Comparison

Thirteen Explore vs TLC 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

TLC GO

Stream live TV and access thousands of on-demand episodes from TLC and up to 14 other networks. New episodes are available the same day they premiere on TV. Requires a pay TV subscription to access content.

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
  • Compatible with tvOS and Chromecast
Features
Read full description

Catch up with your favorite TLC shows anytime, anywhere with the all-new TLC GO app - and now get access to up to 14 additional networks including Food Network, ID, Travel Channel, Discovery 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 TLC favorites like Sister Wives, My 600-lb Life, Dr. Pimple Popper, OutDaughtered, Seeking Sister Wife, Doubling Down with the Derricos, 1000-lb Sisters and many more - plus top shows from other networks including Home Town (HGTV), Worst Cooks in America (Food Network), Ghost Adventures (Travel Channel), Evil Lives Here (ID), Naked and Afraid (Discovery) and more. New episodes are available the same day as they premiere on TV. With TLC GO You Can: • Stream TLC 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 TLC series and specials including Sister Wives, My 600-lb Life, Dr. Pimple Popper, OutDaughtered, Seeking Sister Wife, Doubling Down with the Derricos, 1000-lb Sisters - 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
TLC GO4 screens

Verdict

The call

Thirteen Explore and TLC GO both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Thirteen Explore's written reviews are positive against 26% of TLC GO's. Thirteen Explore also leads on monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). TLC GO's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (118K vs 6.1K). 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 TLC GO. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TLC GO has 118K ratings behind it against 6.1K, 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 26% of TLC GO's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, TLC GO every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Thirteen Explore versus TLC GO: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThirteen ExploreTLC GO
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (6.1K ratings) — better4.8 (118K ratings)
Positive reviews69.5% of reviews — better26.1% of reviews
Number of ratings6.1K118K — 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 reviews82 reviews
Positive69.5%
Neutral8.5%
Negative22.0%

TLC GO

All ratings118,419 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews161 reviews
Positive26.1%
Neutral11.2%
Negative62.7%

User reviews

Thirteen Explore

From 6.1K 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

TLC GO

From 118K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🤩 Great app to watch favorite shows
  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 💕 Convenient to watch shows anywhere

Room to improve

  • 😡 Excessive and repetitive ads
  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and glitches
  • 🤯 Inconsistent login and access issues
  • 😓 Doesn't save progress or resume watching

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

TLC GO

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezes during commercials
  • Logged in users unable to access content
  • Inconsistent episode availability across devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Reduce number of ads and allow skipping
  • Improve app stability and reliability
  • Add option to download episodes for offline viewing
  • Enhance resume watching and progress tracking

In-app purchases

None

Thirteen Explore

No in-app purchases

None

TLC GO

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Thirteen Explore free?
Thirteen Explore is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TLC GO free?
TLC GO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or TLC GO?
Thirteen Explore is rated higher. Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while TLC GO averages 4.8 from 118K ratings.
Do Thirteen Explore or TLC GO have ads?
Both Thirteen Explore and TLC GO show ads.
Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or TLC GO?
Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and TLC GO every 6 weeks. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on October 26, 2026 and TLC GO on October 26, 2026.

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