# Thirteen Explore vs Valley PBS

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Thirteen Explore at 70% against Valley PBS's 0%. Thirteen Explore also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.6) and ratings volume (5.8K vs 14). Valley PBS's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, update cadence, 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 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thirteen Explore has 5.8K ratings behind it against 14, 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 0% of Valley PBS's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thirteen Explore | Valley PBS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773/reviews)** | [2.6 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/valley-pbs/id1173006721/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.8K** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | **70.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 21 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Thirteen/WNET](https://appshunter.io/developer/446797258) | [Valley Public Television, INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1173006720) |

## 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


### Valley PBS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/valley-pbs/id1173006721)

Stream national, acquired, and local PBS productions on your iPhone or iPad. Access on-demand content, explore TV schedules, and enjoy educational resources and PBS Kids programming.

**Highlights:** Watch full PBS episodes, Explore TV schedules, PBS Kids live stream, Educational resources, Share programs easily, Access social media and events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thirteen Explore free?

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

### Is Valley PBS free?

Valley PBS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or Valley PBS?

Thirteen Explore is rated higher. Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.8K ratings, while Valley PBS averages 2.6 from 14 ratings.

### Do Thirteen Explore or Valley PBS have ads?

Thirteen Explore shows ads; Valley PBS does not.

### Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or Valley PBS?

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and Valley PBS every 5 months. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on September 20, 2026 and Valley PBS on September 16, 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.*