# WBUR vs WBEZ

WBUR and WBEZ both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 71% of WBEZ's written reviews are positive against 41% of WBUR's. WBUR's advantage is chart position (#207 vs unranked) and ratings volume (4K vs 623). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WBUR has 4K ratings behind it against 623, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of WBUR's written reviews are positive against 71% of WBEZ's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

WBUR ships an update every 6 weeks, WBEZ every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 19, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | WBUR | WBEZ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wbur/id379690847/reviews)** | [4.7 (623 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wbez/id587477231/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4K** | 623 |
| Positive reviews | 41.3% of reviews | **71.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | **#207** | — |
| Size | 54 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [90.9 WBUR, Boston’s NPR news station](https://appshunter.io/developer/379690850) | [Chicago Public Media, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/379174218) |

## What reviewers say

### WBUR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wbur/id379690847)

**Currently charting:** #207 Top Free · News (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Live radio stream, Signature podcasts, Hourly news briefs, Download episodes, CarPlay support, On-demand listening

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### WBEZ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wbez/id587477231)

Listen to Chicago's NPR news station live or on-demand. Access local and national news, podcasts, and investigative journalism from WBEZ and its partners. Catch up on missed shows with rewind functionality.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, On-demand audio features, Podcast library, Rewind live shows, Curated daily stories, Investigative journalism

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy access to live and on-demand content
- 👍 Convenient listening experience
- 🌐 Accessible from anywhere
- 🗞️ Comprehensive news coverage
- 🎧 High-quality audio

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔁 Ads interrupting playback
- 🔍 Confusing navigation and UI
- ⏱️ Playback issues (freezing, skipping)
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing on launch
- Streaming issues on poor internet connections
- Push notifications causing app to freeze
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between audio sources

**Requested features**

- Improved search and content discovery
- Sleep timer functionality
- Ability to resume playback from where left off
- CarPlay and Bluetooth speaker support
- More granular access to local news


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WBUR free?

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

### Is WBEZ free?

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

### Which has better reviews, WBUR or WBEZ?

WBUR is rated higher. WBUR averages 4.9 out of 5 from 4K ratings, while WBEZ averages 4.7 from 623 ratings.

### Do WBUR or WBEZ have ads?

Both WBUR and WBEZ show ads.

### Which is updated more often, WBUR or WBEZ?

WBUR ships an update every 6 weeks, and WBEZ every 3 weeks. Most recently, WBUR was updated on September 19, 2026 and WBEZ on September 19, 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.*