Big 98.1 vs SmartBee
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Big 98.1
Stream classic hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, featuring iconic artists like Elton John, The Beatles, and Madonna. Enjoy the biggest songs of your life with this radio app.
- Classic hits radio
- 60s music
- 70s music
- 80s music
- Iconic artists
- Live streaming
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LONG ISLAND'S GREATEST HITS, FROM ELTON JOHN, BILLY JOEL, PHIL COLLINS, THE EAGLES, MADONNA,,HUEY LEWIS, PRINCE TO THE BEATLES, STONES, MOTOWN ERA TOO!.THE BIGGEST SONGS OF YOUR LIFE FROM THE 80’S 70'S, & 60’S!
SmartBee
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Analogous to those cookies with a joke inside you get after dining out in a Chinese restaurant, SmartBee takes it further. SmartBee contains more than one hundred thousand different cookies. Everything from Murphy's laws, Devil's Dictionary, myths, jokes, computer mimics, facts, stories, jargons, deep thoughts and not to forget - quotes from famous people.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: SmartBee at none against Big 98.1's shown. SmartBee also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 6 months) and device support (4 vs 2). Big 98.1's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.6). On price and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Big 98.1 ships an update every 6 months, SmartBee every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Big 98.1 | SmartBee |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (6 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | JVC Media LLC | Sveinar Rasmussen |
In-app purchases
Big 98.1
No in-app purchases
SmartBee
No in-app purchases
