# The River 97.9 vs KOOL 105.1

The clearest difference is rating: The River 97.9 at 5.0 against KOOL 105.1's 2.0. The River 97.9 also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 24 months) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). KOOL 105.1's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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.

The River 97.9 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

The River 97.9 ships an update every 2 months, KOOL 105.1 every 24 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The River 97.9 | KOOL 105.1 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-river-979/id1185962004/reviews)** | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kool-1051/id1532274768/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 24 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 80 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Townsquare Media, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/433762450) | [Matt Desch](https://appshunter.io/developer/895550937) |

## 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


### KOOL 105.1

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kool-1051/id1532274768)

This app allows listeners to tune into a local FM radio station, view recently played songs, and make song requests. Users can also rate music and record shoutouts to be played on air. It's positioned as the official listen at work station for the Flathead region.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, View recently played songs, Submit song requests, Rate music, Record and send shoutouts

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

**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 KOOL 105.1 free?

KOOL 105.1 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The River 97.9 or KOOL 105.1?

The River 97.9 is rated higher. The River 97.9 averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while KOOL 105.1 averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do The River 97.9 or KOOL 105.1 have ads?

The River 97.9 shows ads; KOOL 105.1 does not.

### Which is updated more often, The River 97.9 or KOOL 105.1?

The River 97.9 ships an update every 2 months, and KOOL 105.1 every 24 months. Most recently, The River 97.9 was updated on October 29, 2026 and KOOL 105.1 on October 15, 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.*