# nine.com.au vs The Age

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: nine.com.au at none against The Age's 2. nine.com.au also leads on ratings volume (896 vs 31). The Age's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Age sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. nine.com.au asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for nine.com.au against 4.7 for The Age. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: nine.com.au has 896 ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 27% and 27% positive.

nine.com.au ships an update every 5 weeks, The Age every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | nine.com.au | The Age |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (896 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ninecomau/id1010533727/reviews) | **[4.7 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-age/id1411569220/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **896** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | 26.9% of reviews | **27.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 31 MB | 134 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA PTY LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/630496802) | [Fairfax Digital Australia & New Zealand Pty Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/319908649) |

## What reviewers say

### nine.com.au

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ninecomau/id1010533727)

Stay informed with breaking news and custom alerts from a trusted source. This app delivers local and global news, with features like 'News Near Me' and personalized notifications for topics like sports, politics, and weather. Easily manage your alert preferences for a tailored news experience.

**Highlights:** Breaking news updates, Customizable alerts, Geo-targeted 'News Near Me', Local weather forecasts, News by category subscription, Ad-supported news delivery

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Happy with the app
- 🚀 Fantastic, great
- 🚀 Variety
- 🚀 Wide coverage
- 🚀 Keeps me up to date

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Click bait ads
- 🔍 Biased international coverage
- 🐛 Latest version not playing videos
- 🔍 Bad news
- 🐛 Self starting stories

**Reported bugs**

- Latest version not playing videos
- Self starting stories
- No notifications
- 5 years later and still no option for audible breaking news notifications
- Too much annoying Advertising

**Requested features**

- Start an All Day News Channel
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Search function


### The Age

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-age/id1411569220)

Stay informed with breaking news and in-depth stories. Customize your news feed with topics you care about and listen to exclusive podcasts. Access premium content and daily puzzles with a subscription.

**Highlights:** Breaking headlines, Push notifications, Podcast catalogue, Customizable news feed, Today's Paper, Daily crosswords, Daily Sudoku

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter Digital | $17.99 | per month |
| Premium Digital | $24.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🗞️ Trusted news source
- 📰 Comprehensive news coverage
- 🗺️ Useful local news and information
- 💯 Excellent journalism and reporting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 🤖 Lack of user-friendly features and poor navigation
- 💰 Expensive subscription with diminishing value
- 📦 Frustrating download and offline reading experience
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality and personalization

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between sections
- Issues with downloading and accessing offline content
- Unreliable login and authentication processes

**Requested features**

- Bring back the old iPad app design and functionality
- Improve article saving and bookmarking capabilities
- Add more customization options for content display
- Enhance crossword and puzzle experiences
- Provide better support for offline reading


## Frequently asked questions

### Is nine.com.au free?

nine.com.au is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is The Age free?

The Age is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, nine.com.au or The Age?

The Age is rated higher. nine.com.au averages 4.6 out of 5 from 896 ratings, while The Age averages 4.7 from 31 ratings.

### Do nine.com.au or The Age have ads?

nine.com.au shows ads; The Age does not.

### Which is updated more often, nine.com.au or The Age?

nine.com.au ships an update every 5 weeks, and The Age every 3 weeks. Most recently, nine.com.au was updated on October 20, 2026 and The Age on October 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*