# iCatholicRadio vs Mary

The clearest difference is ads: Mary at none against iCatholicRadio's shown. Mary also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 6 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

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 — 4.7 for iCatholicRadio against 4.7 for Mary. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 239 and 544 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of iCatholicRadio's written reviews are positive against 92% of Mary's.

iCatholicRadio ships an update every 6 months, Mary every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iCatholicRadio | Mary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icatholicradio/id370685543/reviews)** | [4.7 (544 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mary/id483256944/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 239 | **544** |
| Positive reviews | 86.7% of reviews | **92.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 31 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Station of the Cross Catholic Radio Network](https://appshunter.io/developer/991124306) | [Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception](https://appshunter.io/developer/410696369) |

## What reviewers say

### iCatholicRadio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icatholicradio/id370685543)

Access Catholic talk radio and faithful Catholic music in a single application. Explore Scripture, devotionals, Church history, and apologetics. Enjoy live streams and on-demand podcasts featuring international and local affiliate stations, plus a dedicated music stream.

**Highlights:** Catholic talk radio streams, Catholic music streams, Live and on-demand content, Scripture and devotional content, Church history and apologetics, English and Spanish streams, Local affiliate station broadcasts

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📻 Comprehensive Catholic radio programming and content
- 👍 User-friendly and easy-to-navigate interface
- 🆓 Free app with no subscription requirements
- 📱 Portable access to Catholic content anytime, anywhere
- 🎙️ High-quality programming with engaging hosts and priests

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and stops working unexpectedly
- 📡 Audio streaming cuts out or drops connection
- 🔤 Font size too small and difficult to read
- 🎵 No song/artist information displayed during music playback
- 🔄 Navigation issues between live broadcast and podcasts

**Reported bugs**

- App stops working after extended use or randomly
- Audio playback fails to start or play
- Streaming disconnects during long listening sessions
- App crashes on certain device models (iPhone 5, etc.)
- Live feed unavailable while podcasts still work

**Requested features**

- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
- Song and artist metadata display for music content
- Chromecast support for casting to other devices
- Ability to remember last-played stream on app restart
- Improved commercial break transitions


### Mary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mary/id483256944)

Explore comprehensive information on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus. This free app provides resources on her doctrine, devotions like the interactive Rosary, and details on apparitions and pilgrimage sites. Deepen your understanding and devotion to Mary to grow closer to Jesus.

**Highlights:** Interactive Rosary with audio, Marian Dogmas and Titles, Marian Feasts and Prayers, Images and Apparitions of Mary, Pilgrimage Sites information, Information on Marian Fathers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🙏 Helpful for prayer life
- 🌟 Excellent app for learning about Mary
- 🎨 Beautiful design and visuals
- 🔊 Soothing narration voice

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Audio issues (cutting out, repeating)
- 🔍 Difficulty navigating/tracking progress
- 🔌 Compatibility issues with iOS 11 and newer
- 🔇 Lack of customization options (volume, speed)

**Reported bugs**

- Rosary prayers not proceeding correctly after Luminous Mysteries
- App not compatible with latest iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add Latin audio/text option for rosary
- Include Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Implement vibration patterns to distinguish rosary mysteries
- Add ability to pause/resume rosary without losing progress


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iCatholicRadio free?

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

### Is Mary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iCatholicRadio or Mary?

iCatholicRadio is rated higher. iCatholicRadio averages 4.7 out of 5 from 239 ratings, while Mary averages 4.7 from 544 ratings.

### Do iCatholicRadio or Mary have ads?

iCatholicRadio shows ads; Mary does not.

### Which is updated more often, iCatholicRadio or Mary?

iCatholicRadio ships an update every 6 months, and Mary every 3 months. Most recently, iCatholicRadio was updated on November 6, 2026 and Mary on November 1, 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.*