Comparison

Thirteen Explore vs Watch OWN

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

Watch OWN

Stream OWN shows and content from up to 14 additional networks, including TLC, HGTV, and ID. Access new episodes the same day they air on TV and enjoy thousands of on-demand episodes. Continue watching across devices and save favorites to your list.

Highlights
  • Stream OWN and 14+ networks live
  • Access thousands of on-demand episodes
  • New episodes same day as TV premiere
  • Browse by genre
  • Continue watching across devices
  • Save shows to My List
Features
Read full description

Catch up with your favorite OWN shows anytime, anywhere with the all-new Watch OWN app - and now get access to up to 14 additional networks including TLC, HGTV, ID 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 OWN favorites like Ready to Love, Love & Marriage: Huntsville, The Haves and the Have Nots, Queen Sugar, Put a Ring On It and many more - plus top shows from other networks including Flip or Flop (HGTV), 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? (TLC), Evil Lives Here (ID), Naked and Afraid (Discovery) and more. New episodes are available the same day as they premiere on TV. With Watch OWN You Can: • Stream OWN 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 OWN series and specials including Ready to Love, Love & Marriage: Huntsville, The Haves and the Have Nots, Queen Sugar, Put a Ring On It - 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
Watch OWN4 screens

Verdict

The call

Thirteen Explore and Watch OWN both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Thirteen Explore's written reviews are positive against 47% of Watch OWN's. Thirteen Explore also leads on monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). Watch OWN's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (41K 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 4.8 for Watch OWN. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Watch OWN has 41K 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 47% of Watch OWN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, Watch OWN every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Thirteen Explore versus Watch OWN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThirteen ExploreWatch OWN
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5.8K ratings)4.8 (41K ratings)
Positive reviews70.4% of reviews — better47.4% of reviews
Number of ratings5.8K41K — 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/WNETOWN LLC

Customer experience

Thirteen Explore

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

Watch OWN

All ratings40,833 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews114 reviews
Positive47.4%
Neutral14.0%
Negative38.6%

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

Watch OWN

From 41K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Inspiring and empowering content
  • 📺 Convenient access to favorite shows
  • ❤️ Commitment to diverse voices and personal growth

Room to improve

  • 🤯 Excessive and repetitive commercials
  • 🐛 Glitches, crashes, and login issues
  • 🤔 Lack of features like rewind/fast-forward and episode tracking

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

Watch OWN

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezes during commercial breaks
  • Inability to log in with certain cable providers
  • Inconsistent performance across devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Reduce commercial frequency and duration
  • Implement better episode navigation and resume functionality
  • Expand provider options and improve login experience

In-app purchases

None

Thirteen Explore

No in-app purchases

None

Watch OWN

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Thirteen Explore free?
Thirteen Explore is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Watch OWN free?
Watch OWN is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or Watch OWN?
Thirteen Explore and Watch OWN are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5.8K and 41K ratings respectively.
Do Thirteen Explore or Watch OWN have ads?
Both Thirteen Explore and Watch OWN show ads.
Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or Watch OWN?
Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and Watch OWN every 6 weeks. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on October 1, 2026 and Watch OWN on October 3, 2026.

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