# Thirteen Explore vs VibeMaps

The clearest difference is ads: VibeMaps at none against Thirteen Explore's shown. VibeMaps also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Thirteen Explore's advantage is ratings volume (6.1K vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

VibeMaps 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, VibeMaps weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thirteen Explore | VibeMaps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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/vibemaps/id6773566946/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 | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 21 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thirteen/WNET](https://appshunter.io/developer/446797258) | [NICHOLAS ANDREW RUSHING](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895786543) |

## 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


### VibeMaps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vibemaps/id6773566946)

Discover live events happening near you in real-time, from concerts and comedy shows to food festivals and sports. Filter by category, time, or distance, and view events on a map. Organizers can also post their own events.

**Highlights:** Real-time event radar, Event filtering by category and time, Map and list view, RSVP and push notifications, User-posted events, Event search by name or venue

**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 VibeMaps free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or VibeMaps?

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

### Do Thirteen Explore or VibeMaps have ads?

Thirteen Explore shows ads; VibeMaps does not.

### Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or VibeMaps?

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and VibeMaps weekly. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on October 26, 2026 and VibeMaps on October 10, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*