# OPB News vs FlashAlert Messenger

The clearest difference is rating: OPB News at 4.3 against FlashAlert Messenger's 2.9. OPB News also leads on review sentiment (46% vs 30%) and ratings volume (94 vs 15). FlashAlert Messenger's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, update cadence, 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.

OPB News holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OPB News has 94 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of OPB News's written reviews are positive against 30% of FlashAlert Messenger's.

OPB News ships an update every 3 months, FlashAlert Messenger every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OPB News | FlashAlert Messenger |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (94 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opb-news/id596183142/reviews)** | [2.9 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flashalert-messenger/id6741482087/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **94** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | **46.3% of reviews** | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 15 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Oregon Public Broadcasting](https://appshunter.io/developer/456011220) | [irx, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1790551945) |

## What reviewers say

### OPB News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opb-news/id596183142)

Access in-depth reporting on politics, arts, culture, and more from Oregon and southern Washington. Stream live radio, explore multimedia content, and enjoy personalized features like saved stories and push notifications.

**Highlights:** In-depth news reporting, Live radio streaming, Image and video galleries, Personalized story saving, Push notifications, Dark mode and adjustable text

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to navigate
- 👍 Good for reading news
- 👍 Reliable news source
- 👍 Clear organization
- 👍 Informative content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Audio frequently drops
- 🐛 Stream stops playing
- 🐛 Unreliable streaming
- 🐛 App quits playing

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes
- Audio drops
- Stream stops playing
- App quits playing
- Loads poorly

**Requested features**

- Sleep mode/timer for audio
- Cross-platform synchronization for saved stories
- Search bar more prominent
- Ability to replay Morning Edition
- Fix stream integration on NPR app


### FlashAlert Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flashalert-messenger/id6741482087)

Receive news updates from selected organizations directly to your email or via push notifications. Create an account with your email and choose which organizations to follow for tailored news.

**Highlights:** Receive news from chosen organizations, Email and push notification delivery, Account creation with email, Selectable news sources, Annual account refresh

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OPB News free?

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

### Is FlashAlert Messenger free?

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

### Which has better reviews, OPB News or FlashAlert Messenger?

OPB News is rated higher. OPB News averages 4.3 out of 5 from 94 ratings, while FlashAlert Messenger averages 2.9 from 15 ratings.

### Do OPB News or FlashAlert Messenger have ads?

OPB News shows ads; FlashAlert Messenger does not.

### Which is updated more often, OPB News or FlashAlert Messenger?

OPB News ships an update every 3 months, and FlashAlert Messenger every 6 weeks. Most recently, OPB News was updated on October 23, 2026 and FlashAlert Messenger on October 24, 2026.

---

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