# Thirteen Explore vs Rock Skip Counter

The clearest difference is ads: Rock Skip Counter at none against Thirteen Explore's shown. On price, update cadence, 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.

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, Rock Skip Counter every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thirteen Explore | Rock Skip Counter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 69.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 21 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thirteen/WNET](https://appshunter.io/developer/446797258) | [Mark Duenas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1083533055) |

## 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


### Rock Skip Counter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rock-skip-counter/id6748593440)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thirteen Explore free?

Thirteen Explore is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Rock Skip Counter free?

Rock Skip Counter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Thirteen Explore or Rock Skip Counter have ads?

Thirteen Explore shows ads; Rock Skip Counter does not.

### Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or Rock Skip Counter?

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and Rock Skip Counter every 4 months. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on October 22, 2026 and Rock Skip Counter on October 5, 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.*