# Thirteen Explore vs CUNY TV

The clearest difference is rating: Thirteen Explore at 4.8 against CUNY TV's 3.7. Thirteen Explore also leads on ratings volume (5.8K vs 6). CUNY TV's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thirteen Explore has 5.8K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, CUNY TV every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thirteen Explore | CUNY TV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773/reviews)** | [3.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cuny-tv/id6474633828/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.8K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 69.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 21 MB | 36 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) | [CUNY TV](https://appshunter.io/developer/981652420) |

## 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


### CUNY TV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cuny-tv/id6474633828)

Access educational television programming from The City University of New York on your mobile device. Explore content on arts, public affairs, race, and academic events from various CUNY colleges. Share engaging programs with friends anytime, anywhere.

**Highlights:** Arts & entertainment programs, Public affairs and politics, Race and ethnicity topics, Lectures and academic events, Content from 25 CUNY colleges, Share programs with friends

**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 CUNY TV free?

CUNY TV is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or CUNY TV?

Thirteen Explore is rated higher. Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.8K ratings, while CUNY TV averages 3.7 from 6 ratings.

### Do Thirteen Explore or CUNY TV have ads?

Thirteen Explore shows ads; CUNY TV does not.

### Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or CUNY TV?

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and CUNY TV every 2 months. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on October 17, 2026 and CUNY TV on October 1, 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.*