LAist vs LA TACO
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LAist
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.
- Live radio streaming
- On-demand program archives
- Daily news headlines
- Breaking news alerts
- Sleep timer and alarm clock
- Story sharing
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Welcome to the new (and improved) LAist app! Stay connected with Southern California’s go-to source for NPR news, local headlines, and podcasts. The LAist app allows you to listen to the live broadcast stream of LAist 89.3, get the latest headlines and in-depth coverage from LAist.com, and stay informed with breaking news alerts and program updates. Live Streaming • Take LAist on the go with digital streaming-no radio signal required. • Explore the program schedule for LAist 89.3. On-Demand • Catch up with the LA Report updated twice daily with essential headlines. Access to all LAist 89.3 program archives. • DVR-like controls. Pause, rewind and fast forward on-demand programs with ease. • Browse and select individual stories and episodes to listen to at your convenience. LAist.com Headlines • Get the latest headlines and news updates from LAist.com. • Get push alerts for breaking news, stories you may have missed, and program schedule changes. • Share stories easily from within the app. Additional features • Built-in Sleep Timer and Alarm Clock allow you to go to sleep and wake up to your favorite station. Please support LAist by becoming a member today! https://laist.com/give
LA TACO
Discover news and information about food, culture, and community in Los Angeles. This platform provides street-level journalism from all corners of L.A. county, catering to those passionate about the city.
- Los Angeles news coverage
- Food and culture information
- Community insights
- Street-level journalism
- Independently owned and operated
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L.A. TACO is a platform for the city of Los Angeles. We are a source of news and information covering food, culture, and community in the metropolitan area. We are independently owned and operated, by L.A. and for L.A. In our mission, we aim to bring raw and street-level journalism from all corners of L.A. county to our loyal readers, supporters, and members, and partners who share our passion for Los Angeles. Terms of service: https://www.lataco.com/terms-of-service/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: LA TACO at 89% against LAist's 30%. LA TACO also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3). LAist's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On price and update cadence 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. LA TACO sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. LAist asks for nothing beyond the download.
LA TACO holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LAist has 652 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of LAist's written reviews are positive against 89% of LA TACO's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LAist | LA TACO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (652 ratings) | 4.7 (23 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | 88.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 652 — better | 23 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 70 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Southern California Public Radio | L.A. TACO |
Customer experience
LAist
LA TACO
Bugs and requests
LAist
Reported bugs
5 issues- 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
7 requests- Add rewind and fast-forward functionality
- Improve CarPlay integration
- Implement a sleep timer
- Enhance podcast playback controls
- Improve organization and discoverability of content
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- Add a dark mode option
- Provide better support for older devices
LA TACO
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
LAist
No in-app purchases
LA TACO
- Founder Monthly Membership$9.991 Month
- Premier Monthly Membership$19.991 Month
- Founder Annual Membership$99.991 Year
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- Premier Annual Membership$199.991 Year
