# Hot 101.9 vs The River 97.9

The clearest difference is ads: Hot 101.9 at none against The River 97.9's shown. Hot 101.9 also leads on ratings volume (379 vs 3) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). The River 97.9's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

The River 97.9 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hot 101.9 has 379 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Hot 101.9 ships an update every 6 months, The River 97.9 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hot 101.9 | The River 97.9 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (379 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hot-1019/id509593796/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-river-979/id1185962004/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **379** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 17 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [BE DIGITAL MEDIA SOLUTIONS LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/502988842) | [Townsquare Media, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/433762450) |

## What reviewers say

### Hot 101.9

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hot-1019/id509593796)

Stream live radio and engage with on-air personalities and other listeners. Share comments, photos, and audio clips in real-time. Discover what's playing, preview songs, and rate them.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, Real-time DJ interaction, Listener comments and posts, Photo and audio clip sharing, Song preview and rating

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 😊 Boosts happiness
- 👍 Great app
- ❤️ Love the radio station
- 😊 Very entertaining
- 👍 Fun to listen

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Chat feature not working
- 😞 App not working
- 😞 Horrible app
- 😞 Outdated
- 😞 Font size too small

**Reported bugs**

- Chat feature not working
- App needs update for latest iOS
- Alarm feature not working

**Requested features**

- Add font size adjustment
- Play more Skrillex


### The River 97.9

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-river-979/id1185962004)

Stay informed with local news, weather, and traffic updates. Listen live to the station, interact with hosts, and receive instant alerts for breaking news and contests. Save articles for later and share content easily.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, Local news and weather updates, Traffic information, Interactive host communication, Breaking news alerts, Article saving for offline reading, Social media sharing

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hot 101.9 free?

Hot 101.9 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is The River 97.9 free?

The River 97.9 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hot 101.9 or The River 97.9?

The River 97.9 is rated higher. Hot 101.9 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 379 ratings, while The River 97.9 averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Hot 101.9 or The River 97.9 have ads?

The River 97.9 shows ads; Hot 101.9 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hot 101.9 or The River 97.9?

Hot 101.9 ships an update every 6 months, and The River 97.9 every 2 months. Most recently, Hot 101.9 was updated on October 17, 2026 and The River 97.9 on October 4, 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.*