# PennLive vs PCN Select

The clearest difference is rating: PennLive at 4.5 against PCN Select's 2.1. PennLive also leads on ratings volume (3.2K vs 48) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). PCN Select's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 15) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

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

PennLive holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PennLive has 3.2K ratings behind it against 48, 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 13% of PCN Select's.

PennLive ships an update every 3 weeks, PCN Select every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and July 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PennLive | PCN Select |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pennlive/id421910267/reviews)** | [2.1 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pcn-select/id703135744/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.2K** | 48 |
| Positive reviews | **16.4% of reviews** | 13.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#152** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PennLive LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/421910270) | [Pennsylvania Educational Communications Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/991783758) |

## What reviewers say

### PennLive

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

**Currently charting:** #152 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


### PCN Select

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pcn-select/id703135744)

Access Pennsylvania's non-profit television network for unbiased politics, policy, history, culture, and sports programming. Stream live TV, watch on-demand videos, and explore a multi-week schedule with predictive search.

**Highlights:** Multiple Live TV Streams, Video On Demand, Multi-week Schedule, Predictive Search, Politics & Policy Programs, History & Culture Programs, Sports Programs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PennLive free?

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

### Is PCN Select free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PennLive or PCN Select?

PennLive is rated higher. PennLive averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.2K ratings, while PCN Select averages 2.1 from 48 ratings.

### Do PennLive or PCN Select have ads?

PennLive shows ads; PCN Select does not.

### Which is updated more often, PennLive or PCN Select?

PennLive ships an update every 3 weeks, and PCN Select every 2 months. Most recently, PennLive was updated on September 23, 2026 and PCN Select on July 8, 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.*