NBC4 Columbus vs First Alert 4
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NBC4 Columbus
Stay informed with local news and real-time updates from your community. Access top stories, breaking news alerts, detailed weather forecasts, and traffic information. Watch video reports and read articles from trusted local reporters.
- Top local news stories
- Breaking news alerts
- Accurate weather forecasts
- Interactive radar map
- Traffic alerts
- Video reports
- Save stories for later
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News has never been more local than in the palm of your hand. The NBC4 News mobile app brings you all the top stories from our daily broadcasts, as well as stories developing in real time. NBC4 (WCMH-TV) is Columbus Ohio's best source for Local News. NBC4 is Local 4 You with Breaking News, The Most Accurate Weather Forecast, and Traffic Alerts to help you on the go in Central Ohio! Get all this information with an easy-to-use layout in the NBC4 News App. Install now and you'll be a step ahead! FEATURES: • Watch video of your trusted reporters on the scene, and read revealing articles on what's going on in your community. • Plan your day and week with detailed weather conditions, live alerts of severe conditions, and an interactive radar map. • Optional alerts on breaking news keep you in the know. • On the go? Save stories for later to access at your convenience.
First Alert 4
Stay informed with breaking news, sports headlines, and localized weather and traffic updates. Receive instant notifications for urgent alerts, even when you're on the go.
- Breaking news alerts
- Sports headlines
- Geo-targeted weather
- Real-time traffic
- Customizable notifications
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First Alert 4 is the only app you need for the latest news and sports headlines as well as geo-targeted weather and traffic that follows you, even if you are not in St. Louis. KMOV News is the app that never stops working for you. Activate notifications and get alerts for breaking news the moment it happens and don’t forget to enable localized severe weather alerts!
Screenshots
Verdict
NBC4 Columbus and First Alert 4 both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 23% of NBC4 Columbus's written reviews are positive against 14% of First Alert 4's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for NBC4 Columbus against 4.6 for First Alert 4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.9K and 13K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 23% of NBC4 Columbus's written reviews are positive against 14% of First Alert 4's.
NBC4 Columbus ships an update every 6 weeks, First Alert 4 monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NBC4 Columbus | First Alert 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (7.9K ratings) — better | 4.6 (13K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 23.5% of reviews — better | 13.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 7.9K | 13K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 76 MB | 82 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Media General | Gray Television Group, Inc. |
Customer experience
NBC4 Columbus
First Alert 4
User reviews
NBC4 Columbus
From 7.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great news coverage
- 🌟 Excellent weather reporting
- 📰 Up-to-date local news
Room to improve
- 🤖 Excessive ads and pop-ups
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🙈 Biased and unreliable reporting
- 🤯 Confusing and unintuitive UI
- 🔇 Autoplay videos with no mute option
First Alert 4
From 13K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Loyal customer
- 🚀 Excellent weather coverage
- 👍 Best news in town
- 👍 Comprehensive and professional reporting
Room to improve
- 🐛 Ads interrupt story
- 🔇 Autoplay of video ads with sound on should never be default
- 🔇 Ads ruin app
- 🔇 Too many ads
- 🔇 Forced to watch ads
Bugs and requests
NBC4 Columbus
Reported bugs
3 issues- Radar feature not working
- Notifications not working as expected
- Scrolling issues and content cutoffs
Requested features
3 requests- Option to disable autoplay videos
- Improved navigation and article organization
- Better weather details and forecasting
First Alert 4
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes and freezes
- Broken features and links
- Notifications not working as expected
- Weather information inaccurate
Requested features
4 requests- Option to increase font size
- Ability to control notifications
- Bring back the old weather app
- Ability to rotate the app to landscape mode
In-app purchases
NBC4 Columbus
No in-app purchases
First Alert 4
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NBC4 Columbus free?
Is First Alert 4 free?
Which has better reviews, NBC4 Columbus or First Alert 4?
Do NBC4 Columbus or First Alert 4 have ads?
Which is updated more often, NBC4 Columbus or First Alert 4?
Other comparisons
