Discovery GO every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Thirteen Explore | Discovery GO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (5.8K ratings) — better | 4.7 (35K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 70.4% of reviews — better | 36.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5.8K | 35K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 96 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Thirteen/WNET | Discovery Communications |
Customer experience
Thirteen Explore
Discovery GO
User reviews
Thirteen Explore
From 5.8K 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
Discovery GO
From 35K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great content library
- 👍 Convenient on-the-go viewing
- 💡 Ability to catch up on missed shows
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 📺 Excessive and repetitive commercials
- 🔍 Difficulty resuming shows from where left off
- 🔌 Inconsistent performance and streaming quality
Bugs and requests
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
Discovery GO
Reported bugs
3 issues- App frequently logs users out and requires re-authentication
- Certain shows/episodes are inexplicably locked or unavailable
- Playback issues when switching between devices or screens
Requested features
3 requests- Add skip/rewind functionality to bypass commercials
- Improve progress tracking and resume playback
- Provide an ad-free premium subscription option
In-app purchases
Thirteen Explore
No in-app purchases
Discovery GO
No in-app purchases









