Comparison

The Episode App vs ShowNest

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

Head to head
About

The Episode App

Features
Read full description

The Episode App is for people who take their television just a little more seriously than necessary. The ones who remember favourite episodes. Who know some series are better than others. Who occasionally wonder, β€œWas that actually a good episode?” and would quite like the evidence to back it up. The Episode App gives episode nerds a place to keep track of it all. Explore British television favourites including Doctor Who, Midsomer Murders, Miss Marple and Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. Browse episodes, record what you've watched, give your own ratings and gradually build a personal history of your television viewing. One subscription. Every series. A single subscription gives you access to everything in The Episode App, including all current series and new series added to the app. You can: β€’ Browse complete episode guides β€’ Record episodes as you watch β€’ Add your own star ratings β€’ Discover the highest-rated episodes β€’ Find forgotten favourites and hidden gems β€’ Explore insights across episodes and series For people who like the details The more you use The Episode App, the more interesting your collection becomes. Look back through what you've watched, compare episodes and series, and discover which stories really stood out. Episode Insights The Episode App also brings together anonymous ratings from other viewers. As the community grows, you can see crowd favourites, rating trends and other insights into the episodes people love. Because sometimes β€œI think that was one of the good ones” simply isn't enough. The Episode App is available with a simple quarterly subscription, managed through your App Store account. Your first week is free, giving you time to explore the app, try the features and decide whether it's for you. After the trial, your quarterly subscription begins unless cancelled. Watch television. Keep notes. Develop opinions. Consult the evidence. Welcome to The Episode App. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

ShowNest

Features
Read full description

ShowNest always tells you which episode to watch next: follow your TV shows, tick off what you've seen and find out when new episodes arrive. YOUR WATCHLIST β€’ The next episode of every show you follow, with its title. β€’ Shows you're caught up on count down the days to the next episode. β€’ Sort by recently watched, recently added, newest episode, title or episodes left. β€’ Hide finished shows you've completed, without losing them. MARK EPISODES YOUR WAY β€’ One episode at a time, a whole season or the entire show. β€’ Mark them as watched today or on the day they aired. β€’ Undo the last episode you marked with one tap. MY SHOWS β€’ Your library split into Coming Up, In Progress, Not Started and Completed. β€’ Archive finished shows: they leave your lists but stay in your stats. FIND SOMETHING TO WATCH β€’ Trending, Popular, Top Rated and Airing Today. β€’ Shows like the last one you added, and more from the genre you follow most. β€’ Search the whole TMDB catalogue, watch the trailer and discover similar titles. YOUR STATS β€’ Total time, episodes watched and shows completed. β€’ Your year in review, month by month, compared with the year before. β€’ The day you watch most, your streak and your record. β€’ Favourite genres, most-watched shows and a history of everything you've watched. ALERTS AND SYNC β€’ A notification on the day a new episode of your shows airs. β€’ Your library and watched episodes sync with iCloud across iPhone and iPad, with a page that shows how sync is doing. β€’ Shows you've already opened stay available offline. MAKE IT YOURS β€’ Light, dark or system theme and six accent colours. β€’ The app in seven languages, even one different from your device's. β€’ On iPhone, a tab bar or a compact menu. ShowNest is free, with no ads, no subscriptions and no account. Data provided by The Movie Database (TMDB). This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Screenshots

The Episode App3 screens
ShowNest4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShowNest at none against The Episode App's 2. ShowNest also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. The Episode App sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 3 months. ShowNest asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Episode App ships an update monthly, ShowNest fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
The Episode App versus ShowNest: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Episode AppShowNest
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.617.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size65 MB8 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperCHARLES JAMES MACKINNONEmanuele Spagnoli

In-app purchases

2 purchases

The Episode App

Subscriptions2
  • The Episode App Subscription7 Days trial$2.993 Months
  • Midsomer Murders Subscription1 Month trial$2.993 Months
None

ShowNest

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Episode App free?
The Episode App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ShowNest free?
ShowNest is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do The Episode App or ShowNest have ads?
Neither The Episode App nor ShowNest shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Episode App or ShowNest?
The Episode App ships an update monthly, and ShowNest fortnightly. Most recently, The Episode App was updated on October 30, 2026 and ShowNest on November 10, 2026.

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