Thirteen Explore vs PBS Charlotte
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)
PBS Charlotte
Access high-quality, noncommercial educational programming and locally produced content. Enjoy award-winning children's shows, documentaries, and original performances from the central Piedmont region.
- Award-winning children's programming
- Ground-breaking documentaries
- Original performances
- Locally produced programs
- Community stories
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WTVI PBS Charlotte has served citizens in the Carolinas for over fifty years. On August 27, 1965, WTVI began broadcasting “Your Stories” about “Your Community” on “Your PBS Charlotte”. PBS Charlotte is licensed by Central Piedmont Community College and offers high quality, noncommercial, educational programs. PBS broadcasts include award-winning children’s programming, ground-breaking documentaries and original performances. PBS Charlotte features locally produced programs that tell “Your Stories” about “Your Community”. “Your PBS Charlotte” station reaches over 1.1 million households across 13 counties in the central Piedmont region. PBS Charlotte actively supports local education, highlights local cultural events and promotes citizenship across all electronic media platforms to serve the public interest and further the mission of its parent institution, Central Piedmont Community College.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: PBS Charlotte at none against Thirteen Explore's shown. PBS Charlotte also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Thirteen Explore's advantage is ratings volume (6.1K vs 1). On price, rating, 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.
PBS Charlotte 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, PBS Charlotte every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Thirteen Explore | PBS Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (6.1K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 69.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6.1K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 6 weeks — 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 | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Thirteen/WNET | PBS Charlotte |
Customer experience
Thirteen Explore
PBS Charlotte
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
PBS Charlotte
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Thirteen Explore
No in-app purchases
PBS Charlotte
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Thirteen Explore free?
Is PBS Charlotte free?
Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or PBS Charlotte?
Do Thirteen Explore or PBS Charlotte have ads?
Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or PBS Charlotte?
Other comparisons
