Thirteen Explore vs Ars Moriendi
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)
Ars Moriendi
Experience an augmented reality art installation that reveals hidden video clips when you are near specific triggers. This interactive narrative unfolds an off-beat ghost story with two departed souls, allowing you to create your own nonlinear viewing experience.
- Augmented reality art
- Interactive video clips
- Proximity-based triggers
- Nonlinear storytelling
- Ghost story narrative
- User-created sequences
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The Ars Moriendi app allows you to play a work of Augmented Reality. Art created by John Sanborn (with Sarah Cecilia Bukowski, Lali Wilde and Sanjeev Pillutla) installed at Ideal Glass Studios, in New York City. Without the app the viewer sees nothing in the space, just the furnishings. However, using the app reveals over 30 icons, each of which triggers a paired video clip, activated by the viewer’s proximity to the trigger. Viewers can play the video clips of Ars Moriendi in any order they choose, creating their own version of a nonlinear story, where each clip adds more surprising elements that inspire and amuse. The resulting experience is an off-beat ghost story, featuring Norma and Maria, departed souls who joke, gossip and reflect on their lives after death.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Ars Moriendi at none against Thirteen Explore's shown. Ars Moriendi also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Thirteen Explore's advantage is ratings volume (5.8K vs 1). On price, 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.
Ars Moriendi 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, Ars Moriendi every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Thirteen Explore | Ars Moriendi |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (5.8K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 69.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5.8K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 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, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 3.3 GB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Thirteen/WNET | Sanjeev Pillutla |
Customer experience
Thirteen Explore
Ars Moriendi
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
Ars Moriendi
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Thirteen Explore
No in-app purchases
Ars Moriendi
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Thirteen Explore free?
Is Ars Moriendi free?
Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or Ars Moriendi?
Do Thirteen Explore or Ars Moriendi have ads?
Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or Ars Moriendi?
Other comparisons
