# MPR News vs WBEZ

The clearest difference is review sentiment: WBEZ at 71% against MPR News's 10%. WBEZ also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.6) and ratings volume (651 vs 58). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

WBEZ holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WBEZ has 651 ratings behind it against 58, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of MPR News's written reviews are positive against 71% of WBEZ's.

MPR News ships an update monthly, WBEZ every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | MPR News | WBEZ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (58 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mpr-news/id400286612/reviews) | **[4.7 (651 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wbez/id587477231/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 58 | **651** |
| Positive reviews | 10.4% of reviews | **71.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 98 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Minnesota Public Radio](https://appshunter.io/developer/291121609) | [Chicago Public Media, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/379174218) |

## What reviewers say

### MPR News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mpr-news/id400286612)

Stay informed with comprehensive news coverage from Minnesota. Access breaking stories, photos, and videos on politics, education, health, weather, and environmental issues.

**Highlights:** In-depth Minnesota news coverage, Politics and government updates, Education and health news, Local weather forecasts, Environmental stories, Photos and videos

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Quality news content and journalism
- 👍 Easy to use interface (when working)
- 🔔 Push notifications for news alerts
- 📱 Accessible on multiple devices
- 🎙️ Live streaming capability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Audio doesn't pause during phone calls
- 🐛 Audio continues playing over other apps
- 🐛 Multiple taps required to start listening
- 📱 Poor navigation and scrolling experience
- 📰 Article text cuts off on screen edges

**Reported bugs**

- Audio doesn't pause when phone calls arrive
- Audio continues playing when switching to other apps
- App crashes on iOS 14 and iOS 18
- Black screen on app launch
- App requires constant reinstallation to function

**Requested features**

- Search bar for finding stories and shows
- Dark mode option
- Landscape mode support on iPad
- Ability to skip within audio clips
- Background listening while using other apps


### 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 MPR News free?

MPR News 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, MPR News or WBEZ?

WBEZ is rated higher. MPR News averages 3.6 out of 5 from 58 ratings, while WBEZ averages 4.7 from 651 ratings.

### Do MPR News or WBEZ have ads?

Both MPR News and WBEZ show ads.

### Which is updated more often, MPR News or WBEZ?

MPR News ships an update monthly, and WBEZ every 3 weeks. Most recently, MPR News was updated on October 29, 2026 and WBEZ on October 29, 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.*