# Thirteen Explore vs RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS

The clearest difference is ads: RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS at none against Thirteen Explore's shown. RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). Thirteen Explore's advantage is ratings volume (6.1K vs 16). On price, rating, 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Thirteen Explore against 4.9 for RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thirteen Explore has 6.1K ratings behind it against 16, 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 100% of RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS's.

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thirteen Explore | RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773/reviews) | **[4.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rmpbs-plus-rocky-mountain-pbs/id6737281876/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 69.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 21 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Thirteen/WNET](https://appshunter.io/developer/446797258) | [Rocky Mountain Public Media, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1616876232) |

## 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


### RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rmpbs-plus-rocky-mountain-pbs/id6737281876)

Stream your favorite PBS series and discover new shows on demand or live. Access local Colorado programming, documentaries, dramas, and more. Enhance your viewing with an expanded library of content through station membership.

**Highlights:** Stream PBS series on demand, Watch live TV channels, Discover local Colorado programming, Browse by genre, Create a personal watchlist, Access expanded library with Passport

**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 RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS free?

RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS?

RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS is rated higher. Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS averages 4.9 from 16 ratings.

### Do Thirteen Explore or RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS have ads?

Thirteen Explore shows ads; RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS does not.

### Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS?

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS every 6 weeks. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on November 10, 2026 and RMPBS+ Rocky Mountain PBS on November 8, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*