Comparison

FStream vs Broadcasts

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

FStream

This application serves as a lightweight web radio player. It supports a variety of popular audio formats including MP3, OGG, WMA, and AAC, along with common playlist formats like PLS, M3U, and ASX.

Highlights
  • Lightweight web radio player
  • Supports MP3 audio
  • Supports OGG/Vorbis audio
  • Supports WMA over MMS
  • Supports AAC/AAC+ audio
  • Supports PLS playlists
  • Supports M3U playlists
  • Supports ASX playlists
Features
Read full description

FStream is as little webradio player. FStream recognize this audio formats : - MP3 - OGG / Vorbis - WMA over MMS - AAC / AAC+ And this playlist formats : - PLS - M3U - ASX

About

Broadcasts

Stream internet radio stations from around the world with an intuitive, single-purpose application. Enjoy beautiful artwork, metadata, and cross-device syncing. Offers a free tier with a limited library or a full version for unlimited stations and advanced features.

Highlights
  • Global internet radio streaming
  • Unlimited station library (full version)
  • Station artwork and metadata display
  • Shazam integration for metadata
  • iCloud library syncing
  • CarPlay support
  • Apple Watch and Apple TV playback
Features
Read full description

Listen to streaming internet radio in an award-winning, ultra-simple, single-purpose app. Beautifully designed and fully-native on all platforms. Completely private: no accounts, no logins, and absolutely no tracking or analytics, by design. Broadcasts makes building a library of stations from around the world easier than ever. Use completely free with a handful of stations, or subscribe to unlock the full power of an unlimited library and add as many of your own stations as you like from the thousands available on the Station Browser, or manually via URL. Search for stations from around the world as easily as from your own library, by country, by genre, or on the world map. Manually add and listen to your favorite live podcasts, air traffic control, and more — just point Broadcasts at any supported streaming audio source. Use the Now Playing screen to showcase gorgeous station and track artwork (where provided). Control from the MiniPlayer, or the menu bar on your Mac. Use Broadcasts in StandBy mode on your iPhone as a bedside clock. Sync your library across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple TV with iCloud, and Universal Purchase. Enjoy your library on the road using CarPlay and your iPhone. Listen with just your Apple Watch (Cellular) while on a run, or on Apple TV at home. Browse stations in grid or list view. Listen in Light or Dark mode. Edit stations to provide your own artwork, or use the Artwork Chooser or Image Playground to generate something fun and colorful. Use Handoff to transfer playback between devices, or AirPlay directly to a home speaker. Live Transcription uses an advanced on-device model to provide a realtime transcript so you can follow along without audio, or scroll back and see what you just missed, with support for dozens of languages. On macOS, Siri AI lets you ask questions about the transcript, like 'who is this person' or 'translate this for me'. Use Shazam to look up the current song, and add it to your music library. Supports Shortcuts & AppleScript for playback automation. Sleep Timer. Visualizer. Widgets. Spotlight. Siri. Game Controller. And much more! Supports Family Sharing. Made in Ireland. --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy: https://www.highcaffeinecontent.com/privacy

Screenshots

FStream4 screens
Broadcasts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Broadcasts at 4.7 against FStream's 3.7. Broadcasts also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and device support (6 vs 3). FStream's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Broadcasts sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. FStream asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Broadcasts holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 281 and 958 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 76% and 75% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FStream ships an update every 3 months, Broadcasts monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
FStream versus Broadcasts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFStreamBroadcasts
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (281 ratings)4.7 (958 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.9% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings281958 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB34 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperJulien-Pierre AverousSteven Troughton-Smith

Customer experience

FStream

All ratings281 ratings
Positive67.6%
Neutral6.0%
Negative26.3%
Written reviews916 reviews
Positive75.9%
Neutral8.8%
Negative15.3%

Broadcasts

All ratings958 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.5%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews416 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral7.0%
Negative18.0%

User reviews

FStream

From 281 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Still works great after years of use
  • 🔑 Supports password-protected streams
  • 👍 Reliable and stable app
  • 🎶 Plays a wide range of audio formats
  • 🔍 Allows manual stream entry

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Playback issues with latest iOS updates
  • 🔀 Freezes when switching stations
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 📁 Lacks folder organization for stations

Broadcasts

From 958 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Simple, efficient, and reliable
  • 🔒 Privacy-focused with no data tracking
  • 👍 Seamless syncing across devices
  • 👍 Customizable station icons and collections
  • 👍 Affordable one-time purchase

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional streaming issues and crashes
  • 🔍 Limited search and discovery features
  • 🔍 Lack of genre-based browsing
  • 🔍 Difficult to add non-listed stations

Bugs and requests

FStream

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Stop/Play/Pause buttons not working properly
  • Disconnects from streams randomly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to export/import station lists
  • Integration with iTunes for recorded content
  • Chromecast or AirPlay support
  • Background playback while using other apps

Broadcasts

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Syncing issues causing data loss
  • Playback issues on CarPlay and macOS
  • Inconsistent behavior when changing stations

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved global station search
  • Genre-based station browsing
  • Easier custom station addition
  • Airplay and Siri integration
  • Sleep timer and alarm clock functionality

In-app purchases

None

FStream

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Broadcasts

One-time1
  • Unlock All Features$7.99

Questions

Is FStream free?
FStream is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Broadcasts free?
Broadcasts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, FStream or Broadcasts?
Broadcasts is rated higher. FStream averages 3.7 out of 5 from 281 ratings, while Broadcasts averages 4.7 from 958 ratings.
Do FStream or Broadcasts have ads?
Neither FStream nor Broadcasts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FStream or Broadcasts?
FStream ships an update every 3 months, and Broadcasts monthly. Most recently, FStream was updated on September 27, 2026 and Broadcasts on October 9, 2026.

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