# Thirteen Explore vs PBS Appalachia

The clearest difference is ads: PBS Appalachia at none against Thirteen Explore's shown. PBS Appalachia also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Thirteen Explore's advantage is ratings volume (6.1K vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PBS Appalachia holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thirteen Explore has 6.1K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thirteen Explore | PBS Appalachia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pbs-appalachia/id1546166624/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 69.5% 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 | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | +17 |
| Developer | [Thirteen/WNET](https://appshunter.io/developer/446797258) | [BLUE RIDGE PUBLIC TELEVISION, INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1348880331) |

## 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


### PBS Appalachia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pbs-appalachia/id1546166624)

Stream live and on-demand video content from a public media station serving Southwest Virginia. Easily catch up on favorite shows, news programs, and share stories with friends and family.

**Highlights:** Watch live TV stream, On-demand content access, DVR-like playback controls, Share stories and programs, Content dedicated to Southwest Virginia

**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 PBS Appalachia free?

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

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

PBS Appalachia is rated higher. Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while PBS Appalachia averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

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

Thirteen Explore shows ads; PBS Appalachia does not.

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

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and PBS Appalachia every 5 months. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on November 1, 2026 and PBS Appalachia on October 31, 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.*