# ARD Mediathek vs DerElefant

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DerElefant at 93% against ARD Mediathek's 42%. DerElefant also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). ARD Mediathek's advantage is ratings volume (2K vs 13) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

ARD Mediathek holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ARD Mediathek has 2K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 42% of ARD Mediathek's written reviews are positive against 93% of DerElefant's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ARD Mediathek ships an update every 3 weeks, DerElefant every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ARD Mediathek | DerElefant |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ard-mediathek/id981496660/reviews)** | [4.5 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/derelefant/id1023688500/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2K** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 41.7% of reviews | **92.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 78 MB | 319 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sudwestrundfunk, Anstalt des offentlichen Rechts](https://appshunter.io/developer/610313722) | [WDR](https://appshunter.io/developer/728414655) |

## What reviewers say

### ARD Mediathek

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ard-mediathek/id981496660)

Stream a wide variety of German public broadcasting content, including news, documentaries, series, films, shows, and live TV channels. Create profiles for personalized recommendations, watchlists, and seamless cross-device viewing. Includes a dedicated, safe children's profile.

**Highlights:** Stream news, documentaries, series, and films, Watch live ARD TV channels, Personalized user profiles, Continue watching across devices, Create watchlists, Dedicated children's profile

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good media library
- 🚀 Smooth playback
- 🌍 Useful for expats
- 💡 Great for staying connected to German culture

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Content blocked outside of Germany
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Lack of content availability
- 🤯 Unreliable performance after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Playback issues (audio/video desync, freezing, loading problems)
- Compatibility problems with older devices and platforms
- Unreliable streaming and downloading

**Requested features**

- Improve content availability for international users
- Enhance stability and reliability
- Add more playback options (e.g., full-screen, background audio)


### DerElefant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/derelefant/id1023688500)

Discover a world of videos, games, and educational content designed for young children. This ad-free app offers full episodes, fun stories, and interactive games that teach basic programming concepts and develop fine motor skills.

**Highlights:** Full episodes of "Sendung mit dem Elefanten", Interactive games for learning and creativity, Introduction to programming concepts, Educational content for 3-6 year olds, Ad-free and free to use, Weekly content updates

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ARD Mediathek free?

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

### Is DerElefant free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ARD Mediathek or DerElefant?

ARD Mediathek is rated higher. ARD Mediathek averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while DerElefant averages 4.5 from 13 ratings.

### Do ARD Mediathek or DerElefant have ads?

Neither ARD Mediathek nor DerElefant shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ARD Mediathek or DerElefant?

ARD Mediathek ships an update every 3 weeks, and DerElefant every 3 months. Most recently, ARD Mediathek was updated on November 6, 2026 and DerElefant on November 1, 2026.

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