# Thirteen Explore vs Animal Planet GO

The clearest difference is update cadence: Animal Planet GO at every 6 weeks against Thirteen Explore's every 5 months. Thirteen Explore's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (70% vs 59%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

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 4.8 for Animal Planet GO. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.1K and 12K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Thirteen Explore's written reviews are positive against 59% of Animal Planet GO's.

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, Animal Planet GO every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thirteen Explore | Animal Planet GO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773/reviews)** | [4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animal-planet-go/id1101434093/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6.1K | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | **69.5% of reviews** | 59.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 101 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Thirteen/WNET](https://appshunter.io/developer/446797258) | [Discovery Communications](https://appshunter.io/developer/325058494) |

## 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


### Animal Planet GO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animal-planet-go/id1101434093)

Stream your favorite Animal Planet shows and discover content from up to 14 additional networks. Access live TV and thousands of on-demand episodes, with new episodes available the same day they premiere on television. Requires a pay TV subscription to unlock full access.

**Highlights:** Stream live TV from multiple networks, Access thousands of on-demand episodes, New episodes available same day as TV premiere, Browse by genre, Continue watching across devices, Save shows to 'My List'

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient access to favorite shows
- 👍 Large selection of content
- 💕 Great for animal/nature enthusiasts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Excessive ads and long commercial breaks
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Issues with provider login and authorization

**Reported bugs**

- Stuck on loading screen
- Forced to re-login frequently
- Incompatibility with certain devices/providers

**Requested features**

- Skip ads button
- Reduce number of ads
- Improve provider login experience


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thirteen Explore free?

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

### Is Animal Planet GO free?

Animal Planet GO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or Animal Planet GO?

Thirteen Explore is rated higher. Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while Animal Planet GO averages 4.8 from 12K ratings.

### Do Thirteen Explore or Animal Planet GO have ads?

Both Thirteen Explore and Animal Planet GO show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or Animal Planet GO?

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and Animal Planet GO every 6 weeks. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on November 1, 2026 and Animal Planet GO on November 3, 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.*