# Radio Essen vs WDR 5

The clearest difference is rating: Radio Essen at 5.0 against WDR 5's 4.7. WDR 5's advantage is ratings volume (7 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Radio Essen holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WDR 5 has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Radio Essen ships an update every 5 weeks, WDR 5 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Radio Essen | WDR 5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/radio-essen/id472631523/reviews)** | [4.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wdr-5/id1460138818/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **7** |
| Positive reviews | — | 92.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 75 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | +12 |
| Developer | [MPG Medien Produktion GmbH & Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/472631526) | [WDR](https://appshunter.io/developer/728414655) |

## What reviewers say

### Radio Essen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/radio-essen/id472631523)

Access live radio, news, podcasts, and music streams from Essen. Stay updated with weather, traffic, and push notifications. Features include car integration and promotions.

**Highlights:** Live radio stream, News and podcasts, Music streams, Weather and traffic updates, Push notifications, Car integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### WDR 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wdr-5/id1460138818)

Listen to live radio streams with program information and the ability to rewind up to two hours. Access on-demand audio content, curated recommendations, and personalized collections of favorite shows and podcasts. Search for specific content and interact with the WDR 5 team.

**Highlights:** Live radio stream, Up to two hours rewind, On-demand audio content, Curated recommendations, Personalized collections, Search functionality, Direct contact options

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Radio Essen free?

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

### Is WDR 5 free?

WDR 5 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Radio Essen or WDR 5?

Radio Essen is rated higher. Radio Essen averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while WDR 5 averages 4.7 from 7 ratings.

### Do Radio Essen or WDR 5 have ads?

Neither Radio Essen nor WDR 5 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Radio Essen or WDR 5?

Radio Essen ships an update every 5 weeks, and WDR 5 every 3 weeks. Most recently, Radio Essen was updated on October 11, 2026 and WDR 5 on October 30, 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.*