KCLU vs KPBS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
KCLU
Listen to live public radio streams, pause and rewind live audio, and explore on-demand content. Bookmark programs for later and use the alarm clock to wake up to your favorite station. Access program schedules and related web pages easily.
- Live streaming with DVR controls
- On-demand content library
- Program schedule integration
- Bookmark live and on-demand programs
- Sleep timer and alarm clock
- Share stories and programs
- Background listening
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KCLU Public Radio App: The KCLU Public Radio App allows you to listen to KCLU, pause and rewind the live audio, and view the program schedule for KCLU all at once! You can explore On Demand content, bookmark a program for later, and wake up to KCLU with the alarm clock! Live Streaming • DVR-like controls (pause, rewind, and fast forward). You can pause the live stream to have a conversation and pick up right where you left off! Or rewind to catch a comment you just missed! • Listen to live streams from KCLU even while traveling! Start the app and your favorite station starts playing – no clicks to start listening. • Integrated program schedules for the KCLU stream! • One click stream switching – flip over to the program you noticed on another stream with a single click. • Listen to KCLU in the background while browsing the web or catching up on your emails! On Demand • Access KCLU’s programs easily and quickly. • DVR-like controls. Pause, rewind and fast forward your program with ease. • When listening to programs, individual segments (when available) are listed so you can review and choose one or listen to the entire program. • Easy to access past programs. • The KCLU Public Radio App displays the web page associated with the program or program segment you are listening to On Demand so you can explore for more information. Radio Bookmarks • Save what you were listening to (Live or On Demand) so you can replay, follow-up, or share it later by simply clicking “Bookmark”. • Compatible with the popular Radio Bookmark device (www.radiobookmark.com). Additional features • Easily share stories and programs with family and friends via the “Share” button. • A built in Sleep Timer and Alarm Clock allows you to go to sleep and wake up to your favorite station. The KCLU Public Radio App is brought to you by the people at KCLU and Public Media Apps. We work to provide our valued listeners with great solutions to find what you want, when you want it, and where you want it. Please support KCLU Public Radio by making your donation today! http://www.kclu.org http://www.publicmediaapps.com
KPBS
Access local and national news, podcasts, and entertainment from San Diego's public media station. Stream live radio and TV, watch on-demand programs, and receive breaking news alerts all in one place.
- Read local and national news
- Listen to live radio streams
- Watch live TV streams
- Access on-demand programs and podcasts
- Receive breaking news alerts
- Bookmark programs for later
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The KPBS App is where you can listen, watch, stream, and read local and national news and entertainment from San Diego’s public media station. From the KPBS FM radio livestream, to today’s breaking news, to podcasts and TV shows, tap into your community in one place. News * Read local and national headlines, investigations and more from the KPBS, NPR and PBS news teams * Receive breaking news alerts Live Streaming * Listen to KPBS FM * Listen to Classical San Diego FM * Watch KPBS TV * Pause and rewind your program with ease On Demand * Access KPBS, PBS, PBS Kids and NPR programs and podcasts easily and quickly * Pause and rewind your program with ease * When listening to programs, individual segments (when available) are listed so you can review and choose one or listen to the entire program * Easy to access past programs * Sign in with your Passport account to access the full PBS Passport library Additional features * View the radio and TV schedules * Bookmark a program for later viewing * KPBS membership support * Send KPBS a recorded audio or video message * A built-in Sleep Timer and Alarm Clock allows you to go to sleep and wake up to your favorite station
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: KCLU at free against KPBS's ad-supported. KCLU also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 64%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for KCLU against 4.4 for KPBS. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 104 and 107 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of KCLU's written reviews are positive against 64% of KPBS's.
KCLU ships an update every 5 months, KPBS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | KCLU | KPBS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (104 ratings) | 4.4 (107 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 73.1% of reviews — better | 64.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 104 | 107 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | California Lutheran University | San Diego State University Foundation |
Customer experience
KCLU
KPBS
Bugs and requests
KCLU
Reported bugs
12 issues- App keeps cutting out
- App restarts and repeats audio
- App closes unexpectedly
- App is glitchy after updates
- Audio buffers frequently
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- App does not hold signal
- App freezes up sometimes
- App stops playing after a few days
- App has connectivity issues with CarPlay
- App shows 'No Internet Connection' alert while streaming
- App stops working after a few minutes
- App does not run while multitasking
Requested features
5 requests- Fix app glitches and bugs
- Improve local news coverage for all areas
- Ensure app works reliably with CarPlay
- Optimize app for faster loading
- Address connectivity issues
KPBS
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
KCLU
No in-app purchases
KPBS
No in-app purchases









