Comparison

KALX vs WPKN

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

Head to head
About

KALX

Listen to UC Berkeley's student and community radio station live from your device. Stream broadcasts from 90.7 FM and the web, bringing campus radio wherever you go.

Highlights
  • Live radio streaming
  • Access to 90.7 FM broadcast
  • Web stream access
  • UC Berkeley student radio
Features
Read full description

The KALX Radio app allows you to listen to KALX-FM, pause and rewind the live audio, catch up on the news from KALX, send in your audio or video comments, view the playlists and view the program schedules all at once! You can also wake up to KALX 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 KALX-FM even while traveling. • Integrated program schedules. • Listen to KALX-FM in the background while browsing the web or catching up on your emails. Program Archives • Access the archived shows easily and quickly. • DVR-like controls. Pause, rewind and fast-forward your show with ease. Additional Features • Support KALX Radio by donating through the app. • View the recently played songs. • Record and send your audio and video comments to KALX Radio. • Easily share KALX Radio with family and friends. • A built in Sleep Timer and Alarm Clock allows you to go to sleep and wake up to the KALX-FM live stream. The KALX Radio app is brought to you by the people at KALX 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 KALX today! https://kalx.berkeley.edu/ https://www.publicmediaapps.com

About

WPKN

Listen to a diverse range of free-form programming, including music, news, and arts & culture, from an independent community radio station. This non-profit organization supports local artists and provides a platform for volunteers interested in broadcasting.

Highlights
  • Live radio streaming
  • Eclectic programming mix
  • News and public affairs
  • Arts and culture content
  • Support for local artists
  • Volunteer opportunities
Features
Read full description

STREAM WPKN NOW! Cited as “the greatest radio station in the world,” in 2021 by David Owen of The New Yorker, WPKN independent community radio station is a 10,000-watt non-commercial radio station founded in 1963 and established as an independent, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 1989. Over the last 60+ years, WPKN has remained true to some basic principles to stand apart from convention and to serve diversity. Its volunteers and programmers have created an institution with depth, importance, and passion, and the listeners have made its continued existence possible. WPKN broadcasts 24 hours a day on frequency 89.5 FM from a 10,000-­-watt transmitter located on Booth Hill in Trumbull, Connecticut reaching a potential listenership of 1.5 million people. Our signal reaches most of Connecticut, southeastern New York State, the eastern portion of Long Island, southwestern Massachusetts, and southwestern Rhode Island. The wpkn.org stream allows for an unlimited number of global listeners. Operating 24/7 and largely run by volunteers, WPKN offers a unique and eclectic mix of live and recorded music, news, public affairs, spoken word, arts & culture and other free-form programming which defy genre. We are proud to be listener-supported, commercial-free, community-driven radio available to the public at no cost, any time, day or night. WPKN is a community organization that amplifies tri-state area non-profits, artists, musicians. WPKN’s downtown station presence allows volunteers interested in broadcast radio, podcasting, video, and community outreach, to explore and build on their creative interests for free, with all levels of backgrounds and training accepted.

Screenshots

KALX4 screens
WPKN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: WPKN at 5.0 against KALX's 4.0. WPKN also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 75%). KALX's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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

WPKN holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of KALX's written reviews are positive against 100% of WPKN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KALX ships an update every 10 months, WPKN every 18 months. The most recent releases landed on August 18, 2026 and July 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
KALX versus WPKN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKALXWPKN
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (7 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 10 months — betterEvery 18 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB12 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperUniversity of California, BerkeleyBrendan Toller

Customer experience

KALX

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral14.3%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

WPKN

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

KALX

No in-app purchases

None

WPKN

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KALX free?
KALX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is WPKN free?
WPKN is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, KALX or WPKN?
WPKN is rated higher. KALX averages 4.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while WPKN averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do KALX or WPKN have ads?
WPKN shows ads; KALX does not.
Which is updated more often, KALX or WPKN?
KALX ships an update every 10 months, and WPKN every 18 months. Most recently, KALX was updated on August 18, 2026 and WPKN on July 27, 2026.

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