Comparison

Reason vs Dispatch Radio

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

Head to head
About

Reason

Access accurate and honest news, ideas, videos, and podcasts from a libertarian perspective. Personalize notifications and stream exclusive content, including documentaries and newsletters.

Highlights
  • Libertarian news and ideas
  • Exclusive videos and documentaries
  • Podcast streaming
  • Personalized news notifications
  • Newsletter access
  • Reason Plus subscription for early magazine access
Features
Read full description

The Reason app helps you stay on top of the news and better understand your world without all the tired left-wing or right-wing spin. You won’t find a better source for accurate and honest news, ideas, videos, and podcasts from a libertarian perspective. Turn on notifications and personalize your settings to get alerts about issues you care about. Stream new episodes of Reason podcasts: The Reason Roundtable, The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie, and The Soho Forum Debates. Click to listen to every article and build your own content playlist. Access Reason’s latest vertical videos. Watch Reason’s documentaries, video essays, and comedy videos, including Remy and Andrew Heaton. Browse Reason’s newsletters: Reason Roundup by Liz Wolfe, The Rattler by J.D. Tuccille, Free Media by Robby Soave, and more. Play Reason’s weekly crossword plus special puzzles when magazine issues publish online. Subscribe to Reason Plus for exclusive early access to new issues of Reason magazine on your phone, tablet, or computer. To join, visit reason.com/subscribe on any browser.

About

Dispatch Radio

This app provides real-time global intelligence, aggregating open-source data into a command center for situational awareness. It features an interactive map with multiple layers, a dashboard for threat assessment, and a unified feed for conflicts, disasters, and news.

Highlights
  • Real-time intel map with 15+ overlays
  • Situational dashboard with threat levels
  • Unified intelligence feed
  • Military theater monitoring
  • Financial market surveillance
  • AI-generated world brief
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Dispatch Radio turns your phone into a US police, fire and EMS scanner, with a live map of what is happening right now. LIVE MAP - Dispatch incidents pinned across the United States. Tap a pin to open the incident: the recorded radio transmissions, a transcript, a short summary and scene imagery. REPLAYS - A feed of recent dispatch calls, newest first, so you can catch up on what you missed. STATE CHANNELS - Pick a state and let its transmissions play continuously, like a scanner running on the shelf. ALERTS - Severity levels let you decide how much you hear about: everything, or only the serious calls. LOCAL NEWS - Reporting tied to the same map appears as a secondary layer, for context on the bigger incidents. PRO - A Dispatch Radio Pro subscription unlocks full incident details, the complete audio threads and scene images, unlimited map access and alerts near you. IMPORTANT - Audio comes from publicly available dispatch radio traffic. It can be delayed, incomplete or interrupted, and this app is not an emergency service and not an official source. In an emergency, call 911. Scanner use is regulated differently from place to place, so please check the laws where you are. SUBSCRIPTION TERMS - Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Account Settings after purchase. Terms of Use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HT-TqCZ0y4sgjhNZ1hVKYaRa0FMsH8ANkVWCs-jEplg/preview Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/199p0jtTKJ0_ZgXcinwLFR8azmZ-1lv7_sTN1c0GaiuM/preview

Screenshots

Reason4 screens
Dispatch Radio3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reason at 100% against Dispatch Radio's 58%. Reason also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Dispatch Radio's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and chart position 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. Dispatch Radio sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Reason asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Reason holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 284 and 709 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Reason's written reviews are positive against 58% of Dispatch Radio's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reason ships an update every 4 months, Dispatch Radio every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Reason versus Dispatch Radio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReasonDispatch Radio
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (284 ratings) — better4.6 (709 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better58.0% of reviews
Number of ratings284709 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#139 — better#194
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB82 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperReasonScate

Customer experience

Reason

All ratings284 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral2.5%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Dispatch Radio

All ratings709 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral3.9%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews88 reviews
Positive58.0%
Neutral9.1%
Negative33.0%

In-app purchases

None

Reason

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Dispatch Radio

Subscriptions6
  • Weekly Subscription$4.997 Days
  • Weekly World Monitor$5.997 Days
  • Monthly Subscription$29.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Yearly Subscription$39.991 Year
  • World Monitor Yearly$49.991 Year
  • World Monitor Yearly Subscription$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime World Monitor$29.99

Questions

Is Reason free?
Reason is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dispatch Radio free?
Dispatch Radio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Reason or Dispatch Radio?
Reason is rated higher. Reason averages 4.8 out of 5 from 284 ratings, while Dispatch Radio averages 4.6 from 709 ratings.
Do Reason or Dispatch Radio have ads?
Neither Reason nor Dispatch Radio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reason or Dispatch Radio?
Reason ships an update every 4 months, and Dispatch Radio every 5 days. Most recently, Reason was updated on October 18, 2026 and Dispatch Radio on October 19, 2026.
Which is more popular, Reason or Dispatch Radio?
Reason currently peaks at #139 in the App Store charts, and Dispatch Radio at #194. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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