# Michigan Public vs MLive.com

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Michigan Public | MLive.com |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (56 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/michigan-public/id332602247/reviews) | **[4.4 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mlivecom/id419886579/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 56 | **16K** |
| Positive reviews | **16.9% of reviews** | 11.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | **#62** |
| Size | 24 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Jacobs Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/303775585) | [MLive.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/419886587) |

## What reviewers say

### Michigan Public

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/michigan-public/id332602247)

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.

**Highlights:** NPR news source, Fact-based reporting, Storytelling, Community connections, Multiple broadcast frequencies

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good for listening live
- 👍 Connects globally
- 👍 Stream works well sometimes
- 👍 User-friendly layout (sometimes)
- 👍 Good content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Constant buffering/stopping
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Audio skips during buffering
- 🐛 App stops when switching apps
- 🐛 Replays intro message repeatedly

**Reported bugs**

- Stream stops playing intermittently
- App crashes on startup
- Buffering issues causing audio skips
- App stops when switching to other apps
- App restarts repeatedly

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode for iPad
- Hourly news on demand
- Sleep function
- Improved alarm functionality
- Background listening improvements


### MLive.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mlivecom/id419886579)

**Currently charting:** #62 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Local news reporting, Sports coverage, Weather updates, Politics and business news, Culture and community events, Unlimited premium content access

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

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wolverine Confidential. | $7.99 | per month |
| Digital Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Digital Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Digital Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access | $10.00 | per month |
| All Access to MLive.com | $11.99 | per month |
| All Access to MLive | $15.00 | per month |
| All Access to MLive.com | $75.00 | per year |
| Wolverine Confidential. | $79.99 | per year |
| All access to MLive.com | $99.99 | per year |
| Digital Access | $99.99 | per year |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $99.99 | per year |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Access | $100.00 | per year |
| All access to MLive.com | $119.99 | per year |
| All Access to MLive | $150.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick, accurate, and well-written news
- 👍 Good coverage of Michigan news
- 🌐 Broad spectrum news coverage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 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

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and inconsistent subscription handling
- Notifications not working as expected
- Scrolling and navigation problems

**Requested features**

- Ability to filter and customize content
- Improved local news coverage and focus
- Removal of paywall for breaking news and essential content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Michigan Public free?

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

### Is MLive.com free?

MLive.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Michigan Public or MLive.com?

MLive.com is rated higher. Michigan Public averages 3.1 out of 5 from 56 ratings, while MLive.com averages 4.4 from 16K ratings.

### Do Michigan Public or MLive.com have ads?

MLive.com shows ads; Michigan Public does not.

### Which is updated more often, Michigan Public or MLive.com?

Michigan Public ships an update every 5 months, and MLive.com every 3 weeks. Most recently, Michigan Public was updated on September 19, 2026 and MLive.com on September 25, 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.*