# Noa vs Brainerd Dispatch

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Noa at 63% against Brainerd Dispatch's 0%. Noa also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.4) and ratings volume (372 vs 5). Brainerd Dispatch's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Noa sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Brainerd Dispatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Noa holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Noa has 372 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Noa's written reviews are positive against 0% of Brainerd Dispatch's.

Noa ships an update every 4 weeks, Brainerd Dispatch every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Noa | Brainerd Dispatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (372 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noa-listen-to-audio-articles/id1135037186/reviews)** | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainerd-dispatch/id1523288607/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **372** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **63.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#112** | — |
| Size | 98 MB | 137 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NOA News Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135037185) | [Forum Communications Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/476437936) |

## What reviewers say

### Noa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noa-listen-to-audio-articles/id1135037186)

**Currently charting:** #112 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #164 Top Grossing · News, #184 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Listen to insightful audio articles from top publications like HBR and Bloomberg. Enjoy human-read content while multitasking, with features like offline listening and adjustable playback speed. Access unlimited, ad-free content with a premium membership.

**Highlights:** Human-read audio articles, Offline listening, Apple CarPlay support, Adjustable playback speed, Sleep timer, Editable article queue

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly for Students | $7.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $8.99 | per month |
| Premium | $9.49 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly for Students | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium | $29.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual Subscription | $59.99 | per year |
| Noa Premium Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly Subscription | $76.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual Subscription | $94.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Comprehensive selection of quality news sources
- 🎧 High-quality narration and voice acting
- ⏱️ Time-saving audio format for busy lifestyles
- 📚 Well-curated article collections and series
- 🎯 Balanced coverage across multiple perspectives

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connectivity and streaming issues
- 🐛 App crashes and freezes
- 🔐 Problematic account creation and login process
- 💰 Aggressive premium subscription tactics
- 📧 Unsolicited email bombardment

**Reported bugs**

- Account creation button missing in onboarding
- Login screen shows error despite valid credentials
- App disconnection errors despite active internet connection
- Queue system overwrites and loses user selections
- Playback stops when phone auto-locks or app switches

**Requested features**

- Apple Watch standalone app
- CarPlay integration
- Filter for AI-generated narration
- More articles from specific publishers (e.g., The Economist)
- Shuffle mode for articles


### Brainerd Dispatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainerd-dispatch/id1523288607)

Access the full digital edition of your local newspaper on your mobile device. Read articles with adjustable text size, search for topics, and enjoy puzzles and comics.

**Highlights:** Read full newspaper editions, Adjustable text size, Searchable articles, Crossword puzzles and comics, Print and share articles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Noa free?

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

### Is Brainerd Dispatch free?

Brainerd Dispatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Noa or Brainerd Dispatch?

Noa is rated higher. Noa averages 4.5 out of 5 from 372 ratings, while Brainerd Dispatch averages 3.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do Noa or Brainerd Dispatch have ads?

Neither Noa nor Brainerd Dispatch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Noa or Brainerd Dispatch?

Noa ships an update every 4 weeks, and Brainerd Dispatch every 2 months. Most recently, Noa was updated on October 26, 2026 and Brainerd Dispatch on October 19, 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.*