NOW 97.9 FM vs X96 Classic
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NOW 97.9 FM
Listen live to today's best feel-good music, participate in contests, and vote for your favorite songs. Record audio messages to potentially be featured on air and receive song alerts for upcoming tracks.
- Listen live
- Commercial-free music blocks
- Free contests
- Song voting
- Open Mic audio messages
- Song alerts
Read full descriptionHide full description
Welcome to the NOW 97.9 FM mobile app! We play today’s best music that picks you up and makes you feel good while you work. With the NOW 97.9 FM mobile app, you can: - Listen live in the mornings with over 2 hours of commercial free music and tons of free contests for cash and concerts. - Vote for the songs you want to hear on the air. - Use our Open Mic feature to record an audio message, and you could hear yourself on air. - Opt into song alerts so you always know when your favorite song will play.
X96 Classic
Experience alternative music from a popular radio station. Stream live broadcasts and discover new artists. This app provides a direct connection to the station's programming.
- Live radio streaming
- Alternative music focus
- Station programming access
- Artist discovery
Read full descriptionHide full description
X96 Classic is the first generation of alternative music from the people that bring you X96 in Salt Lake City
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: X96 Classic at 100% against NOW 97.9 FM's 50%. X96 Classic also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.4). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
X96 Classic holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of NOW 97.9 FM's written reviews are positive against 100% of X96 Classic's.
NOW 97.9 FM ships an update every 6 months, X96 Classic every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and July 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NOW 97.9 FM | X96 Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.4 (5 ratings) | 4.8 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 12 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 57 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Capitol Broadcasting INC | Broadway Media LLC |
Customer experience
NOW 97.9 FM
X96 Classic
In-app purchases
NOW 97.9 FM
No in-app purchases
X96 Classic
No in-app purchases
