# ABC7 Bay Area vs ABC30 Central CA

The clearest difference is monetization model: ABC30 Central CA at ad-supported against ABC7 Bay Area's free with in-app purchases. ABC30 Central CA also leads on review sentiment (42% vs 31%). 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 ABC7 Bay Area against 4.7 for ABC30 Central CA. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16K and 15K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 31% of ABC7 Bay Area's written reviews are positive against 42% of ABC30 Central CA's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ABC7 Bay Area | ABC30 Central CA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc7-bay-area/id407314068/reviews) | **[4.7 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc30-central-ca/id408436001/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 15K |
| Positive reviews | 30.8% of reviews | **42.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 123 MB | 123 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Disney](https://appshunter.io/developer/284888248) | [Disney](https://appshunter.io/developer/284888248) |

## What reviewers say

### ABC7 Bay Area

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc7-bay-area/id407314068)

Stream live local news, weather, and national top stories. Customize your news feed by interests and location, and receive alerts for breaking news and severe weather. Watch live newscasts and access on-demand video content.

**Highlights:** Stream live newscasts, Local and national news, Customizable news feed, Weather forecasts and alerts, Picture-in-picture video, On-demand video content

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent morning news team
- 🌍 Keeps users connected to local news
- 🕰️ Timely updates throughout the day
- 📰 Comprehensive news coverage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔊 Excessive and intrusive ads
- 🔁 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Difficult to find specific news stories
- 🔄 Automatic video playback is annoying
- 🔧 Buggy and unreliable app performance

**Reported bugs**

- Videos fail to play or stop unexpectedly
- App crashes when switching between stories
- Notifications don't always link to the correct story
- Scrolling issues and unresponsive UI

**Requested features**

- Add search functionality
- Implement a night mode theme
- Provide more control over video autoplay
- Improve app stability and reliability


### ABC30 Central CA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc30-central-ca/id408436001)

Access live news broadcasts and breaking news alerts. Stay informed with local and national stories, weather forecasts, and traffic updates. Personalize your news feed with topics and locations that matter most to you.

**Highlights:** Watch live news broadcasts, Breaking news alerts, Local and national news updates, Hourly conditions and 7-day forecast, Real-time Doppler maps, Customizable news feed, Picture-in-picture video

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent local news coverage
- 🌍 Keeps users informed on current events
- 🌐 Reliable and up-to-date information
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🕰️ Timely push notifications

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and glitches
- ⏱️ Slow to update with new content
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific news stories
- 📺 Video playback issues
- 🤖 Accessibility problems for users with disabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Links not working as expected
- Notifications not displaying correct stories
- App freezing or crashing during use
- Weather information not syncing with TV broadcasts

**Requested features**

- Search function to find news stories
- Customizable notification settings
- Offline content availability
- Integration with other news sources
- Improved video player functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ABC7 Bay Area free?

ABC7 Bay Area is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ABC30 Central CA free?

ABC30 Central CA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ABC7 Bay Area or ABC30 Central CA?

ABC30 Central CA is rated higher. ABC7 Bay Area averages 4.6 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while ABC30 Central CA averages 4.7 from 15K ratings.

### Do ABC7 Bay Area or ABC30 Central CA have ads?

Both ABC7 Bay Area and ABC30 Central CA show ads.

### Which is updated more often, ABC7 Bay Area or ABC30 Central CA?

ABC7 Bay Area ships an update fortnightly, and ABC30 Central CA fortnightly. Most recently, ABC7 Bay Area was updated on September 23, 2026 and ABC30 Central CA on September 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*