# PennLive vs WJAC

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WJAC at none against PennLive's 15. WJAC also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5). PennLive's advantage is ratings volume (3.2K vs 169) and chart position (#140 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PennLive sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. WJAC asks for nothing beyond the download.

WJAC holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PennLive has 3.2K ratings behind it against 169, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of PennLive's written reviews are positive against 19% of WJAC's.

PennLive ships an update every 3 weeks, WJAC every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PennLive | WJAC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pennlive/id421910267/reviews) | **[4.8 (169 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wjac/id680822836/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.2K** | 169 |
| Positive reviews | 16.4% of reviews | **19.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#140** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 144 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [PennLive LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/421910270) | [Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/631472300) |

## What reviewers say

### PennLive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pennlive/id421910267)

**Currently charting:** #140 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Stay informed about local happenings with timely and reliable reporting on news, sports, and weather. Access in-depth coverage of community events, politics, business, and culture from a trusted source.

**Highlights:** Local news reporting, Sports coverage, Weather updates, Politics and business news, Culture and community events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $5.99 | per month |
| PennLive Sports Insider | $7.99 | per month |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $9.99 | per month |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $9.99 | per month |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $9.99 | per month |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $9.99 | per month |
| All Access to PennLive.com | $11.99 | per month |
| All Access to PennLive.com | $15.00 | per month |
| All Access to PennLive.com | $75.00 | per year |
| PennLive Sports Insider | $79.99 | per year |
| All Access to PennLive.com | $99.99 | per year |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $99.99 | per year |
| BasicAccess to PennLive.com | $99.99 | per year |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast news coverage
- 👍 Great local news focus
- 👍 Excellent reporting staff

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app freezes and crashes
- 🔍 Difficult navigation and poor UI
- 💰 Excessive ads and paywall
- 🔍 Outdated and stale content
- 🔍 Biased and opinionated reporting

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes on launch
- Inability to access articles after updates
- Inconsistent behavior across devices

**Requested features**

- Improved app stability and performance
- Streamlined and intuitive navigation
- Ability to read articles without paywall
- Unbiased and fact-based reporting


### WJAC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wjac/id680822836)

Stay informed with instant news, weather, and sports updates. Watch live newscasts, receive breaking news alerts, and get up-to-the-minute local and national information. The app offers detailed weather forecasts, radar, and traffic conditions, all within a redesigned, user-friendly interface.

**Highlights:** Breaking news alerts, Live newscast streaming, Hourly and daily weather forecasts, Live weather radar, Traffic information, Customizable notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PennLive free?

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

### Is WJAC free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PennLive or WJAC?

WJAC is rated higher. PennLive averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.2K ratings, while WJAC averages 4.8 from 169 ratings.

### Do PennLive or WJAC have ads?

Both PennLive and WJAC show ads.

### Which is updated more often, PennLive or WJAC?

PennLive ships an update every 3 weeks, and WJAC every 2 weeks. Most recently, PennLive was updated on September 23, 2026 and WJAC on September 21, 2026.

---

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