Comparison

KCLU vs KPBS

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

KCLU4 screens
KPBS4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
KCLU versus KPBS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKCLUKPBS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (104 ratings)4.4 (107 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.1% of reviews — better64.3% of reviews
Number of ratings104107 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB41 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperCalifornia Lutheran UniversitySan Diego State University Foundation

Customer experience

KCLU

All ratings101 ratings
Positive81.2%
Neutral6.9%
Negative11.9%
Written reviews67 reviews
Positive73.1%
Neutral10.4%
Negative16.4%

KPBS

All ratings101 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative12.9%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive64.3%
Neutral10.7%
Negative25.0%

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
Show 7 more
  • 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

None

KCLU

No in-app purchases

None

KPBS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KCLU free?
KCLU is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is KPBS free?
KPBS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, KCLU or KPBS?
KPBS is rated higher. KCLU averages 4.4 out of 5 from 104 ratings, while KPBS averages 4.4 from 107 ratings.
Do KCLU or KPBS have ads?
Neither KCLU nor KPBS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, KCLU or KPBS?
KCLU ships an update every 5 months, and KPBS every 4 months. Most recently, KCLU was updated on November 1, 2026 and KPBS on November 2, 2026.

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