Comparison

Thirteen Explore vs WPKN

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Stream full episodes
  • Masterpiece, Nature, Frontline
  • New York-centric shows
  • Livestream THIRTEEN (NYC)
  • Cast to TV
Read full description

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)

About

WPKN

Listen to a diverse range of free-form programming, including music, news, and arts & culture, from an independent community radio station. This non-profit organization supports local artists and provides a platform for volunteers interested in broadcasting.

Highlights
  • Live radio streaming
  • Eclectic programming mix
  • News and public affairs
  • Arts and culture content
  • Support for local artists
  • Volunteer opportunities
Features
Read full description

STREAM WPKN NOW! Cited as “the greatest radio station in the world,” in 2021 by David Owen of The New Yorker, WPKN independent community radio station is a 10,000-watt non-commercial radio station founded in 1963 and established as an independent, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 1989. Over the last 60+ years, WPKN has remained true to some basic principles to stand apart from convention and to serve diversity. Its volunteers and programmers have created an institution with depth, importance, and passion, and the listeners have made its continued existence possible. WPKN broadcasts 24 hours a day on frequency 89.5 FM from a 10,000-­-watt transmitter located on Booth Hill in Trumbull, Connecticut reaching a potential listenership of 1.5 million people. Our signal reaches most of Connecticut, southeastern New York State, the eastern portion of Long Island, southwestern Massachusetts, and southwestern Rhode Island. The wpkn.org stream allows for an unlimited number of global listeners. Operating 24/7 and largely run by volunteers, WPKN offers a unique and eclectic mix of live and recorded music, news, public affairs, spoken word, arts & culture and other free-form programming which defy genre. We are proud to be listener-supported, commercial-free, community-driven radio available to the public at no cost, any time, day or night. WPKN is a community organization that amplifies tri-state area non-profits, artists, musicians. WPKN’s downtown station presence allows volunteers interested in broadcast radio, podcasting, video, and community outreach, to explore and build on their creative interests for free, with all levels of backgrounds and training accepted.

Screenshots

Thirteen Explore4 screens
WPKN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: WPKN at 100% against Thirteen Explore's 70%. WPKN also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Thirteen Explore's advantage is ratings volume (5.8K vs 6) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 18 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

WPKN holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. 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. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Thirteen Explore's written reviews are positive against 100% of WPKN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, WPKN every 18 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Thirteen Explore versus WPKN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThirteen ExploreWPKN
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5.8K ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews69.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.8K — better6
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 18 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB12 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperThirteen/WNETBrendan Toller

Customer experience

Thirteen Explore

All ratings5,771 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral1.6%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews82 reviews
Positive69.5%
Neutral8.5%
Negative22.0%

WPKN

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

WPKN

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Thirteen Explore

No in-app purchases

None

WPKN

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Thirteen Explore free?
Thirteen Explore is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is WPKN free?
WPKN is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or WPKN?
WPKN is rated higher. Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.8K ratings, while WPKN averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Thirteen Explore or WPKN have ads?
Both Thirteen Explore and WPKN show ads.
Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or WPKN?
Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and WPKN every 18 months. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on October 14, 2026 and WPKN on September 23, 2026.

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