Michigan Public vs MLive.com
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Michigan Public
Access Michigan's premier NPR news source for in-depth reporting, compelling stories, and community connections. Stay informed about the issues shaping the state and its residents.
- NPR news source
- Fact-based reporting
- Storytelling
- Community connections
- Multiple broadcast frequencies
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Michigan Public is Michigan’s most listened to NPR news source, dedicated to uncovering the facts, sharing the stories, and creating the connections that give meaning to our complex world. This is part of our vision for an informed and engaged Michigan. Michigan Public broadcasts at 91.7 - WUOM Ann Arbor/Detroit, 91.1 - WFUM Flint, 104.1 - WVGR West Michigan, 89.7 - WLNZ Lansing, and 91.3 WRSX Port Huron. You can find us at michiganpublic.org.
MLive.com
Stay informed with local news, sports, and weather that directly impacts your community. Access timely and reliable reporting from trusted journalists who live and work in your area. Coverage spans news, politics, business, culture, and more, ensuring you're always aware of what's happening in your backyard.
- Local news reporting
- Sports coverage
- Weather updates
- Politics and business news
- Culture and community events
- Unlimited premium content access
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Get trusted local news from across Michigan. Breaking news, in-depth reporting, and all the stories people are talking about. Stay connected to what's happening around you with timely coverage of news, weather, sports, and more, optimized for your phone. Free to download. Get breaking news, alerts, and top stories. Subscribers receive unlimited access to in-depth reporting, exclusive content, and additional features. Subscriptions are available in-app. Our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: http://www.advance.net/advancedigitalUserAgreementPP/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: MLive.com at 4.4 against Michigan Public's 3.1. MLive.com also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (16K vs 56). Michigan Public's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 18) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment 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. MLive.com sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Michigan Public asks for nothing beyond the download.
MLive.com holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MLive.com has 16K ratings behind it against 56, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 17% of Michigan Public's written reviews are positive against 11% of MLive.com's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Michigan Public ships an update every 5 months, MLive.com every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Michigan Public | MLive.com |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (56 ratings) | 4.4 (16K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.9% of reviews — better | 11.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 56 | 16K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | #71 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Jacobs Media | MLive.com |
Customer experience
Michigan Public
MLive.com
User reviews
Michigan Public
From 56 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Good for listening live
- 👍 Connects globally
- 👍 Stream works well sometimes
- 👍 User-friendly layout (sometimes)
- 👍 Good content
Room to improve
- 🐛 Constant buffering/stopping
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Audio skips during buffering
- 🐛 App stops when switching apps
- 🐛 Replays intro message repeatedly
MLive.com
From 16K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Quick, accurate, and well-written news
- 👍 Good coverage of Michigan news
- 🌐 Broad spectrum news coverage
Room to improve
- 🔒 Paywalled content, too many articles behind subscription
- 🐛 Buggy, crashes, freezes, and loading issues
- 💤 Outdated, repetitive, and lacking in real reporting
- 🔍 Poor search functionality and content organization
- 📢 Excessive ads and intrusive advertising
Bugs and requests
Michigan Public
Reported bugs
15 issues- Stream stops playing intermittently
- App crashes on startup
- Buffering issues causing audio skips
- App stops when switching to other apps
- App restarts repeatedly
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- App starts playing randomly
- Cannot stop playback without uninstalling
- Functions open web browser
- Alarm function does not work
- Background streaming issues
- Updates cause crashes or break features
- Blank space where images used to be
- App not loading or crashing
- Streaming issues on older devices
- App closes when phone screen locks
Requested features
10 requests- Landscape mode for iPad
- Hourly news on demand
- Sleep function
- Improved alarm functionality
- Background listening improvements
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Option to disable auto-play
- Larger play button
- Display current/upcoming schedule within app
- Image display aspect ratio fix
- Include national news
MLive.com
Reported bugs
3 issues- Login issues and inconsistent subscription handling
- Notifications not working as expected
- Scrolling and navigation problems
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to filter and customize content
- Improved local news coverage and focus
- Removal of paywall for breaking news and essential content
In-app purchases
Michigan Public
No in-app purchases
MLive.com
- Wolverine Confidential.$7.991 Month
- Digital Access$9.991 Month
- Digital Access1 Month trial$9.991 Month
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- Digital Access7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Subscriber Exclusive Content1 Month trial2 variants$9.991 Month
- Monthly Access1 Month trial$10.001 Month
- All Access to MLive.com$11.991 Month
- All Access to MLive$15.001 Month
- All Access to MLive.com6 Months trial$75.001 Year
- Wolverine Confidential.$79.991 Year
- All access to MLive.com1 Year trial$99.991 Year
- Digital Access$99.991 Year
- Subscriber Exclusive Content1 Year trial$99.991 Year
- Subscriber Exclusive Content$99.991 Year
- Annual Access1 Year trial$100.001 Year
- All access to MLive.com$119.991 Year
- All Access to MLive$150.001 Year
Questions
Is Michigan Public free?
Is MLive.com free?
Which has better reviews, Michigan Public or MLive.com?
Do Michigan Public or MLive.com have ads?
Which is updated more often, Michigan Public or MLive.com?
Other comparisons
