Thirteen Explore vs WETA+ PBS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Stream full episodes
- Masterpiece, Nature, Frontline
- New York-centric shows
- Livestream THIRTEEN (NYC)
- Cast to TV
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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)
WETA+ PBS
Stream a wide selection of PBS and WETA programs, including popular dramas, documentaries, and live news. Enhance your viewing with an optional PBS Passport membership for extended access to thousands of additional titles.
- On-demand PBS and WETA programs
- Live streaming of WETA channels
- Access to Masterpiece and Ken Burns films
- Documentaries and news programs
- PBS Passport integration
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PBS & WETA programs from DC’s flagship public media station. Enjoy Masterpiece, history, live news & more. WETA+ offers PBS and WETA programs for free. Add PBS Passport for access to thousands more. If you’re already a WETA Member with Passport, simply log in and start streaming. ON DEMAND PBS AND WETA PROGRAMS Watch on your schedule. From series like All Creatures Great & Small and Agatha Christie’s Poirot to Ken Burns’ films…from Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. to This Old House…from PBS News Hour and Frontline to Rick Steves’ Europe and America’s Test Kitchen…from Nature and NOVA to local favorites like If You Live Here, Get Out of Town, Signature Dish and WETA Arts…stream the best of drama, mystery, documentaries, live news and more. LIVE STREAMING OF WETA CHANNELS WETA UK: 24-7 British programming including BBC News and Masterpiece WETA Metro: Dramas, docs & current/local affairs programming for D.C. residents. WETA World: Programs celebrating the diverse voices of our country and our world NHK: Hourly live international news & programs from Japan and Asia ABOUT PBS Passport A monthly donation of $5 or more to WETA gives your access to past seasons of Masterpiece mysteries and dramas, the entire Ken Burns collection, dozens of Nature and Nova episodes, etc. * Live streaming is only available within the D.C. metro area.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Thirteen Explore at 4.8 against WETA+ PBS's 3.9. Thirteen Explore also leads on ratings volume (5.8K vs 10). WETA+ PBS's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support 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
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 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thirteen Explore has 5.8K ratings behind it against 10, 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 67% of WETA+ PBS's.
Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, WETA+ PBS every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Thirteen Explore | WETA+ PBS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (5.8K ratings) — better | 3.9 (10 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 69.5% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5.8K — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Thirteen/WNET | GREATER WASHINGTON EDUCATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION, INC |
Customer experience
Thirteen Explore
WETA+ PBS
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
WETA+ PBS
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Thirteen Explore
No in-app purchases
WETA+ PBS
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Thirteen Explore free?
Is WETA+ PBS free?
Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or WETA+ PBS?
Do Thirteen Explore or WETA+ PBS have ads?
Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or WETA+ PBS?
Other comparisons
