# Lightner Radio vs Mercury Dime

The clearest difference is rating: Mercury Dime at 4.5 against Lightner Radio's 3.5. Mercury Dime also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). Lightner Radio's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (11 vs 2). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mercury Dime sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Lightner Radio asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mercury Dime holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightner Radio has 11 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Lightner Radio ships an update every 7 months, Mercury Dime every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lightner Radio | Mercury Dime |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightner-radio/id1483055955/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mercury-dime/id1608938899/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 10 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.2** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Matthew Lightner](https://appshunter.io/developer/1273826301) | [Tom Johnson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1043972329) |

## What reviewers say

### Lightner Radio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightner-radio/id1483055955)

Stream live audio from a collection of local radio stations in Central PA. Enjoy popular formats including news-talk, classic rock, and adult contemporary music on the go.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, Multiple station formats, News-talk content, Classic rock music, Adult contemporary music

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Mercury Dime

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mercury-dime/id1608938899)

Organize, track, and manage your Mercury Dime coin collection. Add images of each coin, view them entertainingly, and maintain a running tally of your collection's cost. Includes a want list to mark coins you're searching for.

**Highlights:** Organize coin collection, Track coin values, Add coin images, View images entertainingly, Running cost tally, Want list feature, Three color themes

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mercury Dimes Pro Version | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lightner Radio free?

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

### Is Mercury Dime free?

Mercury Dime is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Lightner Radio or Mercury Dime?

Mercury Dime is rated higher. Lightner Radio averages 3.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Mercury Dime averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Lightner Radio or Mercury Dime have ads?

Neither Lightner Radio nor Mercury Dime shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lightner Radio or Mercury Dime?

Lightner Radio ships an update every 7 months, and Mercury Dime every 2 months. Most recently, Lightner Radio was updated on November 3, 2026 and Mercury Dime on November 3, 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.*