Comparison

iTunes Store vs Apple TV

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

Head to head
About

iTunes Store

Access a vast library of music, from new releases to indie hits and classics across all genres. Purchase and download songs, albums, and ringtones instantly on any device, with the ability to re-download past purchases.

Highlights
  • Explore 100+ million DRM-free songs
  • Browse by artist, album, genre
  • Search and select ringtones
  • Pre-order new releases
  • Download and watch anywhere
  • Re-download past purchases
Read full description

All the music you can handle. From new releases to hot indies and all-time favorites, the best in every genre-ready to play. Purchase with a tap on any device. Features · Explore more than 100 million high-quality, DRM-free songs. Browse by artist, album, song, genre, specially curated categories and more. · Search and select the perfect ringtone among thousands in Tones. · Check out the iTunes charts to see which artists people love. · Pre-order new releases and they’ll download automatically when available. · Tap to download and watch anywhere, anytime—even without Wi-Fi. Plus re-download past purchases on all your devices. · Availability and features may vary by country.

About

Apple TV

This app is a central hub for exclusive original series, movies, and live sports like Formula 1 and MLB. It also aggregates content from your favorite streaming services, allowing you to buy or rent titles and discover new shows.

Highlights
  • Exclusive Apple Originals
  • Live Formula 1 & MLB
  • Buy or rent movies
  • Aggregate streaming services
  • Personalized recommendations
  • Continue Watching feature
Features
Read full description

Apple TV is the home of exclusive Apple Original shows and movies, Formula 1®, MLS, Friday Night Baseball, thousands of movies to buy or rent, and all the best programming from your favorite streaming services — all in one place. With an Apple TV subscription: • Stream thousands of hours of Apple Originals—thrilling dramas, epic sci-fi, and feel-good comedies, all with no ads—including Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo, Shrinking, Slow Horses, and F1 The Movie. • Enjoy new releases weekly, with no ads. • Watch every Formula 1 Grand Prix™ live—with all-access coverage for every practice, qualifying, Sprint, and race. • Watch Friday Night Baseball, with live MLB matchups every Friday of the regular season. • Watch every Major League Soccer match live throughout the regular season, the entire playoffs, and Leagues Cup, all with no blackouts. Discover more to watch: • Buy or rent newly released movies, and browse the Apple TV Store with over 100,000 movies and shows—including the largest selection of 4K HDR titles. • Add Apple TV Channels subscriptions and stream seamlessly in the Apple TV app — no additional apps, accounts, or passwords needed. • Connect over 100 video streaming apps to access all your favorite shows and movies in one place. Apple TV app makes all your TV watching easier: • Get personalized recommendations across everything you watch. • With Continue Watching, pick up where you left off across all your subscriptions and devices. • Add to Watchlist to keep track of what you want to watch later. • Browse sports to see live and upcoming matchups, and choose your favorite teams to automatically add games to Continue Watching and receive notifications for close games and more. • Easily find all of your purchased movies and shows in the Library. • Enjoy the best picture and sound quality in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos when available. • Stream over a Wi-Fi or cellular connection, or download to watch offline. • Find the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac, as well as smart TVs and streaming devices. Requirements: • iOS devices using iOS 12.3 or later • Some features require internet access over a Wi-Fi or cellular data connection • HDR video playback may not be available for all content or on all devices Apple TV subscription does not include third party-branded subscription services or content available for rental or purchase in the Apple TV app. In select regions, an Apple TV subscription may only be available as part of an iCloud+ subscription. If you subscribe to any Apple TV channels, payment will be charged to your Apple Account at the confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless they are canceled at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Simultaneous streams may be limited on a per-subscription basis. The availability of Apple TV features, channels, and related content may vary depending on the country or region from which you attempt to access them. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your Settings on the Apple TV app after purchase. See https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww for the Privacy Policy. Apple TV app Terms and Conditions can be found at https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/us/terms.html

Screenshots

iTunes Store1 screens
Apple TV4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: iTunes Store at none against Apple TV's shown. Apple TV's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for iTunes Store against 4.8 for Apple TV. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.1M and 1.9M respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 51% of iTunes Store's written reviews are positive against 43% of Apple TV's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iTunes Store ships an update every 5 months, Apple TV every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
iTunes Store versus Apple TV: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriTunes StoreApple TV
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.1M ratings) — better4.8 (1.9M ratings)
Positive reviews50.9% of reviews — better43.1% of reviews
Number of ratings2.1M — better1.9M
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better10.2
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB8 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperAppleApple

Customer experience

iTunes Store

All ratings2,060,001 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral2.0%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews2,774 reviews
Positive50.9%
Neutral7.8%
Negative41.3%

Apple TV

All ratings1,880,713 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral2.2%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews5,762 reviews
Positive43.1%
Neutral8.8%
Negative48.1%

User reviews

iTunes Store

From 2.1M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💿 Ability to purchase and own music
  • 🎶 Great selection of music
  • 🎨 Variety of music genres
  • 🔍 Convenient music discovery
  • 🔊 High-quality audio

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Difficult music discovery and search
  • 🗂️ Fragmented music library management
  • 🔒 Restricted access to purchased content
  • 💰 Expensive song/album pricing
  • 🔄 Disappearing purchased content

Apple TV

From 1.9M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Decent quality viewing experience
  • 👍 Impressive 4K and audio quality
  • 🤩 Fantastic original content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app
  • 🤯 Confusing and unintuitive interface
  • 💰 Misleading pricing and pay-to-watch content
  • 🤔 Lack of user-friendly features
  • 😡 Terrible customer support

Bugs and requests

iTunes Store

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inconsistent syncing of purchased content
  • Unreliable download and playback of songs
  • Buggy user interface and navigation

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add sorting and filtering options for albums
  • Implement a wishlist or bookmarking feature
  • Provide more control over music playback
  • Improve integration with other Apple services
  • Offer more affordable pricing options

Apple TV

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Playback issues and random freezes
  • Incorrect episode/content display
  • Syncing problems across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to save/bookmark content for later
  • Improved content organization and navigation
  • Sync playback progress across devices
  • Chromecast/casting support
  • User profiles and personalized recommendations

In-app purchases

None

iTunes Store

No in-app purchases

None

Apple TV

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iTunes Store free?
iTunes Store is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Apple TV free?
Apple TV is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iTunes Store or Apple TV?
iTunes Store is rated higher. iTunes Store averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.1M ratings, while Apple TV averages 4.8 from 1.9M ratings.
Do iTunes Store or Apple TV have ads?
Apple TV shows ads; iTunes Store does not.
Which is updated more often, iTunes Store or Apple TV?
iTunes Store ships an update every 5 months, and Apple TV every 2 months. Most recently, iTunes Store was updated on October 22, 2026 and Apple TV on October 22, 2026.

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