# Z98.5 vs Frndly TV

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Z98.5 at none against Frndly TV's 17. Z98.5 also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 33%). Frndly TV's advantage is rating (3.6 vs 3.2) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 20 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Frndly TV sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Z98.5 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Frndly TV holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Frndly TV has 2.5K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Z98.5's written reviews are positive against 33% of Frndly TV's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Z98.5 ships an update every 20 months, Frndly TV fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Z98.5 | Frndly TV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/z985/id571385754/reviews) | **[3.6 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/frndly-tv/id1473398077/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **2.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 32.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 12 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [San-Dow Broadcasting, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1456005417) | [Frndly TV, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473398076) |

## What reviewers say

### Z98.5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/z985/id571385754)

Listen to North Mississippi's Classic Rock station live, anywhere. Stream your favorite classic rock hits from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Enjoy the music that defined a generation.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, Classic rock music, Nationwide listening, Mobile app access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Frndly TV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/frndly-tv/id1473398077)

Stream live and on-demand content from over 50 popular channels, including entertainment, lifestyle, and news. Enjoy a wide variety of programming at an affordable price.

**Highlights:** 50+ live channels, On-demand content, Affordable streaming, Wide channel selection, Entertainment and lifestyle programming

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Movies Club | $4.99 | per month |
| A&E Crime Central | $5.99 | per month |
| HISTORY Vault | $5.99 | per month |
| UP Faith & Family | $5.99 | per month |
| Hallmark+ | $8.99 | per month |
| Hallmark+ Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Frndly TV Basic | $8.99 | per month |
| Classic Monthly | $10.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Lifetime Movies Club | $49.99 | per year |
| HISTORY Vault | $59.99 | per year |
| A&E Crime Central | $59.99 | per year |
| UP Faith & Family | $59.99 | per year |
| Hallmark+ | $79.99 | per year |
| Frndly TV Basic | $83.99 | per year |
| Classic Yearly | $95.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💕 Great channel selection
- 🎥 Ability to record shows and movies
- 💰 Affordable pricing
- 🕰️ 72-hour look back feature
- 🏠 Family-friendly content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Poor search functionality
- ⏪ Inconsistent resume playback
- 🚨 Frequent app crashes and bugs
- 📺 Excessive commercials and ad breaks
- 🔇 Lack of closed captioning

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes
- Playback issues (restarts, buffering, out-of-sync audio)
- Inconsistent recording and saving of progress
- Search results not showing recorded content
- Compatibility issues on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Picture-in-picture mode
- Ability to record new episodes only
- Channel sorting and filtering options
- Improved fast forward/rewind controls
- Better progress tracking and resume playback


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Z98.5 free?

Z98.5 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Frndly TV free?

Frndly TV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Z98.5 or Frndly TV?

Frndly TV is rated higher. Z98.5 averages 3.2 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Frndly TV averages 3.6 from 2.5K ratings.

### Do Z98.5 or Frndly TV have ads?

Both Z98.5 and Frndly TV show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Z98.5 or Frndly TV?

Z98.5 ships an update every 20 months, and Frndly TV fortnightly. Most recently, Z98.5 was updated on October 23, 2026 and Frndly TV on October 26, 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.*