# LAist vs KPBS

LAist and KPBS both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 64% of KPBS's written reviews are positive against 30% of LAist's. LAist's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for LAist against 4.4 for KPBS. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LAist has 634 ratings behind it against 101, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 30% of LAist's written reviews are positive against 64% of KPBS's.

LAist ships an update monthly, KPBS every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | LAist | KPBS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (634 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/laist/id293825085/reviews) | **[4.4 (101 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kpbs/id1305075995/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **634** | 101 |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | **64.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 39 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Southern California Public Radio](https://appshunter.io/developer/293825088) | [San Diego State University Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1305075994) |

## What reviewers say

### LAist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/laist/id293825085)

Access Southern California's premier news source for NPR broadcasts, local headlines, and podcasts. Stream live radio, catch up on on-demand programs, and receive breaking news alerts. Stay informed with comprehensive coverage from LAist.com.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, On-demand program archives, Daily news headlines, Breaking news alerts, Sleep timer and alarm clock, Story sharing

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Reliable source of news
- 👍 Vital app for news
- 👍 Fantastic
- 👍 Reliable and unbiased

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unstable
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Glitchy performance issues
- 🐛 Carplay not working properly
- 🐛 Ads disrupt the listening experience

**Reported bugs**

- Podcasts not loading properly
- Live stream frequently drops out
- Playback issues when switching between apps
- Inconsistent behavior when pausing and resuming
- Sync issues between device and app

**Requested features**

- Add rewind and fast-forward functionality
- Improve CarPlay integration
- Implement a sleep timer
- Enhance podcast playback controls
- Improve organization and discoverability of content


### KPBS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kpbs/id1305075995)

Access local and national news, podcasts, and entertainment from San Diego's public media station. Stream live radio and TV, watch on-demand programs, and receive breaking news alerts all in one place.

**Highlights:** Read local and national news, Listen to live radio streams, Watch live TV streams, Access on-demand programs and podcasts, Receive breaking news alerts, Bookmark programs for later

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LAist free?

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

### Is KPBS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LAist or KPBS?

KPBS is rated higher. LAist averages 4.3 out of 5 from 634 ratings, while KPBS averages 4.4 from 101 ratings.

### Do LAist or KPBS have ads?

Neither LAist nor KPBS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LAist or KPBS?

LAist ships an update monthly, and KPBS every 4 months. Most recently, LAist was updated on October 16, 2026 and KPBS on October 16, 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.*