# Thirteen Explore vs BBC America

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Thirteen Explore at 70% against BBC America's 5%. Thirteen Explore also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.9) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). BBC America's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, ads, 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.

Thirteen Explore holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thirteen Explore has 5.8K ratings behind it against 589, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Thirteen Explore's written reviews are positive against 5% of BBC America's.

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, BBC America monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thirteen Explore | BBC America |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773/reviews)** | [1.9 (589 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbc-america/id1089249069/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.8K** | 589 |
| Positive reviews | **69.5% of reviews** | 5.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Thirteen/WNET](https://appshunter.io/developer/446797258) | [BBC America](https://appshunter.io/developer/1089249068) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### BBC America

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbc-america/id1089249069)

Stream full episodes of popular BBC America series like Killing Eve and Top Gear. Access video extras, sneak peeks, and live TV with your cable provider login. Resume watching where you left off.

**Highlights:** Full episode streaming, Video extras and sneak peeks, Live TV streaming, Cable/satellite provider login, Resume watching, Searchable library, Airplay/casting support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Great app for watching shows
- 🚀 Streams in high quality
- 👍 Straightforward and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🤯 Frustrating navigation and controls
- 💸 Too many ads and interruptions
- 🤔 Inconsistent content availability

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and sign-in problems
- Playback freezes and restarts randomly
- Closed captions not working as expected
- Casting and mirroring features broken

**Requested features**

- Add search and browse functionality
- Improve rewind/fast-forward controls
- Provide a paid ad-free subscription option
- Sync playback progress across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thirteen Explore free?

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

### Is BBC America free?

BBC America is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or BBC America?

Thirteen Explore is rated higher. Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.8K ratings, while BBC America averages 1.9 from 589 ratings.

### Do Thirteen Explore or BBC America have ads?

Both Thirteen Explore and BBC America show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or BBC America?

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and BBC America monthly. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on October 19, 2026 and BBC America 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.*