# WBEZ vs Lake Forest Now

The clearest difference is ads: Lake Forest Now at none against WBEZ's shown. Lake Forest Now also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). WBEZ's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (651 vs 12). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Lake Forest Now holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WBEZ has 651 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two.

WBEZ ships an update every 3 weeks, Lake Forest Now every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WBEZ | Lake Forest Now |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (651 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wbez/id587477231/reviews) | **[5.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lake-forest-now/id1549569230/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **651** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 71.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 31 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chicago Public Media, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/379174218) | [The City of Lake Forest](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549569232) |

## 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


### Lake Forest Now

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lake-forest-now/id1549569230)

Access local government services and points of interest for Lake Forest, Illinois. Stay informed about community news and updates.

**Highlights:** Access to local services, Information on areas of interest, Community news updates, Related area information

**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 Lake Forest Now free?

Lake Forest Now is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, WBEZ or Lake Forest Now?

Lake Forest Now is rated higher. WBEZ averages 4.7 out of 5 from 651 ratings, while Lake Forest Now averages 5.0 from 12 ratings.

### Do WBEZ or Lake Forest Now have ads?

WBEZ shows ads; Lake Forest Now does not.

### Which is updated more often, WBEZ or Lake Forest Now?

WBEZ ships an update every 3 weeks, and Lake Forest Now every 5 months. Most recently, WBEZ was updated on November 1, 2026 and Lake Forest Now on November 3, 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.*