# ESPN Chicago vs Wheaton Thunder

The clearest difference is ads: Wheaton Thunder at none against ESPN Chicago's shown. Wheaton Thunder also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 10 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). ESPN Chicago's advantage is ratings volume (3.4K vs 4). On price, in-app purchases 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.

Wheaton Thunder holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ESPN Chicago has 3.4K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

ESPN Chicago ships an update every 10 months, Wheaton Thunder every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ESPN Chicago | Wheaton Thunder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (3.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/espn-chicago/id1495104308/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wheaton-thunder/id1543770244/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.4K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 26 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [GOOD KARMA BROADCASTING LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1445950552) | [The Trustees of Wheaton College](https://appshunter.io/developer/1007386842) |

## What reviewers say

### ESPN Chicago

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/espn-chicago/id1495104308)

Stay connected with Chicago's vibrant sports scene. Engage in discussions and debates about local teams with popular hosts. Experience the pulse of one of the nation's most talked-about sports cities.

**Highlights:** Live sports talk radio, Interactive host discussions, Debate latest team news, Chicago sports coverage, National sports stage updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎉 Entertaining content
- 🌍 Listen anywhere
- 📻 Great radio lineup
- 🐻 Bears coverage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App randomly turns on
- ⏯️ Playback issues (pausing, rewinding)
- 📢 Unwanted audio playback
- 🔍 Navigation/UX problems
- 🚫 Blackout issues for out-of-market users

**Reported bugs**

- App randomly activates and plays audio
- Podcast episodes not playing in order
- Content disappearing from the app
- Buffering and connectivity issues

**Requested features**

- Podcast playback in chronological order
- Pause and rewind functionality
- Improved auto-play behavior


### Wheaton Thunder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wheaton-thunder/id1543770244)

Stay connected with Wheaton College Athletics from anywhere. Access real-time scores, stats, and social media feeds from the team and fans. Receive custom alerts for important news and updates.

**Highlights:** Social media stream integration, Live scores and stats, Play-by-play game information, Customizable alert notifications, Team and fan Twitter, Facebook, Instagram feeds

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ESPN Chicago free?

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

### Is Wheaton Thunder free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ESPN Chicago or Wheaton Thunder?

Wheaton Thunder is rated higher. ESPN Chicago averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.4K ratings, while Wheaton Thunder averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do ESPN Chicago or Wheaton Thunder have ads?

ESPN Chicago shows ads; Wheaton Thunder does not.

### Which is updated more often, ESPN Chicago or Wheaton Thunder?

ESPN Chicago ships an update every 10 months, and Wheaton Thunder every 6 weeks. Most recently, ESPN Chicago was updated on October 17, 2026 and Wheaton Thunder on September 29, 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.*