# Smooth Player vs 89.9 TheLight

The clearest difference is ads: 89.9 TheLight at none against Smooth Player's shown. 89.9 TheLight also leads on review sentiment (94% vs 67%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Smooth Player's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (71 vs 11). On price, rating, 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Smooth Player against 5.0 for 89.9 TheLight. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smooth Player has 71 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Smooth Player's written reviews are positive against 94% of 89.9 TheLight's.

Smooth Player ships an update monthly, 89.9 TheLight every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smooth Player | 89.9 TheLight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (71 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smooth-player/id314769719/reviews) | [5.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/899-thelight/id520020889/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **71** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 67.5% of reviews | **93.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 61 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nova Entertainment](https://appshunter.io/developer/1518690922) | [Positive Media Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/516469806) |

## What reviewers say

### Smooth Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smooth-player/id314769719)

Stream your favorite music and radio stations on the go. Enjoy live broadcasts, curated playlists, and a vast library of podcasts. Stay updated with news, sports, and finance, all in one easy-to-use application.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, Curated music playlists, Hundreds of podcasts, On-demand news, Switch between stations, Apple CarPlay support

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Great music selection
- 😌 Relaxing vibes
- 📻 Favorite radio station
- 🎵 Continuous music
- 🎶 Awesome throwbacks

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😩 Pre-roll advertising irritant
- 📱 App not working
- ⚠️ App crashes on startup
- 🚫 Won't open
- ❌ Can't login

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup
- Blank white screen on startup
- Opens to blank page
- Cannot log in on iPad
- Login button off screen

**Requested features**

- Support Siri Shortcuts
- Timer/sleep function
- Alarm function
- Siri functionality
- Improve streaming bandwidth


### 89.9 TheLight

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/899-thelight/id520020889)

This app provides positive, encouraging, and family-friendly radio content. Stream multiple channels for music, news, and inspirational messages. Discover content on family, entertainment, parenting, and more, with opportunities to win prizes.

**Highlights:** Family-friendly radio streams, Positive and encouraging content, News and inspirational messages, Lifestyle content (family, parenting, sports, money), Contests and giveaways, Multiple radio channels

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Uplifting and positive content
- 🎶 Great music selection
- 💬 Engaging hosts and conversations
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-friendly content
- 🌍 Accessible anywhere via app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎶 Too much Taylor Swift (specific artist preference)
- 🐛 App not showing what's playing
- ⏳ App takes a long time to load
- 🎄 Light Christmas station not playing

**Reported bugs**

- App not showing what's playing
- Light Christmas station not playing

**Requested features**

- Fix Light Christmas station functionality
- Improve app loading speed
- Ensure 'what's playing' feature is always working


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smooth Player free?

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

### Is 89.9 TheLight free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Smooth Player or 89.9 TheLight?

Smooth Player and 89.9 TheLight are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 71 and 11 ratings respectively.

### Do Smooth Player or 89.9 TheLight have ads?

Smooth Player shows ads; 89.9 TheLight does not.

### Which is updated more often, Smooth Player or 89.9 TheLight?

Smooth Player ships an update monthly, and 89.9 TheLight every 3 months. Most recently, Smooth Player was updated on October 13, 2026 and 89.9 TheLight on October 7, 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.*