# The River 97.9 vs KIKF

The clearest difference is update cadence: The River 97.9 at every 2 months against KIKF's every 19 months. The River 97.9 also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for The River 97.9 against 5.0 for KIKF. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

The River 97.9 ships an update every 2 months, KIKF every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The River 97.9 | KIKF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-river-979/id1185962004/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kikf/id1386340323/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 19 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 80 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Townsquare Media, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/433762450) | [Staradio Corp](https://appshunter.io/developer/1071469558) |

## What reviewers say

### The River 97.9

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-river-979/id1185962004)

Stay informed with local news, weather, and traffic updates. Listen live to the station, interact with hosts, and receive instant alerts for breaking news and contests. Save articles for later and share content easily.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, Local news and weather updates, Traffic information, Interactive host communication, Breaking news alerts, Article saving for offline reading, Social media sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### KIKF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kikf/id1386340323)

Stream live top 40 country music from the region's leading radio station. Access the latest news and weather updates for the area. This station reaches a wide audience across the region.

**Highlights:** Live top 40 country music streaming, Regional news updates, Local weather forecasts, Wide regional broadcast reach, STARadio station

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The River 97.9 free?

The River 97.9 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is KIKF free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The River 97.9 or KIKF?

The River 97.9 and KIKF are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do The River 97.9 or KIKF have ads?

Both The River 97.9 and KIKF show ads.

### Which is updated more often, The River 97.9 or KIKF?

The River 97.9 ships an update every 2 months, and KIKF every 19 months. Most recently, The River 97.9 was updated on October 4, 2026 and KIKF on October 5, 2026.

---

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