Comparison

KEXP vs KUCR

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

Head to head
About

KEXP

This app connects you to a global community of music enthusiasts and creators. It broadcasts live radio from Seattle and the Bay Area, featuring diverse music across genres and eras. Discover exclusive in-studio performances through its popular YouTube channel.

Highlights
  • Live radio broadcasts
  • International music community
  • Exclusive in-studio performances
  • Diverse music genres
  • Online streaming
  • YouTube channel content
Features
Read full description

KEXP is an international community of music lovers and music makers, championing music that spans eras, styles and traditions. One of the most influential listener-supported music stations in the world, KEXP radio broadcasts on-air and online from our studios in Seattle and the Bay Area. Each week on KEXP's YouTube channel, millions of viewers worldwide enjoy Live on KEXP sessions featuring exclusive in-studio performances. Listen in and join our community at KEXP.ORG.

About

KUCR

Listen to a diverse range of music and public affairs programming from a university radio station. Explore indie rock, jazz, classical, hip-hop, and insightful news discussions.

Highlights
  • Live radio streaming
  • Diverse music genres
  • Public affairs programming
  • News discussions
  • University campus radio
Features
Read full description

KUCR is a free app which offers the ability to listen to the radio station of the University of California at Riverside. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= KUCR was started in 1965 and officially began broadcasting from UCR in 1966. Since then, it has been a vital, active and creative college broadcaster in the student/campus model seen in the University of California and other great academic institutions throughout the United States. KUCR has been built by the effort and contributions of thousands of students, faculty, and staff from the time of its inception. KUCR’s mission is to offer an alternative to what is available in the commercial broadcast marketplace. KUCR’s format is diversity. That’s why on KUCR you hear cutting-edge indie rock, real (not “easy”) jazz, real (not “easy”) classical by the world’s great orchestras and performers, progressive hip-hop, and much more, presented in artful and experimental mixes combining the rich history of recorded music into new fusions of sound and energy. Our public affairs and news program offer no less diversity, ranging from world events and news, to special interest, to discussions featuring a broad range of the world’s authorities on the vital experts of our times. A university with a student/campus radio station is a rare and special feature, and KUCR is the most honored, most award-winning radio station in the UC system. Check it out - we think you’ll find something to inspire you, to expand your knowledge, your horizons. KUCR believes that diversity, knowledge, and information is good for you. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This application is not sponsored or endorsed by KUCR.

Screenshots

KEXP4 screens
KUCR1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: KEXP at 271 against KUCR's 14. KEXP also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). KUCR's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, review sentiment 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for KEXP against 4.1 for KUCR. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KEXP has 271 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 42% of KEXP's written reviews are positive against 50% of KUCR's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KEXP ships an update every 2 months, KUCR every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
KEXP versus KUCR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKEXPKUCR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (271 ratings)4.1 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews42.4% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings271 — better14
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.68.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB4 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperKEXP.ORG 90.3FM SeattleJeff Armantrout

Customer experience

KEXP

All ratings271 ratings
Positive67.9%
Neutral15.1%
Negative17.0%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive42.4%
Neutral28.0%
Negative29.6%

KUCR

All ratings14 ratings
Positive78.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative21.4%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative40.0%

In-app purchases

None

KEXP

No in-app purchases

None

KUCR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KEXP free?
KEXP is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is KUCR free?
KUCR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, KEXP or KUCR?
KUCR is rated higher. KEXP averages 4.0 out of 5 from 271 ratings, while KUCR averages 4.1 from 14 ratings.
Do KEXP or KUCR have ads?
Neither KEXP nor KUCR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, KEXP or KUCR?
KEXP ships an update every 2 months, and KUCR every 4 months. Most recently, KEXP was updated on October 11, 2026 and KUCR on September 26, 2026.

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