Comparison

HPR vs MNBG

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HPR

Listen to live public radio streams with DVR-like controls, explore on-demand programs from various providers, and bookmark favorite content. Search for stories, set alarms, and share programs with ease.

Highlights
  • Live streaming with pause and rewind
  • On-demand program access
  • Search for stories and programs
  • Bookmark live or on-demand content
  • Integrated program schedules
  • Sleep timer and alarm clock
Features
Read full description

HPR App: The HPR Public Radio App allows you to listen to HPR live, pause and rewind the live audio, and view the program schedule all at once! You can explore On Demand content, search for stories, bookmark a story for later, and wake up to HPR with the alarm clock! Live Streaming • DVR-like controls (pause, rewind, and fast forward). You can pause the live stream to have a conversation and pick up right where you left off! Or rewind to catch a comment you just missed! • Listen to live streams from HPR even while traveling! Start the app and your favorite station starts playing – no clicks to start listening. • Integrated program schedules for every station. You can display up to three of your favorites at a time or flick once to see the schedules for all of your favorite stations. • One click stream switching – flip over to the program you noticed on another stream with a single click. • Listen to HPR in the background while browsing the web or catching up on your emails! On Demand • Access public radio programs from multiple content providers (NPR, BBC and HPR) easily and quickly. • DVR-like controls. Pause, rewind and fast forward your program with ease. • When listening to national programs, individual story segments (when available) are listed so you can review and choose one or listen to the entire program. • Easy to access past programs. • The HPR Public Radio App displays the web page associated with the program or story segment you are listening to On Demand so you can explore for more information. Radio Bookmarks • Save what you were listening to (Live or On Demand) so you can replay, follow-up, or share it later by simply clicking “Bookmark”. • Compatible with the popular Radio Bookmark device (www.radiobookmark.com). Search • The unique “Search Public Radio” feature finds stories or programs across hundreds of stations and web pages and makes it easy to play instantly. Additional features • Easily share stories and programs with family and friends via the “Share” button. • A built in Sleep Timer and Alarm Clock allows you to go to sleep and wake up to your favorite station. The HPR Public Radio App is brought to you by the people at HPR and Public Media Apps. We work to provide our valued listeners with great solutions to find what you want, when you want it, and where you want it. Please support HPR Public Radio by becoming a member today! http://www.hawaiipublicradio.org http://www.publicmediaapps.com

About

MNBG

Explore native and canoe Hawaiian plants with this self-guided audio tour. Learn about their cultural, historical, and ecological significance at your own pace. Access plant information via QR codes or alphabetical lookup.

Highlights
  • Self-guided audio tours
  • Native and canoe plant information
  • Cultural and ecological context
  • QR code plant identification
  • Alphabetical plant lookup
  • 5-acre garden exploration
Features
Read full description

This self-guided audio tour helps give context to the native and canoe Hawaiian plants growing at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens in Kahului, Hawaii. Explore the 5-acre Gardens at your own pace to appreciate the plants for their value to Hawaii culture, history, and ecology. Plant I.D. signs have QR codes accessible by the scan and find button or look up plants alphabetically by name. Ethnobotany emphasizes the relationships that exist between people and plants. For example, as foods; as medicines; in divination; in cosmetics; in dyeing; as textiles; in construction; as tools and other household items; as currency; as clothing; in literature; in rituals; and in social life and recreation. Conservation emphasizes the environmental conditions in which each plant thrives and its role in Hawaiian ecology.

Screenshots

HPR4 screens
MNBG4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: HPR at 4.6 against MNBG's 4.0. HPR also leads on ratings volume (238 vs 1). MNBG's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 84%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HPR holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HPR has 238 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 84% of HPR's written reviews are positive against 100% of MNBG's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HPR ships an update every 3 months, MNBG every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HPR versus MNBG: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHPRMNBG
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (238 ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews84.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings238 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB135 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperHawaii Public RadioMaui Nui Botanical Gardens Inc.

Customer experience

HPR

All ratings238 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral3.4%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews77 reviews
Positive84.4%
Neutral6.5%
Negative9.1%

MNBG

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

HPR

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App stops playing after 10-15 minutes and requires restart
  • Random disconnections and cutouts during streaming
  • Crashes when attempting to access certain content
  • Overly sensitive touch controls causing unintended navigation
  • Streaming lag and sync issues between live and app
Show 5 more
  • App fails to load or play content approximately 25% of the time
  • Dual audio playback when switching between streaming and live
  • Frequent gaps in music playback on HPR-2
  • App boots user off mid-segment without saving position
  • String button sometimes unresponsive requiring app reinstall

Requested features

10 requests
  • Dark mode for nighttime listening
  • Improved car-friendly interface
  • Song title display in now-playing bar
  • Better accessibility to archived driveway moments
  • Remember last listening position
Show 5 more
  • Reduce sensitivity of touch controls
  • Add newscast button like NPR app
  • Move HPR1/HPR2 selector to bottom of interface
  • Include URL links for social media sharing
  • Reduce commercial interruptions

MNBG

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

HPR

No in-app purchases

None

MNBG

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HPR free?
HPR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MNBG free?
MNBG is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HPR or MNBG?
HPR is rated higher. HPR averages 4.6 out of 5 from 238 ratings, while MNBG averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do HPR or MNBG have ads?
Neither HPR nor MNBG shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HPR or MNBG?
HPR ships an update every 3 months, and MNBG every 2 months. Most recently, HPR was updated on October 15, 2026 and MNBG on October 2, 2026.

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