# WBEZ vs Des Plaines Park District

The clearest difference is ads: Des Plaines Park District at none against WBEZ's shown. Des Plaines Park District also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). WBEZ's advantage is ratings volume (650 vs 7) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for WBEZ against 4.6 for Des Plaines Park District. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WBEZ has 650 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two.

WBEZ ships an update every 3 weeks, Des Plaines Park District every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WBEZ | Des Plaines Park District |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (650 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wbez/id587477231/reviews)** | [4.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/des-plaines-park-district/id1532666877/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **650** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 71.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 31 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chicago Public Media, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/379174218) | [Links Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/401196440) |

## 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


### Des Plaines Park District

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/des-plaines-park-district/id1532666877)

Access information about local park programs, facilities, and events. Receive important announcements and alerts through push notifications to stay connected with your community's offerings.

**Highlights:** View program offerings, Access facility information, See event listings, Receive news and announcements, Get push notifications for alerts

**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 Des Plaines Park District free?

Des Plaines Park District is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, WBEZ or Des Plaines Park District?

WBEZ is rated higher. WBEZ averages 4.7 out of 5 from 650 ratings, while Des Plaines Park District averages 4.6 from 7 ratings.

### Do WBEZ or Des Plaines Park District have ads?

WBEZ shows ads; Des Plaines Park District does not.

### Which is updated more often, WBEZ or Des Plaines Park District?

WBEZ ships an update every 3 weeks, and Des Plaines Park District every 4 months. Most recently, WBEZ was updated on October 26, 2026 and Des Plaines Park District on October 24, 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.*