WCBE vs WLIW
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
WCBE
Stream live radio and local podcasts, view program schedules, and set alarms. Enjoy DVR-like controls for live broadcasts, background listening, and send messages to the station. Access news stories and archived content.
- Live stream listening
- Podcast playback
- Program schedule
- Alarm clock functionality
- DVR-like controls (pause, rewind, fast forward)
- Background audio playback
- Send voice/video messages
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The WCBE App allows you to listen to the WCBE live stream and local podcasts, view the program schedule, and wake up to WCBE with the alarm clock! App Features • 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 something you just missed! • Listen to the live stream from WCBE even while traveling! • Integrated program schedule for the WCBE stream! • Listen to WCBE in the background while browsing the web or catching up on your emails! • Send the station a voice mail or video message via the Send Message feature! • Listen to WCBE podcasts and archived content! • Read or listen to WCBE news stories. The WCBE App is brought to you by the great people at the Columbus City School District and Public Media Apps. We work to provide our valued listeners with great mobile solutions. https://www.wcbe.org/ http://www.publicmediaapps.com
WLIW
Listen to a live radio stream, pause and rewind audio, and set alarms. Access on-demand podcasts and connect with the station through voice or video messages. Browse social media and other resources directly within the app.
- Live audio streaming
- Pause, rewind, and fast-forward live audio
- Integrated program schedule
- Alarm clock functionality
- On-demand podcasts
- Talk-2-Us messaging feature
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WLIW-FM App: The WLIW-FM App allows you to listen to the WLIW-FM live stream, pause and rewind the live audio, view the program schedule, and wake up to WLIW-FM with the alarm clock! App Features • 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 something you just missed! • Listen to the live stream from WLIW-FM even while traveling! • Integrated program schedule for the WLIW-FM stream! • Listen to WLIW-FM in the background while browsing the web or catching up on your emails! • Send the station a voice mail or video message via the Talk-2-Us feature! • Listen to WLIW-FM on demand podcasts and programs! • Access Facebook, Instagram, X, and other WLIW-FM resources! The WLIW-FM App is brought to you by the great people at Thirteen/WNET and Public Media Apps. We work to provide our valued listeners with great mobile solutions. https://www.wliw.org/radio/ http://www.publicmediaapps.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: WCBE at every 3 weeks against WLIW's every 5 months. WCBE also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and ratings volume (35 vs 9). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
WCBE holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 35 and 9 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
WCBE ships an update every 3 weeks, WLIW every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and July 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WCBE | WLIW |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (35 ratings) — better | 4.7 (9 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 35 — better | 9 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Columbus City School District | Thirteen/WNET |
Customer experience
WCBE
WLIW
In-app purchases
WCBE
No in-app purchases
WLIW
No in-app purchases
