Comparison

Thirteen Explore vs Discovery GO

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Stream full episodes
  • Masterpiece, Nature, Frontline
  • New York-centric shows
  • Livestream THIRTEEN (NYC)
  • Cast to TV
Read full description

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)

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Thirteen Explore4 screens
Discovery GO4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Thirteen Explore versus Discovery GO: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThirteen ExploreDiscovery GO
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5.8K ratings) — better4.7 (35K ratings)
Positive reviews70.4% of reviews — better36.6% of reviews
Number of ratings5.8K35K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB96 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperThirteen/WNETDiscovery Communications

Customer experience

Thirteen Explore

All ratings5,771 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral1.6%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews81 reviews
Positive70.4%
Neutral8.6%
Negative21.0%

Discovery GO

All ratings34,842 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews112 reviews
Positive36.6%
Neutral7.1%
Negative56.3%

User reviews

Thirteen Explore

From 5.8K App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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

None

Thirteen Explore

No in-app purchases

None

Discovery GO

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Thirteen Explore free?
Thirteen Explore is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Discovery GO free?
Discovery GO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or Discovery GO?
Thirteen Explore is rated higher. Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.8K ratings, while Discovery GO averages 4.7 from 35K ratings.
Do Thirteen Explore or Discovery GO have ads?
Both Thirteen Explore and Discovery GO show ads.
Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or Discovery GO?
Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and Discovery GO every 6 weeks. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on September 20, 2026 and Discovery GO on September 24, 2026.

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