# WTMD 89.7 vs WXPN 88.5

The clearest difference is rating: WTMD 89.7 at 4.7 against WXPN 88.5's 3.6. WTMD 89.7 also leads on review sentiment (81% vs 39%) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months). WXPN 88.5's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, ratings volume, 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.

WTMD 89.7 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 63 and 72 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of WTMD 89.7's written reviews are positive against 39% of WXPN 88.5's.

WTMD 89.7 ships an update every 3 months, WXPN 88.5 every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WTMD 89.7 | WXPN 88.5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (63 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wtmd-897/id300147974/reviews)** | [3.6 (72 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wxpn-885/id304658861/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 63 | **72** |
| Positive reviews | **80.9% of reviews** | 39.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 88 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Baltimore Public Media Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1789845430) | [University of Pennsylvania](https://appshunter.io/developer/437910363) |

## What reviewers say

### WTMD 89.7

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wtmd-897/id300147974)

Stream live radio, discover new music from Baltimore's vibrant scene, and catch up on past shows. Stay informed about local events and receive alerts for your favorite broadcasts. This app connects you to music and culture.

**Highlights:** Live streaming radio, New music discovery, On-demand show access, Local event updates, Customizable notifications

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Great music selection
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🌍 Listen anywhere
- 🌟 Discover new artists
- 📱 Stream quality is good

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App has been problematic
- 🐛 Very slow to load
- 🐛 Playlist will not update
- 🐛 Takes forever to load
- 🐛 Does not work with car play

**Reported bugs**

- Playlist will not update
- App will stop periodically and randomly
- App does not launch from iPhone sometimes
- App does not integrate with car play
- App does not stop playing when a call comes in

**Requested features**

- Add a button to save a song to purchase later
- Add weather into the station
- Show album art
- Play in the background through safari
- See upcoming schedule


### WXPN 88.5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wxpn-885/id304658861)

Discover emerging and heritage artists with handcrafted playlists and live concert broadcasts. This app offers a vast mix of classic and lesser-known tracks across diverse genres like rock, blues, roots, and folk, curated by music fans for music fans.

**Highlights:** Music discovery, Handcrafted playlists, Live concert broadcasts, Artist interviews, Diverse music genres, Emerging and heritage artists

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Great music selection
- 🏠 Access from anywhere
- 📱 Easy to use interface
- 🎵 Recently played songs displayed
- 👍 Reliable streaming (for some)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔌 Connection drops/buffering
- 🚗 No more CarPlay support
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🔄 App restarts or plays twice

**Reported bugs**

- App often cuts off or restarts
- App plays twice or reopens on its own
- No longer compatible with Apple CarPlay
- Skips and buffers endlessly
- Archives stop after an hour and don't save progress

**Requested features**

- Bring back CarPlay support
- Optimize for iPad landscape mode
- Add XPN2 stream access
- Improve archive listening (longer history, resume playback)
- Fix concert calendar


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WTMD 89.7 free?

WTMD 89.7 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is WXPN 88.5 free?

WXPN 88.5 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, WTMD 89.7 or WXPN 88.5?

WTMD 89.7 is rated higher. WTMD 89.7 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 63 ratings, while WXPN 88.5 averages 3.6 from 72 ratings.

### Do WTMD 89.7 or WXPN 88.5 have ads?

WTMD 89.7 shows ads; WXPN 88.5 does not.

### Which is updated more often, WTMD 89.7 or WXPN 88.5?

WTMD 89.7 ships an update every 3 months, and WXPN 88.5 every 9 months. Most recently, WTMD 89.7 was updated on October 31, 2026 and WXPN 88.5 on November 6, 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.*