WBUR vs The Boston Globe
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.
The Boston Globe
Access award-winning journalism covering local and national news, politics, business, arts, and culture. Read, watch, and comment on stories, with customizable notifications and offline reading capabilities. Explore in-depth features, opinion pieces, and daily news updates.
- Award-winning journalism
- Local and national news
- Investigative reporting
- Opinion and analysis
- Customizable notifications
- Offline article saving
- In-app commenting
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Get full access to The Boston Globe's 27-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalism, spanning local and national breaking news, investigative reporting, and coverage of politics, business, art, travel, culture, and more. Updated with a new design and experience, Globe app users can read, watch, and comment on the latest news from New England’s largest newsroom. • Download the app and discover local stories from The Boston Globe, Globe New Hampshire, and Globe Rhode Island. • Engage with groundbreaking journalism from the Spotlight Team. • Enjoy thought-provoking opinion and analysis from Globe columnists. • Explore impactful features from Globe Magazine and in-depth coverage of Boston sports. • Stay informed with Boston Globe Today, our daily TV show that takes you beyond the headlines. APP FEATURES • Customize notifications so you always have the latest updates about the topics you care about. • Save articles to read later, even when your device is offline. • Share your thoughts on articles and join the online discussion with in-app commenting. • Go beyond the headlines with videos from Boston Globe Today. Plus More! Terms of Use: https://www.bostonglobe.com/about/help/terms-service-app/ Privacy Policy: https://www.bostonglobe.com/about/help/privacy-policy-app/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WBUR at none against The Boston Globe's 1. WBUR also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). The Boston Globe's advantage is ratings volume (42K vs 4K) and chart position (#18 vs #207). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. The Boston Globe sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per month. WBUR asks for nothing beyond the download.
WBUR holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Boston Globe has 42K ratings behind it against 4K, 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 40% of The Boston Globe's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WBUR | The Boston Globe |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (4K ratings) — better | 4.6 (42K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 41.3% of reviews — better | 39.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4K | 42K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #207 | #18 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 57 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 12+ |
| Developer | 90.9 WBUR, Boston’s NPR news station | BOSTON GLOBE MEDIA PARTNERS, LLC |
Customer experience
WBUR
The Boston Globe
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
The Boston Globe
From 42K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📰 Excellent news coverage
- 🏆 Great investigative journalism
- 🗞️ Reliable and informative
- 💻 Convenient digital format
Room to improve
- 🔍 Poor search functionality
- 🔀 Repetitive/recycled content
- 🤖 Intrusive ads
- 🔒 Login issues
- 🗺️ Confusing navigation
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
The Boston Globe
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent crashes after recent update
- Inability to find comics and puzzles
- Inconsistent page layout and formatting
Requested features
4 requests- Video journalism and documentaries
- Offline reading mode
- Improved article sharing
- Better integration between app and email
In-app purchases
WBUR
No in-app purchases
The Boston Globe
- Monthly Subscription$29.991 Month
