# Thirteen Explore vs PBS Charlotte

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.

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 November 1, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thirteen Explore | PBS Charlotte |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pbs-charlotte/id6740941099/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 69.5% 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 | 50 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) | [PBS Charlotte](https://appshunter.io/developer/1792326241) |

## 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 Charlotte

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pbs-charlotte/id6740941099)

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.

**Highlights:** Award-winning children's programming, Ground-breaking documentaries, Original performances, Locally produced programs, Community stories

**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 Charlotte free?

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

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

PBS Charlotte is rated higher. Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while PBS Charlotte averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

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

Thirteen Explore shows ads; PBS Charlotte does not.

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

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and PBS Charlotte every 6 weeks. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on November 1, 2026 and PBS Charlotte on October 7, 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.*