# Forum vs DIRECT FM

The clearest difference is ads: DIRECT FM at none against Forum's shown. Forum's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 12 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Forum ships an update every 4 months, DIRECT FM every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Forum | DIRECT FM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forum/id335003909/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| Positive reviews | 68.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 86 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Groupe 1981](https://appshunter.io/developer/334825201) | [Contact FM](https://appshunter.io/developer/1207835634) |

## What reviewers say

### Forum

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forum/id335003909)

Listen to live radio stations and access podcasts from your favorite shows. Stream content on demand or catch up on replays.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, Podcast access, On-demand content, Replay episodes, Multiple web radio stations

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### DIRECT FM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/direct-fm/id661132911)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Forum free?

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

### Is DIRECT FM free?

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

### Do Forum or DIRECT FM have ads?

Forum shows ads; DIRECT FM does not.

### Which is updated more often, Forum or DIRECT FM?

Forum ships an update every 4 months, and DIRECT FM every 12 months. Most recently, Forum was updated on September 8, 2026 and DIRECT FM on September 15, 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.*