First Alert 4 vs RiverBender
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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!
RiverBender
Access local news, weather updates, and community information for the River Bend area. Stay informed about breaking stories, sports, events, and local businesses.
- Breaking local news and weather
- High school and local sports coverage
- Community videos
- Business directory
- Classified ads
- Event calendar
- Live radio streaming
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Discover everything happening in the Riverbend, all in one place. The RiverBender.com app keeps you connected to your community with real-time local news, weather, events, and more—right from your phone. Stay informed with breaking news as it happens, detailed weather updates with highs and lows, and full coverage of local and high school sports. From city updates to statewide headlines, you’ll always know what’s going on around you. Watch live and on-demand videos featuring local events, interviews, and community stories. Tune in to live radio streaming and stay connected wherever you are. Explore a powerful local business directory to find services, shops, and restaurants nearby. Browse restaurant guides, entertainment options, and discover new places to try. Looking to buy or sell? Post and browse free classified ads for vehicles, homes, jobs, and more. Stay organized with a full community calendar featuring local events, festivals, and activities happening across the region. You can also stay connected to your community with obituaries and important notices, all in one easy-to-use app. Whether you're at home or on the go, RiverBender.com makes it simple to stay connected to the places and people that matter most. Serving Alton, Godfrey, Jerseyville, Grafton, Wood River, East Alton, Bethalto, Roxana, Edwardsville, Collinsville, and the entire Metro East region. Download now and stay connected to your community every day.
Screenshots
Verdict
First Alert 4 and RiverBender both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of RiverBender's written reviews are positive against 14% of First Alert 4's. RiverBender also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). First Alert 4's advantage is ratings volume (13K vs 9) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 First Alert 4 against 4.7 for RiverBender. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Alert 4 has 13K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 14% of First Alert 4's written reviews are positive against 75% of RiverBender's.
First Alert 4 ships an update monthly, RiverBender every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Alert 4 | RiverBender |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (13K ratings) | 4.7 (9 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 13.8% of reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13K — better | 9 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 82 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gray Television Group, Inc. | RiverBender.com |
Customer experience
First Alert 4
RiverBender
Bugs and requests
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
RiverBender
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
First Alert 4
No in-app purchases
RiverBender
No in-app purchases
