# RNZ vs SBS Audio

The clearest difference is rating: RNZ at 3.6 against SBS Audio's 3.1. RNZ also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (41% vs 24%). SBS Audio's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

RNZ holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of RNZ's written reviews are positive against 24% of SBS Audio's.

RNZ ships an update every 3 months, SBS Audio every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | RNZ | SBS Audio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.6 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rnz/id407890305/reviews)** | [3.1 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sbs-audio/id470808084/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **18** |
| Positive reviews | **41.4% of reviews** | 24.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 51 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Radio New Zealand](https://appshunter.io/developer/407890308) | [Special Broadcasting Service Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/410148194) |

## What reviewers say

### RNZ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rnz/id407890305)

Access New Zealand's public broadcaster's news, radio stations, podcasts, and on-demand video and audio content. Enjoy a user-friendly interface with features like bookmarking, favorites, and a play queue for personalized listening. Listen live or offline, and receive breaking news alerts.

**Highlights:** Breaking news alerts and live coverage, Live streaming of all RNZ radio stations, On-demand programmes, podcasts, and series, Play queue for listening later or offline, Offline listening without internet access, Personalization with favorites and bookmarks

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 High-quality, ad-free news content
- 🌙 Dark mode implementation (recently added)
- 🎙️ Excellent radio streaming and podcasts
- 🆓 Free access to comprehensive news
- 📱 Generally user-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and freezes frequently
- 📏 Text size too small, poor accessibility
- 🔊 Audio playback stops when app backgrounded
- 📱 Not optimized for iPad (phone-sized view)
- 🔗 Many articles redirect to external browser

**Reported bugs**

- App stops playing audio when screen locks
- Crashes on iPhone 14 with iOS 18.5
- HomePod connection drops after seconds
- News items fail to open randomly
- Swipe-to-go-back navigation broken

**Requested features**

- Dynamic Type/adjustable font size support
- Image zoom functionality in articles
- iPad-optimized app version
- Granular notification settings (sports, crime, regional)
- Sleep timer feature


### SBS Audio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sbs-audio/id470808084)

Access music, news, podcasts, and community updates in your preferred language. Stream live radio stations and explore a diverse range of audio content.

**Highlights:** Music streaming, Australian news and current affairs, Podcasts, Community updates, Live radio programs, Multilingual content

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great music selection (Chill)
- 👍 Free to use
- 👍 Good for language learning
- 👍 Clear audio quality
- 👍 Works well for some users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes/freezing
- 🐛 Pausing/resuming issues (resets to beginning)
- 🐛 Frequent connection drops/streaming issues
- 🐛 Battery draining quickly
- 🐛 Ads interrupting streams

**Reported bugs**

- App stops frequently while broadcasting
- App not compatible with CarPlay
- Cannot pause and play from Home Screen
- Dead support link
- Ads from current location

**Requested features**

- CarPlay compatibility
- Dark mode
- Ability to slow down speech for language learning
- Sleep timer
- Search function


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RNZ free?

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

### Is SBS Audio free?

SBS Audio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RNZ or SBS Audio?

RNZ is rated higher. RNZ averages 3.6 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while SBS Audio averages 3.1 from 18 ratings.

### Do RNZ or SBS Audio have ads?

SBS Audio shows ads; RNZ does not.

### Which is updated more often, RNZ or SBS Audio?

RNZ ships an update every 3 months, and SBS Audio every 3 weeks. Most recently, RNZ was updated on October 26, 2026 and SBS Audio on October 26, 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.*