Comparison

ECNS vs Sixth Tone

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

Head to head
About

ECNS

Access the latest headlines and original stories about China's political landscape, economic development, society, and culture. Stay informed with comprehensive, insightful, and up-to-date news from extensive global resources, including breaking news and in-depth coverage.

Highlights
  • Latest headlines and original stories
  • Political and economic development coverage
  • Societal and cultural insights
  • Breaking news alerts
  • In-depth coverage of technology and entertainment
  • Photo and video resources
Features
Read full description

ECNS.cn provides you with a window into China. Stay informed with the latest headlines and original stories on the country's political landscape, economic development, society and culture. With extensive global resources, we're proud to provide truthful, comprehensive, insightful, interesting and up-to-date news about China and beyond. -- Follow breaking news stories as they develop -- Enjoy in-depth coverage of politics, opinions, technology and entertainment -- Access impressive photo and video resources If you have questions or feedback on the ECNS App, please email us at ecnsapp@chinanews.com.cn to help create the best possible experience.

About

Sixth Tone

Access in-depth news, features, and visual storytelling about contemporary China. Explore diverse perspectives, expert opinions, and multimedia content. Stay informed with daily highlights and special projects.

Highlights
  • Daily news highlights
  • In-depth features
  • Commentaries and opinions
  • Visual storytelling
  • Interviews with key figures
  • Collaborative projects
Features
Read full description

The Sixth Tone app brings you people-focused news, features, commentaries, and visual storytelling about contemporary China. Main features of the app: Daily Tones are daily news and highlights from across China. News are timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing from a vast range of sources, these articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context. Features are articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants. Voices & Opinion are contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are rarely heard. Multimedia are visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization. Sixth Tone × features translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. Special Projects showcase the collaborative efforts of Sixth Tone’s newsroom on diverse topics. Q & A features in-depth interviews with the minds and makers shaping today’s China. Your questions, answered. Announcements are the latest news about Sixth Tone as well as its events, projects, and other initiatives.

Screenshots

ECNS4 screens
Sixth Tone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: ECNS at none against Sixth Tone's shown. ECNS also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Sixth Tone's advantage is ratings volume (146 vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 3 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support 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 ECNS against 4.9 for Sixth Tone. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sixth Tone has 146 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ECNS ships an update every 3 months, Sixth Tone every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ECNS versus Sixth Tone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterECNSSixth Tone
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.9 (146 ratings)
Positive reviews—81.8% of reviews
Number of ratings1146 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS11.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB28 MB
Age rating4+17+
Developer中国新闻社上海东方报业有限公司

Customer experience

ECNS

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Sixth Tone

All ratings146 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%

In-app purchases

None

ECNS

No in-app purchases

None

Sixth Tone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ECNS free?
ECNS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sixth Tone free?
Sixth Tone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ECNS or Sixth Tone?
ECNS is rated higher. ECNS averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Sixth Tone averages 4.9 from 146 ratings.
Do ECNS or Sixth Tone have ads?
Sixth Tone shows ads; ECNS does not.
Which is updated more often, ECNS or Sixth Tone?
ECNS ships an update every 3 months, and Sixth Tone every 2 months. Most recently, ECNS was updated on October 12, 2026 and Sixth Tone on October 8, 2026.

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