# WBEZ vs KPBS

The clearest difference is ads: KPBS at none against WBEZ's shown. WBEZ's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, review sentiment, 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.

WBEZ holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WBEZ has 623 ratings behind it against 101, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of WBEZ's written reviews are positive against 64% of KPBS's.

WBEZ ships an update every 3 weeks, KPBS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WBEZ | KPBS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (623 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wbez/id587477231/reviews)** | [4.4 (101 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kpbs/id1305075995/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **623** | 101 |
| Positive reviews | **71.3% of reviews** | 64.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 31 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Chicago Public Media, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/379174218) | [San Diego State University Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1305075994) |

## What reviewers say

### WBEZ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wbez/id587477231)

Listen to Chicago's NPR news station live or on-demand. Access local and national news, podcasts, and investigative journalism from WBEZ and its partners. Catch up on missed shows with rewind functionality.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, On-demand audio features, Podcast library, Rewind live shows, Curated daily stories, Investigative journalism

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy access to live and on-demand content
- 👍 Convenient listening experience
- 🌐 Accessible from anywhere
- 🗞️ Comprehensive news coverage
- 🎧 High-quality audio

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔁 Ads interrupting playback
- 🔍 Confusing navigation and UI
- ⏱️ Playback issues (freezing, skipping)
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing on launch
- Streaming issues on poor internet connections
- Push notifications causing app to freeze
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between audio sources

**Requested features**

- Improved search and content discovery
- Sleep timer functionality
- Ability to resume playback from where left off
- CarPlay and Bluetooth speaker support
- More granular access to local news


### KPBS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kpbs/id1305075995)

Access local and national news, podcasts, and entertainment from San Diego's public media station. Stream live radio and TV, watch on-demand programs, and receive breaking news alerts all in one place.

**Highlights:** Read local and national news, Listen to live radio streams, Watch live TV streams, Access on-demand programs and podcasts, Receive breaking news alerts, Bookmark programs for later

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WBEZ free?

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

### Is KPBS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, WBEZ or KPBS?

WBEZ is rated higher. WBEZ averages 4.7 out of 5 from 623 ratings, while KPBS averages 4.4 from 101 ratings.

### Do WBEZ or KPBS have ads?

WBEZ shows ads; KPBS does not.

### Which is updated more often, WBEZ or KPBS?

WBEZ ships an update every 3 weeks, and KPBS every 4 months. Most recently, WBEZ was updated on October 3, 2026 and KPBS on October 12, 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.*