# WXPN 88.5 vs KCRW

The clearest difference is rating: WXPN 88.5 at 3.6 against KCRW's 2.9. KCRW's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (401 vs 72). On price, review sentiment, 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.

WXPN 88.5 holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KCRW has 401 ratings behind it against 72, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of WXPN 88.5's written reviews are positive against 32% of KCRW's.

WXPN 88.5 ships an update every 9 months, KCRW monthly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | WXPN 88.5 | KCRW |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.6 (72 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wxpn-885/id304658861/reviews)** | [2.9 (401 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kcrw/id319014603/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 72 | **401** |
| Positive reviews | **39.0% of reviews** | 31.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 24 MB | 121 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [University of Pennsylvania](https://appshunter.io/developer/437910363) | [KCRW](https://appshunter.io/developer/314988073) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### KCRW

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kcrw/id319014603)

Access a curated selection of music, news, and cultural content. Enjoy new livestreams, real-time song information, and exclusive member benefits.

**Highlights:** Curated music and shows, New livestreams (Dance24, Vintage24), Real-time "Now Playing" information, Member perks, Redesigned interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Best music station
- 🎧 Excellent music selection
- 🌍 Accessible from anywhere
- 🔍 Helpful for music discovery

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate
- 🔇 Playback issues (pausing, resuming, skipping)
- 🔧 Broken functionality after updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Incompatible with older iOS versions
- Notification badge won't clear
- Streaming cuts out frequently
- Eclectic 24 playlist not updating in real-time

**Requested features**

- Resume playback from where left off
- Improved song/artist information display
- Chromecast/AirPlay support
- Ability to save/favorite songs
- Landscape mode support on iPad


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WXPN 88.5 free?

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

### Is KCRW free?

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

### Which has better reviews, WXPN 88.5 or KCRW?

WXPN 88.5 is rated higher. WXPN 88.5 averages 3.6 out of 5 from 72 ratings, while KCRW averages 2.9 from 401 ratings.

### Do WXPN 88.5 or KCRW have ads?

Neither WXPN 88.5 nor KCRW shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WXPN 88.5 or KCRW?

WXPN 88.5 ships an update every 9 months, and KCRW monthly. Most recently, WXPN 88.5 was updated on November 6, 2026 and KCRW 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.*