Nobex vs RadioKing: an honest comparison for 2026
Nobex Radio and RadioKing side by side as of September 2026: prices at every tier, what the entry plans include, how you go live, how the stream is delivered, and where RadioKing is genuinely the better choice.
The short answer: Nobex and RadioKing sell the same unit — listening hours — and at every tier Nobex includes the same hours for less: $19 vs $34 for 20,000 a month, $49 vs $64 for 150,000, $99 vs $119 for 500,000 (September 2026). Nobex also has its own phone app for going live in one tap and adaptive HLS delivery on every plan. RadioKing is the longer-established platform, with a large learning library and an add-on store for websites and apps; if those matter more to you, it is a good choice. Neither includes music licensing.
Prices checked September 2026
RadioKing figures come from its own pricing page, which states the sheet in effect from 15 September 2026. Nobex is our platform — we have tried to be as specific about where RadioKing wins as about where we do. Plans change; confirm before deciding.
1. Nobex vs RadioKing, side by side
| RadioKing | Nobex Radio | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $19 Discover (capped at 150 listening hours a month and 50 listeners at once); its ads lead with the $34 Start plan | $19 Starter |
| Next tiers | Start $34 · Pro $64 · Business $119 | Pro $49 · Business $99 · custom Enterprise |
| Listening hours a month | 150 / 20,000 / 150,000 / 500,000 | 20,000 / 150,000 / 500,000 |
| Listeners at once | Capped at 50 on Discover; unlimited from Start | No cap on any plan |
| Music storage | 1 / 10 / 25 / 50 GB by tier | Unlimited music library on every plan |
| Top bitrate | 128 kbps on Discover and Start, 192 on Pro, up to 320 on Business | 128 / 256 / 320 kbps |
| Going live | From its web radio manager or an encoder; on phones it points you to third-party apps (MediaCast on Android, iziCast on iOS) | One tap in the free Nobex Broadcaster app (iOS and Android) or one click in the browser; any Icecast encoder also works; AutoDJ takes over if the connection drops |
| Automation | Part of its all-in-one station manager — test how far the rules go | Cloud AutoDJ with rotation rules, categories, hour clocks and scheduling; enforces the US performance complement automatically |
| Delivery | MP3 128 on the entry tiers; Pro adds AAC+ and MP3 192 streams; HLS not mentioned on its pricing page | Adaptive HLS over a CDN on every plan; a plain MP3 link for TuneIn, hardware radios and car stereos from Pro |
| The meter | Listening hours | Listening hours |
| Music licensing | Not included — you declare to your local authors’ societies | Not included — yours, in your own name; royalty usage report on every plan |
| Apps and listings | iOS or Android app from $29/month each (with your own developer accounts); website $44/month; Alexa $119/year | Public listen page and embeddable player on every plan; listed in the Nobex Radio directory and listener app once you subscribe; Alexa listing from Pro; your own branded app on Business |
| API | Not covered in our research — ask them | REST API and signed webhooks from Pro; public now-playing, history and schedule JSON need no key |
| Trying it | 14-day free trial, no card | Free test mode with a real station on air, no card; paid plans have a 7-day money-back guarantee |
Prices and limits as published in September 2026, monthly billing. RadioKing gives two months free on yearly billing.
2. Where RadioKing is the better pick
- Track record. RadioKing has been at this for more than ten years and is part of NRJ Group. If a long history is what reassures you, that counts.
- Learning material. Its Radio Academy, e-books and large blog are a real help for a first-time broadcaster who wants to read before doing.
- A low-bitrate stream alongside MP3. Its Pro tier adds AAC+ streams at 32–64 kbps and an MP3 192 stream, which some stations like for listeners on weak connections.
- Pay only for the add-ons you want. Website, Alexa and per-platform apps are separate purchases, so a station that only needs one of them pays only for that one.
- Yearly billing. Two months free if you commit to a year.
- A referral programme. RadioKing pays 10–20% recurring commission to people who refer stations, which matters if you advise other broadcasters.
