# RNZ vs Talk Radio+

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Talk Radio+ at 89% against RNZ's 41%. Talk Radio+ also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.6) and ratings volume (2.5K vs 17). RNZ's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, update cadence, 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.

Talk Radio+ holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Talk Radio+ has 2.5K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of RNZ's written reviews are positive against 89% of Talk Radio+'s.

RNZ ships an update every 3 months, Talk Radio+ every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RNZ | Talk Radio+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rnz/id407890305/reviews) | **[4.6 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talk-radio-plus/id501892721/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **2.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 41.4% of reviews | **88.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 51 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Radio New Zealand](https://appshunter.io/developer/407890308) | [Nick Culbertson](https://appshunter.io/developer/409029298) |

## 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


### Talk Radio+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talk-radio-plus/id501892721)

Stream a vast selection of internet talk radio stations covering news, sports, comedy, technology, and more. Enjoy background audio playback while you multitask. Discover diverse channels and popular personalities.

**Highlights:** Extensive station selection, Background audio playback, Diverse channel categories, News and talk radio, Sports talk channels, Comedy stations, Classic radio theater

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎉 Great app with variety of stations
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🎧 Excellent audio quality
- 🕰️ Enjoyment of old-time radio shows
- 🗣️ Diverse talk radio content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult to find specific stations
- 🔀 Stations disappearing or changing
- 🚫 Lack of conservative talk radio options
- ⏱️ Automatic playback stopping after a while
- 💤 Lack of sleep timer or auto-off feature

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional freezing or crashing
- Inconsistent station availability across platforms
- Issues with certain stations not working properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to save favorite stations
- Option to arrange stations by category
- Integration with smart speakers/devices
- Addition of more modern UK comedy shows
- Streaming directly to Apple Watch


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RNZ free?

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

### Is Talk Radio+ free?

Talk Radio+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RNZ or Talk Radio+?

Talk Radio+ is rated higher. RNZ averages 3.6 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Talk Radio+ averages 4.6 from 2.5K ratings.

### Do RNZ or Talk Radio+ have ads?

Talk Radio+ shows ads; RNZ does not.

### Which is updated more often, RNZ or Talk Radio+?

RNZ ships an update every 3 months, and Talk Radio+ every 2 months. Most recently, RNZ was updated on October 28, 2026 and Talk Radio+ 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.*