# The Spinoff vs Hail

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hail at fortnightly against The Spinoff's every 3 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

The Spinoff ships an update every 3 months, Hail fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Spinoff | Hail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-spinoff/id1194728952/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 34.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 59 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hex Work Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1621203519) | [Hail](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893216226) |

## What reviewers say

### The Spinoff

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-spinoff/id1194728952)

This app delivers daily news and cultural commentary from Aotearoa. It features a mix of current affairs, humor, and in-depth stories presented through text, podcasts, and video.

**Highlights:** Daily Aotearoa publications, Current affairs coverage, Cultural commentary, Text articles, Podcasts, Video content

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hail/id6762168645)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Spinoff free?

The Spinoff is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hail free?

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

### Do The Spinoff or Hail have ads?

Neither The Spinoff nor Hail shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Spinoff or Hail?

The Spinoff ships an update every 3 months, and Hail fortnightly. Most recently, The Spinoff was updated on October 24, 2026 and Hail on October 9, 2026.

---

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