WBUR vs WNYC
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
WBUR
Access live radio streams and on-demand podcasts from a public media organization. Enjoy news briefs, trending stories, and the ability to download episodes for offline listening. Supports CarPlay for in-car use.
- Live radio stream
- Signature podcasts
- Hourly news briefs
- Download episodes
- CarPlay support
- On-demand listening
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Looking for trusted news and stories? The WBUR App is the best way to get news from Greater Boston and beyond with our live stream and signature podcasts all in one place. Play, pause, rewind (and play again) live radio shows from the award-winning teams at WBUR and NPR. On Point, Here & Now, Circle Round, Endless Thread and more are all at your fingertips. You’ll also: + Stay in the know with hourly local and national audio news briefs + Listen on demand to your favorite shows like Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Marketplace + Download episodes of award-winning podcasts for offline listening. + Play daily word games and test your news knowledge with our weekly Boston News Quiz. + Catch the latest events happening at WBUR CitySpace. Our journalism is funded by you, our listeners. Thanks for choosing WBUR, Boston’s NPR news.
WNYC
Access live and on-demand news, commentary, culture, storytelling, and music from New York's public radio station and its partners. Save podcasts for offline listening and stay updated on local and national headlines.
- Live broadcast streaming
- On-demand news and commentary
- Podcast saving for offline listening
- Local and national headline updates
- Music live streams
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Join the New York conversation wherever you are. Our app lets you hear the best live and on-demand news, commentary, culture reporting, storytelling and music. Listen to our live broadcast to get the latest from WNYC, NPR, the BBC and our partners in public media. Save podcasts for offline listening. Get easy access to the latest news updates and the most talked-about local and national headlines from Gothamist and NPR, so you can catch up quickly whenever you want. And listen to great music from the New Sounds and WQXR live streams. WNYC is a listener-supported public radio station. Your financial support helps make possible our programming, broadcasting and digital innovation.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: WNYC at none against WBUR's shown. WBUR's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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.
WBUR holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WBUR has 4K ratings behind it against 793, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of WBUR's written reviews are positive against 32% of WNYC's.
WBUR ships an update every 6 weeks, WNYC every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WBUR | WNYC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (4K ratings) — better | 4.5 (793 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 41.3% of reviews — better | 31.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4K — better | 793 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #207 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 92 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | 90.9 WBUR, Boston’s NPR news station | New York Public Radio |
Customer experience
WBUR
WNYC
User reviews
WBUR
From 4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 24/7 access to news and programs
- 👍 Pause, rewind, and resume live streaming
- 💡 Ability to download shows for offline listening
- 👍 Easy to navigate and use
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Inconsistent live streaming and buffering issues
- 🐛 Rewind and fast-forward functionality not working as expected
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔍 Cluttered interface with too many buttons
WNYC
From 793 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great station, great app
- 📻 Excellent content and programming
- 🌐 Access to WNYC anywhere
- 🔍 Helpful discovery features
- 🔊 Reliable live streaming
Room to improve
- 🐛 Glitchy, buggy, and unstable
- 🔇 Frequent audio issues and disconnects
- 🔁 Struggles to resume playback after interruptions
- 🔍 Confusing navigation and UI
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
Bugs and requests
WBUR
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes when switching between audio sources
- Playback does not resume after interruptions like phone calls
- Time slider inaccurate, often showing wrong position in the program
Requested features
4 requests- Add search functionality to find specific shows or episodes
- Improve sleep timer and alarm clock integration
- Provide an option to disable the opening ad
- Optimize the app for larger screens and modern UI
WNYC
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes on launch
- Audio stream stops unexpectedly
- Playback controls not working
- Saved content disappearing
- Connectivity issues with cellular and WiFi
Requested features
5 requests- Bring back sleep timer
- Improve podcast playback and resume functionality
- Add background audio support
- Optimize UI for newer iPhone models
- Implement better connectivity handling
In-app purchases
WBUR
No in-app purchases
WNYC
No in-app purchases
