Comparison

The Volt vs ALT.radio

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

Head to head
About

The Volt

Listen to a curated mix of 80s, 90s, and Y2K music, including shows like "Andrew Z in The Morning". Enjoy a nostalgic audio experience directly on your device.

Highlights
  • 80s music
  • 90s music
  • Y2K music
  • Morning radio shows
  • Music streaming
Features
Read full description

Fully Charged Music – 80s to Now! delivers the biggest hits from the ‘80s, ‘90s, 2000s, and today—all in one high-energy station. From timeless classics to today’s favorites, we’re keeping the music flowing 24/7 with the songs you know and love. Turn it up and stay fully charged!

About

ALT.radio

This app offers a curated, genre-blurring music stream from the 1960s to today. It focuses on indie, punk, experimental, ambient, acoustic, and lofi sounds outside the mainstream. Discover forgotten B-sides, cult classics, and underground releases.

Highlights
  • Genre-blurring music mix
  • Spans 1960s to present
  • Focus on indie, punk, experimental
  • Ambient, acoustic, and lofi beats
  • Deep, non-linear catalog
  • Underground releases
Features
Read full description

ALT.radio is an independent online radio station for music that lives on the edges. Free, streaming 24/7, no account required — just press play and let the deep cuts find you. MUSIC. OFF-KILTER. ALT.radio is a curated, genre-blurring stream spanning the 1960s to right now: indie, post-punk, experimental pop, ambient, acoustic, shoegaze, lofi, and the strange and wonderful in between. We live on the periphery of the musical landscape — forgotten B-sides, cult classics, and essential underground releases you won't hear on mainstream radio. LISTEN — FREE, AND AROUND THE CLOCK • One tap to stream the live station. No sign-up, no paywall. • Full-screen cover art, plus the track and artist for everything that plays. • Background playback with lock screen and Control Center controls. • A sleep timer for late-night listening. • Immersive mode — let the artwork take over the whole screen. GO DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE Hear something you've never heard before? Dig in without leaving the app: • Artist Info — the story behind whoever's on the air. • Discographies — every record an artist made, one tap away. • Artist Photos — put a face to the sound. KEEP WHAT YOU LOVE • Tap the heart to save any song to your Liked list. • Recently Played remembers the last songs to spin, so you never lose the one that got away. SEE WHAT'S ON • The full daily schedule plus specialty shows — including ALT.beats and ALT.live — all times Eastern. BUILT FOR HOW YOU LISTEN • CarPlay: now playing, recently played, the schedule, and one-tap Like, right in the dash. • Designed for iPhone and iPad, and also on Apple TV for the big screen. ALT.radio is independent and listener-supported. If you like what you hear, you can support the station on Patreon and help keep it free and on the air. Questions, requests, or just want to say hey? radio@alt.radio · 404.548.8914 · www.alt.radio Turn it on. Turn it up. Off-kilter awaits.

Screenshots

The Volt3 screens
ALT.radio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: ALT.radio at none against The Volt's shown. ALT.radio also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). The Volt's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for The Volt against 5.0 for ALT.radio. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Volt ships an update every 5 months, ALT.radio fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
The Volt versus ALT.radio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe VoltALT.radio
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRoger GardnerKenneth Hamner

Customer experience

The Volt

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

ALT.radio

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

The Volt

No in-app purchases

None

ALT.radio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Volt free?
The Volt is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ALT.radio free?
ALT.radio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, The Volt or ALT.radio?
The Volt and ALT.radio are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do The Volt or ALT.radio have ads?
The Volt shows ads; ALT.radio does not.
Which is updated more often, The Volt or ALT.radio?
The Volt ships an update every 5 months, and ALT.radio fortnightly. Most recently, The Volt was updated on October 30, 2026 and ALT.radio on October 30, 2026.

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