# NBC4 Columbus vs First Alert 4

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | NBC4 Columbus | First Alert 4 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (7.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nbc4-columbus/id380703612/reviews)** | [4.6 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-alert-4/id401082205/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7.9K | **13K** |
| Positive reviews | **23.5% of reviews** | 13.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 76 MB | 82 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Media General](https://appshunter.io/developer/330899733) | [Gray Television Group, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/416888140) |

## What reviewers say

### NBC4 Columbus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nbc4-columbus/id380703612)

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.

**Highlights:** Top local news stories, Breaking news alerts, Accurate weather forecasts, Interactive radar map, Traffic alerts, Video reports, Save stories for later

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great news coverage
- 🌟 Excellent weather reporting
- 📰 Up-to-date local news

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Excessive ads and pop-ups
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🙈 Biased and unreliable reporting
- 🤯 Confusing and unintuitive UI
- 🔇 Autoplay videos with no mute option

**Reported bugs**

- Radar feature not working
- Notifications not working as expected
- Scrolling issues and content cutoffs

**Requested features**

- Option to disable autoplay videos
- Improved navigation and article organization
- Better weather details and forecasting


### First Alert 4

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-alert-4/id401082205)

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.

**Highlights:** Breaking news alerts, Sports headlines, Geo-targeted weather, Real-time traffic, Customizable notifications

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Loyal customer
- 🚀 Excellent weather coverage
- 👍 Best news in town
- 👍 Comprehensive and professional reporting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Ads interrupt story
- 🔇 Autoplay of video ads with sound on should never be default
- 🔇 Ads ruin app
- 🔇 Too many ads
- 🔇 Forced to watch ads

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Broken features and links
- Notifications not working as expected
- Weather information inaccurate

**Requested features**

- Option to increase font size
- Ability to control notifications
- Bring back the old weather app
- Ability to rotate the app to landscape mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NBC4 Columbus free?

NBC4 Columbus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is First Alert 4 free?

First Alert 4 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NBC4 Columbus or First Alert 4?

NBC4 Columbus is rated higher. NBC4 Columbus averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.9K ratings, while First Alert 4 averages 4.6 from 13K ratings.

### Do NBC4 Columbus or First Alert 4 have ads?

Both NBC4 Columbus and First Alert 4 show ads.

### Which is updated more often, NBC4 Columbus or First Alert 4?

NBC4 Columbus ships an update every 6 weeks, and First Alert 4 monthly. Most recently, NBC4 Columbus was updated on October 23, 2026 and First Alert 4 on October 25, 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.*