LAist vs WBUR
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
WBUR
Access trusted news and stories from Greater Boston and beyond with live streams and signature podcasts. Enjoy hourly news briefs, on-demand listening, and offline downloads. Play word games and stay updated on local events.
- Live radio stream with pause/rewind
- On-demand listening to signature podcasts
- Download episodes for offline playback
- Hourly local and national news briefs
- Daily word games and news quizzes
- Updates on WBUR CitySpace events
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Looking for trusted news and stories? The WBUR App is the best way to get news from Greater Boston and beyond with our live stream and signature podcasts all in one place. Play, pause, rewind (and play again) live radio shows from the award-winning teams at WBUR and NPR. On Point, Here & Now, Circle Round, Endless Thread and more are all at your fingertips. You’ll also: + Stay in the know with hourly local and national audio news briefs + Listen on demand to your favorite shows like Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Marketplace + Download episodes of award-winning podcasts for offline listening. + Play daily word games and test your news knowledge with our weekly Boston News Quiz. + Catch the latest events happening at WBUR CitySpace. Our journalism is funded by you, our listeners. Thanks for choosing WBUR, Boston’s NPR news.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: LAist at none against WBUR's shown. LAist also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and chart position (#180 vs unranked). WBUR's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (41% vs 30%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
WBUR holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WBUR has 4K ratings behind it against 655, 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 41% of WBUR's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LAist | WBUR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (655 ratings) | 4.8 (4K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | 40.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 655 | 4K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | #180 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 55 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | +4 |
| Developer | Southern California Public Radio | 90.9 WBUR, Boston’s NPR news station |
Customer experience
LAist
WBUR
User reviews
LAist
From 655 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Reliable source of news
- 👍 Vital app for news
- 👍 Fantastic
- 👍 Reliable and unbiased
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Glitchy performance issues
- 🐛 Carplay not working properly
- 🐛 Ads disrupt the listening experience
WBUR
From 4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 24/7 access to news and programs
- 👍 Pause, rewind, and resume live streaming
- 💡 Ability to download shows for offline listening
- 👍 Easy to navigate and use
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Inconsistent live streaming and buffering issues
- 🐛 Rewind and fast-forward functionality not working as expected
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔍 Cluttered interface with too many buttons
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
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Add a dark mode option
- Provide better support for older devices
WBUR
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes when switching between audio sources
- Playback does not resume after interruptions like phone calls
- Time slider inaccurate, often showing wrong position in the program
Requested features
4 requests- Add search functionality to find specific shows or episodes
- Improve sleep timer and alarm clock integration
- Provide an option to disable the opening ad
- Optimize the app for larger screens and modern UI
In-app purchases
LAist
No in-app purchases
WBUR
No in-app purchases
