# WABE Public Broadcasting vs WCBE

The clearest difference is review sentiment: WCBE at 100% against WABE Public Broadcasting's 57%. WCBE also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). WABE Public Broadcasting's advantage is ratings volume (216 vs 35). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

WCBE holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WABE Public Broadcasting has 216 ratings behind it against 35, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of WABE Public Broadcasting's written reviews are positive against 100% of WCBE's.

WABE Public Broadcasting ships an update every 3 months, WCBE every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WABE Public Broadcasting | WCBE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (216 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wabe-public-broadcasting/id567615999/reviews) | **[4.9 (35 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wcbe/id6475323500/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **216** | 35 |
| Positive reviews | 57.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 44 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [ATLANTA EDUCATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS COLLABORATIVE, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/567616002) | [Columbus City School District](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497357908) |

## What reviewers say

### WABE Public Broadcasting

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wabe-public-broadcasting/id567615999)

Stream live radio and TV programming, and access on-demand content from your favorite shows. Features include DVR-like controls for live and on-demand playback, parental controls for kids' content, and a sleep timer.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, On-demand TV and radio programs, DVR-like playback controls, PBS Kids content with parental controls, Program schedule access, Sleep timer and alarm clock

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📻 Reliable access to live stream radio anytime
- 📰 Trusted fact-based news reporting
- 🎵 Excellent classical music programming
- 🎙️ Comprehensive NPR content and podcasts
- 👍 User-friendly and straightforward interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- 🐛 Stream drops after an hour of listening
- 📢 Excessive sponsor ads interrupting stories mid-broadcast
- 📢 Same ads repeating multiple times in succession
- 🔄 Audio loops and repeats content

**Reported bugs**

- App hangs when pressing 'listen live' button
- Continuous looping of 15-30 second audio segments
- Dead air followed by repeated content
- Ads play over stories instead of pausing them
- App crashes when switching between apps

**Requested features**

- Cleaner, less cluttered interface design
- Autoplay feature to resume last stream on opening
- Keyboard shortcuts for launching streams
- Easy in-app donation functionality
- Access to archived/previously aired segments


### WCBE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wcbe/id6475323500)

Stream live radio and local podcasts, view program schedules, and set alarms. Enjoy DVR-like controls for live broadcasts, background listening, and send messages to the station. Access news stories and archived content.

**Highlights:** Live stream listening, Podcast playback, Program schedule, Alarm clock functionality, DVR-like controls (pause, rewind, fast forward), Background audio playback, Send voice/video messages

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WABE Public Broadcasting free?

WABE Public Broadcasting is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is WCBE free?

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

### Which has better reviews, WABE Public Broadcasting or WCBE?

WCBE is rated higher. WABE Public Broadcasting averages 4.0 out of 5 from 216 ratings, while WCBE averages 4.9 from 35 ratings.

### Do WABE Public Broadcasting or WCBE have ads?

Neither WABE Public Broadcasting nor WCBE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WABE Public Broadcasting or WCBE?

WABE Public Broadcasting ships an update every 3 months, and WCBE every 3 weeks. Most recently, WABE Public Broadcasting was updated on September 17, 2026 and WCBE on September 18, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*