Comparison

KCLU vs KALW

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

KALW

Access live radio streams and on-demand content from a public media station. Stay informed with local news, music, and culture shows, and enjoy features like DVR-like controls for live broadcasts. The app also offers podcasts and direct communication with the station.

Highlights
  • Live radio streaming
  • On-demand listening
  • Local news and culture
  • Podcast library
  • DVR-like controls for live stream
  • Alarm clock functionality
  • Direct messaging to station
Features
Read full description

KALW App: The KALW App brings the full KALW Public Media experience to your phone and car.  Play the livestream or listen on-demand to your favorite news, music and culture shows from KALW and NPR.  Stay up to date on the latest Bay Area headlines and upcoming events, as well as KALW’s on-air program schedule and the latest playlists from our music programmers. App Features:  * DVR-like controls: You can pause the live stream to have a conversation and pick up right where you left off — or rewind to catch something you just missed. * KALW on the go: Listen to KALW’s live stream in your car and while you’re traveling. * Wake the FM up to KALW with the Alarm  * Talk to us: Send the station a voicemail or video message via the Talk to KALW feature * Sign up for KALW’s newsletters * Listen to all KALW podcasts, as well as a curated library of NPR, BBC and local indie shows * Read and listen to local news and culture stories from KALW * You make it possible: Donate right from the app KALW Public Media is an NPR-affiliate based in the Bay Area. The KALW App is brought to you by the folks at KALW Public Media Inc. and Public Media Apps.   We work to provide our valued listeners with great mobile solutions. https://www.kalw.org/ http://www.publicmediaapps.com

Screenshots

KCLU4 screens
KALW4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: KALW at 4.8 against KCLU's 4.4. KALW also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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

KALW holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 101 and 91 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of KCLU's written reviews are positive against 78% of KALW's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KCLU ships an update every 5 months, KALW every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
KCLU versus KALW: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKCLUKALW
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (101 ratings)4.8 (91 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.1% of reviews78.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings101 — better91
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB47 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperCalifornia Lutheran UniversityKALW Public Media, Inc.

Customer experience

KCLU

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

KALW

All ratings91 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral3.3%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral13.0%
Negative8.7%

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

KALW

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

KCLU

No in-app purchases

None

KALW

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KCLU free?
KCLU is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is KALW free?
KALW is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, KCLU or KALW?
KALW is rated higher. KCLU averages 4.4 out of 5 from 101 ratings, while KALW averages 4.8 from 91 ratings.
Do KCLU or KALW have ads?
Neither KCLU nor KALW shows ads.
Which is updated more often, KCLU or KALW?
KCLU ships an update every 5 months, and KALW every 2 months. Most recently, KCLU was updated on October 15, 2026 and KALW on October 16, 2026.

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