# PennLive vs NEWSTALK WSBA

The clearest difference is rating: PennLive at 4.5 against NEWSTALK WSBA's 3.3. PennLive also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (3.7K vs 6). NEWSTALK WSBA's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PennLive sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. NEWSTALK WSBA asks for nothing beyond the download.

PennLive holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PennLive has 3.7K ratings behind it against 6, 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 0% of NEWSTALK WSBA's.

PennLive ships an update every 3 weeks, NEWSTALK WSBA every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PennLive | NEWSTALK WSBA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pennlive/id421910267/reviews)** | [3.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newstalk-wsba/id741277846/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.7K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **16.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#139** | — |
| Size | 35 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PennLive.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/421910270) | [Cumulus Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/513445338) |

## What reviewers say

### PennLive

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

**Currently charting:** #139 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, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $5.99 | 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 |
| All Access to PennLive.com | $11.99 | per month |
| All Access to PennLive.com | $15.00 | per month |
| All 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


### NEWSTALK WSBA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newstalk-wsba/id741277846)

Stay connected to your favorite radio station from anywhere. Access unique content, features, and engage with the station on social media.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, Exclusive content access, Social media integration, On-the-go connectivity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PennLive free?

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

### Is NEWSTALK WSBA free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PennLive or NEWSTALK WSBA?

PennLive is rated higher. PennLive averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while NEWSTALK WSBA averages 3.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do PennLive or NEWSTALK WSBA have ads?

Both PennLive and NEWSTALK WSBA show ads.

### Which is updated more often, PennLive or NEWSTALK WSBA?

PennLive ships an update every 3 weeks, and NEWSTALK WSBA every 4 months. Most recently, PennLive was updated on November 13, 2026 and NEWSTALK WSBA on November 6, 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.*