Comparison

WNYC vs lohud

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

WNYC

Access live and on-demand news, commentary, culture, storytelling, and music from New York's public radio station and its partners. Save podcasts for offline listening and stay updated on local and national headlines.

Highlights
  • Live broadcast streaming
  • On-demand news and commentary
  • Podcast saving for offline listening
  • Local and national headline updates
  • Music live streams
Features
Read full description

Join the New York conversation wherever you are. Our app lets you hear the best live and on-demand news, commentary, culture reporting, storytelling and music. Listen to our live broadcast to get the latest from WNYC, NPR, the BBC and our partners in public media. Save podcasts for offline listening. Get easy access to the latest news updates and the most talked-about local and national headlines from Gothamist and NPR, so you can catch up quickly whenever you want. And listen to great music from the New Sounds and WQXR live streams. WNYC is a listener-supported public radio station. Your financial support helps make possible our programming, broadcasting and digital innovation.

About

lohud

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and real-time alerts. Access a digital replica of the print edition, customize your reading experience, and enjoy offline access to stories, photos, and videos.

Highlights
  • In-depth local journalism
  • Breaking news and alerts
  • Digital eNewspaper access
  • Customizable reading experience
  • Offline reading
  • Sports coverage
Features
Read full description

From critically acclaimed storytelling to powerful photography to engaging videos — the lohud app delivers the local news that matters most to your community. APP FEATURES: • Access all of our in-depth journalism, including things to do around town, sports coverage from high school to the pros, and much more. • Enjoy a streamlined, fast-loading experience that makes it easy to view the stories, photos, and videos that matter to you. • Get breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts with real-time notifications tailored to your interests. • Customize your experience by saving your favorite stories, adjusting text size, using night mode, or reading offline. • eNewspaper: Just like our print edition but accessible on your mobile devices. And access to USA TODAY and 200+ local eNewspapers. MORE INFORMATION: • Privacy Policy: https://cm.lohud.com/privacy/ • Terms of Service: https://cm.lohud.com/terms/ • Help Center: https://help.lohud.com • Subscriptions are charged to your account at confirmation of purchase and automatically renew each month or year, unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information.

Screenshots

WNYC4 screens
lohud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WNYC at none against lohud's 6. WNYC also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). lohud's advantage is chart position (#78 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. lohud sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. WNYC asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for WNYC against 4.4 for lohud. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 795 and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 31% of WNYC's written reviews are positive against 37% of lohud's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WNYC ships an update every 2 months, lohud every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
WNYC versus lohud: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWNYClohud
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (795 ratings) — better4.4 (1.6K ratings)
Positive reviews31.2% of reviews36.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7951.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#78 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size100 MB190 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperNew York Public RadioUSA TODAY Co., Inc.

Customer experience

WNYC

All ratings794 ratings
Positive86.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative10.2%
Written reviews253 reviews
Positive31.2%
Neutral11.5%
Negative57.3%

lohud

All ratings1,609 ratings
Positive87.6%
Neutral6.0%
Negative6.4%
Written reviews82 reviews
Positive36.6%
Neutral6.1%
Negative57.3%

User reviews

WNYC

From 795 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great station, great app
  • 📻 Excellent content and programming
  • 🌐 Access to WNYC anywhere
  • 🔍 Helpful discovery features
  • 🔊 Reliable live streaming

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitchy, buggy, and unstable
  • 🔇 Frequent audio issues and disconnects
  • 🔁 Struggles to resume playback after interruptions
  • 🔍 Confusing navigation and UI
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly

lohud

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy access to local news
  • 🚀 Good app performance
  • 💡 Customizable notifications
  • 👍 Comprehensive local coverage

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🔍 Poor search functionality
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🔍 Difficult to navigate
  • 🔍 Lack of customer support

Bugs and requests

WNYC

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Audio stream stops unexpectedly
  • Playback controls not working
  • Saved content disappearing
  • Connectivity issues with cellular and WiFi

Requested features

5 requests
  • Bring back sleep timer
  • Improve podcast playback and resume functionality
  • Add background audio support
  • Optimize UI for newer iPhone models
  • Implement better connectivity handling

lohud

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues
  • Subscription management problems
  • Outdated content
  • Compatibility issues with older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Landscape mode support
  • Ability to suspend delivery
  • More real-time news updates
  • Improved obituary section

In-app purchases

None

WNYC

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

lohud

Subscriptions6
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$19.991 Year
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$24.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • The Journal News Digital Subscription1 Month trial$24.991 Month
  • Monthly Digital Subscription$24.991 Month
  • The Journal News Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is WNYC free?
WNYC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is lohud free?
lohud is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, WNYC or lohud?
WNYC is rated higher. WNYC averages 4.5 out of 5 from 795 ratings, while lohud averages 4.4 from 1.6K ratings.
Do WNYC or lohud have ads?
lohud shows ads; WNYC does not.
Which is updated more often, WNYC or lohud?
WNYC ships an update every 2 months, and lohud every 4 weeks. Most recently, WNYC was updated on October 29, 2026 and lohud on October 29, 2026.

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