# Thirteen Explore vs WPBS App

The clearest difference is rating: Thirteen Explore at 4.8 against WPBS App's 3.0. Thirteen Explore also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 43%) and ratings volume (5.8K vs 2). WPBS App's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). 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 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thirteen Explore has 5.8K ratings behind it against 2, 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 43% of WPBS App's.

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, WPBS App every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thirteen Explore | WPBS App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirteen-explore/id598509773/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wpbs-app/id982619997/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.8K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **70.4% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 21 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Thirteen/WNET](https://appshunter.io/developer/446797258) | [ST LAWRENCE VALLEY EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION COUNCIL INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1519517381) |

## 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


### WPBS App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wpbs-app/id982619997)

Stream your favorite PBS and WPBS programs, including news and documentaries, on your iPhone or iPad. Access live TV schedules, educational resources, and PBS KIDS content. Enjoy DVR-like controls and parental features.

**Highlights:** Watch full episodes of PBS programs, Explore TV schedules and set reminders, Watch live PBS KIDS stream, Access educational resources, DVR-like controls, Parental controls

**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 WPBS App free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Thirteen Explore or WPBS App?

Thirteen Explore is rated higher. Thirteen Explore averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.8K ratings, while WPBS App averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Thirteen Explore or WPBS App have ads?

Thirteen Explore shows ads; WPBS App does not.

### Which is updated more often, Thirteen Explore or WPBS App?

Thirteen Explore ships an update every 5 months, and WPBS App every 4 months. Most recently, Thirteen Explore was updated on September 28, 2026 and WPBS App on September 20, 2026.

---

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