# WNYC vs YDN

The clearest difference is update cadence: YDN at weekly against WNYC's every 2 months. YDN also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and rating (4.9 vs 4.5). WNYC's advantage is ratings volume (794 vs 14) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

YDN holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WNYC has 794 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two.

WNYC ships an update every 2 months, YDN weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WNYC | YDN |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (794 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wnyc/id470219771/reviews) | **[4.9 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ydn/id6761381031/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **794** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | 31.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 100 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [New York Public Radio](https://appshunter.io/developer/396530754) | [YDN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889249134) |

## What reviewers say

### WNYC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wnyc/id470219771)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### YDN

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ydn/id6761381031)

Access the latest campus news, opinion pieces, sports updates, and culture stories from Yale University. Receive real-time notifications and in-depth features in a user-friendly design.

**Highlights:** Campus news updates, Opinion pieces, Sports coverage, Culture stories, Real-time notifications, In-depth features

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WNYC free?

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

### Is YDN free?

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

### Which has better reviews, WNYC or YDN?

YDN is rated higher. WNYC averages 4.5 out of 5 from 794 ratings, while YDN averages 4.9 from 14 ratings.

### Do WNYC or YDN have ads?

Neither WNYC nor YDN shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WNYC or YDN?

WNYC ships an update every 2 months, and YDN weekly. Most recently, WNYC was updated on October 26, 2026 and YDN on October 24, 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.*