3. Where Nobex is the better pick
- The same listening hours for less, at every tier. $15 a month less for 20,000 hours, $15 less for 150,000, $20 less for 500,000 — and Nobex’s $19 plan is the full 20,000 hours, not a capped starter tier.
- Going live from a phone is built in. One tap in our own free app, with AutoDJ bringing the music back the moment you end live or your signal drops. No third-party app to configure. The phone broadcasting guide shows the whole flow.
- HLS on every plan. Adaptive delivery steps down a rung when a listener’s connection wobbles instead of dropping out — why that matters.
- No storage ceiling. Upload your whole library on any plan; RadioKing’s tiers run from 1 GB to 50 GB.
- Programming depth. Rotation rules, categories and hour clocks, with the US performance complement enforced as AutoDJ sequences, so an automated night cannot quietly break the statutory webcasting rules.
- Money tools included. Listener tips, paid memberships with a members-only stream, and sponsor spots with proof-of-play reports, on every plan.
- A developer platform. REST API, signed webhooks and a realtime event stream from Pro — see the developer guide.
4. Who should pick which
| If this is you… | Pick |
|---|---|
| You want to go live from your phone, often, without an encoder | Nobex |
| You want the most listening hours per dollar on a listening-hour plan | Nobex |
| You want a large library of courses and guides alongside the platform | RadioKing |
| You want a separate low-bitrate AAC+ stream for weak connections | RadioKing (Pro tier) |
| You want to build on an API or webhooks | Nobex (Pro and above) |
| You play commercial music and want licensing handled for you | Neither — look at Live365, which bundles US licensing |
5. Moving from RadioKing to Nobex
- 1Build the new station in parallel. Free test mode needs no card, so nothing on RadioKing has to change while you try it.
- 2Upload your library and rebuild the rotation. Take the chance to set real rules and clocks rather than importing old habits.
- 3Repoint any encoder. Nobex accepts standard Icecast source connections — host, port, mount, username and password. Match the codec and bitrate to the mount.
- 4List every place your old stream URL appears — directories, your website player, smart-speaker entries, social bios — and swap each one for your new link.
- 5Run both for a week or two, then cancel the old plan once the links have moved.
6. Nobex vs RadioKing, asked and answered
Is Nobex or RadioKing better?
For most new stations Nobex is the better value: the same listening hours as RadioKing at every tier for $15–20 a month less, plus its own phone app for one-tap live broadcasting and HLS delivery on every plan (September 2026). RadioKing is the better fit if you value its long track record, its large learning library, or its separate low-bitrate AAC+ stream on the Pro tier.
Is Nobex cheaper than RadioKing?
Yes, for the same listening hours. As of September 2026, 20,000 listening hours a month cost $19 on Nobex and $34 on RadioKing, 150,000 cost $49 vs $64, and 500,000 cost $99 vs $119. RadioKing also has a $19 Discover plan, but it is capped at 150 listening hours a month and 50 listeners at once.
Can I go live from my phone on RadioKing?
RadioKing points phone broadcasters to third-party apps — MediaCast on Android and iziCast on iOS — rather than its own app. Nobex has its own free Broadcaster app for iOS and Android that goes live in one tap, with AutoDJ taking over if the connection drops.
Does RadioKing or Nobex include music licensing?
Neither does. Both are hosting platforms, and broadcasters license the music in their own name — in the US, SoundExchange plus ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. A licence you hold yourself travels with your station to any host. Among mainstream platforms only Live365 bundles US licensing.
Can I try Nobex before paying, as with RadioKing?
Yes. Every Nobex account starts in a free test mode with a real station on air and no card needed. When you subscribe, billing starts that day and every paid plan has a 7-day money-back guarantee. RadioKing offers a 14-day free trial with no card.
How do I move my station from RadioKing to Nobex?
Build the Nobex station in parallel in free test mode, upload your library, rebuild the rotation, and repoint any Icecast encoder. Then update every place your old stream URL appears — directories, embedded players, smart-speaker listings, social links — and run both for a week or two before cancelling RadioKing.
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