Comparison

YouTube vs iLive

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

Head to head
About

YouTube

Watch and subscribe to a vast array of videos, from music and gaming to news and learning. Discover trending content, connect with creators, and even upload your own videos. Offers options for ad-free viewing and exclusive perks.

Highlights
  • Personalized video recommendations
  • Subscribe to favorite channels
  • Explore trending and popular content
  • Connect with creators via comments and posts
  • Create and upload videos
  • Ad-free viewing with Premium
  • Save videos for offline playback
Features
Read full description

Get the official YouTube app on iPhones and iPads. See what the world is watching -- from the hottest music videos to what’s popular in gaming, fashion, beauty, news, learning and more. Subscribe to channels you love, create content of your own, share with friends, and watch on any device. Watch and subscribe ● Browse personal recommendations on Home ● See the latest from your favorite channels in Subscriptions ● Look up videos you’ve watched, liked, and saved for later in Library Explore different topics, what’s popular, and on the rise (available in select countries) ● Stay up to date on what’s popular in music, gaming, beauty, news, learning and more ● See what’s trending on YouTube and around the world on Explore ● Learn about the coolest Creators, Gamers, and Artists on the Rise (available in select countries) Connect with the YouTube community ● Keep up with your favorites creators with Posts, Stories, Premieres, and Live streams ● Join the conversation with comments and interact with creators and other community members Create content from your mobile device ● Create or upload your own videos directly in the app ● Engage with your audience in real time with live streaming right from the app Find the experience that fits you and your family (available in select countries) ● Every family has their own approach to online video. Learn about your options: the YouTube Kids app or a new parent supervised experience on YouTube at youtube.com/myfamily Support creators you love with channel memberships (available in select countries) ● Join channels that offer paid monthly memberships and support their work ● Get access to exclusive perks from the channel & become part of their members community ● Stand out in comments and live chats with a loyalty badge next to your username Upgrade to YouTube Premium (available in select countries) ● Watch videos uninterrupted by ads, while using other apps, or when the screen is locked ● Save videos for when you really need them – like when you’re on a plane or commuting ● Get access to YouTube Music Premium as part of your benefits Note: If you subscribe via Apple, payment will be charged to App Store Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the rate of the selected plan. Subscriptions and auto-renewal may be managed by going to Account Settings after purchase. YouTube paid service terms: https://www.youtube.com/t/terms_paidservice. Privacy policy: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy

About

iLive

Easily broadcast HD video from your device or a GoPro to your preferred live streaming platform. Offers simple setup, bandwidth optimization, and real-time broadcasting statistics. Pro features unlock advanced settings for enhanced control over your streams.

Highlights
  • HD video streaming
  • GoPro integration
  • Custom RTMP server support
  • Bandwidth optimization
  • Broadcast statistics
  • Adjustable resolution and data usage
Features
Read full description

Simply and easily broadcast HD video to your favorite Live Streaming service from anywhere. Go Pro Enabled! -Stream from a Go Pro Simple and easy to use add a ingest server of your choosing add your stream key and one button to go live. The app will try to maintain the best quality possible for your viewers during the changing of bandwidth while you stream. Simple Settings give you all the control you need over your broadcast letting you choose how much data and resolution to use as well as other various settings options. See Broadcasting statistics while live! Add a RTMP url to the app and it will stream to the end point that you choose. - Youtube - Mixer (Beam) - Twitch - Facebook Live - Periscope -Instagram -IGTV Information about iLive Pro Subscription • iLive - Live Video Streaming Pro Subscription • 1 Month Auto Recurring Subscription and gain access to all pro setting features • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable Check out our Privacy Policy @ http://twitchplayshearths.wixsite.com/website Check out our Terms of Service @ http://twitchplayshearths.wixsite.com/website/copy-of-terms-of-service

Screenshots

YouTube4 screens
iLive1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: YouTube at 4.7 against iLive's 4.2. YouTube also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (49M vs 2.5K). iLive's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. YouTube sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and iLive sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

YouTube holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: YouTube has 49M ratings behind it against 2.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of YouTube's written reviews are positive against 37% of iLive's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

YouTube ships an update weekly, iLive every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
YouTube versus iLive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYouTubeiLive
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (49M ratings) — better4.2 (2.5K ratings)
Positive reviews48.2% of reviews — better37.0% of reviews
Number of ratings49M — better2.5K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#1 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size375 MB6 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGoogleCharlie Pryor

Customer experience

YouTube

All ratings49,072,318 ratings
Positive91.9%
Neutral3.1%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews20,111 reviews
Positive48.2%
Neutral9.3%
Negative42.5%

iLive

All ratings2,453 ratings
Positive79.9%
Neutral3.5%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews100 reviews
Positive37.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative59.0%

User reviews

YouTube

From 49M App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Great app
  • 🎨 Diverse content
  • 🎓 Educational videos
  • 🎶 Excellent music selection
  • 🌐 Vast library of videos

Room to improve

  • 💰 Too many ads
  • 🤖 Biased algorithm recommendations
  • 🔇 Inability to listen with screen off
  • 🔍 Difficult to find relevant content
  • 🔒 Censorship concerns

iLive

From 2.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent video quality
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 👍 Reliable streaming

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer devices
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🔧 Complicated setup
  • 🔧 Lack of features

Bugs and requests

YouTube

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Video playback issues
  • Subscription tab bugs
  • Inconsistent UI changes
  • Syncing problems across devices
  • Unreliable video recommendations

Requested features

5 requests
  • Bring back dislike button
  • Improve playlist management
  • Add option to customize video quality
  • Enhance background playback
  • Improve comment section functionality

iLive

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Camera orientation issues
  • Settings menu not functioning properly
  • Streaming URL not saving
  • Incompatibility with iPhone 12 Pro Max

Requested features

4 requests
  • Integration with YouTube Shorts
  • More customization options
  • Better support for GoPro cameras
  • Improved chat/comment display

In-app purchases

11 purchases

YouTube

Subscriptions6
  • Premium Lite1 Month trial$11.991 Month
  • FOX One3 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • YouTube Premium1 Month trial2 variants$20.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • YouTube Premium2 variants$20.991 Month
  • Youtube Premium Family1 Month trial$34.991 Month
  • YouTube Premium Family$34.991 Month
One-time5
  • Super Chat$1.99
  • Movies & Shows$2.99
  • Movies & Shows$3.99
Show 2 more
  • Super Chat$4.99
  • Movies & Shows$5.99
2 purchases

iLive

Subscriptions1
  • Pro Streaming Subscription$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • Pro Streaming Features$4.99

Questions

Is YouTube free?
YouTube is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is iLive free?
iLive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, YouTube or iLive?
YouTube is rated higher. YouTube averages 4.7 out of 5 from 49M ratings, while iLive averages 4.2 from 2.5K ratings.
Do YouTube or iLive have ads?
YouTube shows ads; iLive does not.
Which is updated more often, YouTube or iLive?
YouTube ships an update weekly, and iLive every 6 weeks. Most recently, YouTube was updated on September 24, 2026 and iLive on September 23, 2026.

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