# Cairns Post vs The Age

The clearest difference is rating: The Age at 4.7 against Cairns Post's 2.4. The Age also leads on review sentiment (27% vs 5%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cairns Post sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and The Age sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Age holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 31 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 5% of Cairns Post's written reviews are positive against 27% of The Age's.

Cairns Post ships an update every 2 weeks, The Age every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cairns Post | The Age |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.4 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cairns-post/id1104149457/reviews) | **[4.7 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-age/id1411569220/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 18 | **31** |
| Positive reviews | 5.0% of reviews | **27.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 169 MB | 134 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [News Digital Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/369849699) | [Fairfax Digital Australia & New Zealand Pty Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/319908649) |

## What reviewers say

### Cairns Post

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cairns-post/id1104149457)

Access breaking news, award-winning journalism, and local perspectives from Queensland, Australia. Personalize your news feed, receive custom notifications, and read the daily digital replica of the newspaper. Explore podcasts and enjoy full digital access with a subscription.

**Highlights:** Breaking news alerts, Personalized news feed, Customizable notifications, Digital newspaper replica, Podcast discovery, Award-winning journalism

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cairns Post Weekly Subscription | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Cairns Post | $20.49 | per month |


### 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 Cairns Post free?

Cairns Post is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Age free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cairns Post or The Age?

The Age is rated higher. Cairns Post averages 2.4 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while The Age averages 4.7 from 31 ratings.

### Do Cairns Post or The Age have ads?

Neither Cairns Post nor The Age shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cairns Post or The Age?

Cairns Post ships an update every 2 weeks, and The Age every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cairns Post was updated on October 14, 2026 and The Age on October 16, 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.*