# Talk Stream vs The Confessionals

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Confessionals at none against Talk Stream's 1. The Confessionals also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Talk Stream's advantage is iOS requirement (9.1 vs 15.1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Talk Stream sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Confessionals asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Confessionals holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 635 and 239 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Talk Stream's written reviews are positive against 85% of The Confessionals's.

Talk Stream ships an update monthly, The Confessionals every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Talk Stream | The Confessionals |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (635 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talk-stream/id402203488/reviews) | **[4.8 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-confessionals/id1666683243/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **635** | 239 |
| Positive reviews | 70.6% of reviews | **85.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 46 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.1** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Talk Stream Live, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/339608625) | [Merkel Media LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1666683245) |

## What reviewers say

### Talk Stream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talk-stream/id402203488)

Access thousands of live streaming talk radio shows 24/7. Discover popular shows ranked by users, with options to save favorites and use a sleep timer. Listen via data or phone minutes.

**Highlights:** Live streaming talk radio, User-ranked show lists, Favorites pinning, Sleep timer, Listen by phone or data, News headlines integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad free version | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for talk radio
- 🚀 Fantastic interface and navigation
- 💡 Wide variety of shows and stations
- 🌍 Ability to listen to out-of-market stations
- 🎧 Clear audio quality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connection issues and app crashes
- 🔊 Too many ads and commercials interrupting content
- 🔋 App stops playing when screen is locked or device goes to sleep
- 🔍 Lack of search/history features to find specific shows

**Reported bugs**

- Certain stations (like Fox News) consistently crash the app
- Audio sometimes skips or cuts out during playback
- App fails to reconnect to streams after interruptions

**Requested features**

- Add more liberal/left-leaning talk shows for balance
- Implement a sleep timer feature
- Improve background playback and screen lock functionality
- Add search and bookmarking capabilities


### The Confessionals

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-confessionals/id1666683243)

Connect with fellow listeners of a popular podcast. Stream episodes on demand, engage in live chat, and send private messages. Access exclusive blog content and submit your thoughts directly through the app.

**Highlights:** On-demand episode streaming, Live chat community boards, Private messaging, Exclusive blog access, Direct email submission

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Life changing
- 🤝 Great community
- 🎉 Awesome app experience
- 🔥 Best podcast
- 👍 Engaging content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Confusing navigation
- 🐛 Buggy app experience
- 🔒 Difficult to unsubscribe
- 🤯 Convoluted platform
- 🚗 Lacks CarPlay integration

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Playback problems
- Freezing and crashes
- Unresponsive scrubbing

**Requested features**

- Sleep timer
- Simplified category buttons
- Larger text for mobile
- Cleaner episode layout
- Ability to track progress


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Talk Stream free?

Talk Stream is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Confessionals free?

The Confessionals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Talk Stream or The Confessionals?

The Confessionals is rated higher. Talk Stream averages 4.5 out of 5 from 635 ratings, while The Confessionals averages 4.8 from 239 ratings.

### Do Talk Stream or The Confessionals have ads?

Talk Stream shows ads; The Confessionals does not.

### Which is updated more often, Talk Stream or The Confessionals?

Talk Stream ships an update monthly, and The Confessionals every 3 weeks. Most recently, Talk Stream was updated on October 15, 2026 and The Confessionals on October 14, 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.*