CCTVPlus vs Sixth Tone
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CCTVPlus
Access news content from cctvplus.com on your mobile device. Quickly preview and search for articles, and receive notifications for updates on news you follow.
- Mobile access to cctvplus.com content
- Quick preview of articles
- Searchable content library
- Update notifications for followed news
- Designed for international journalists
Read full descriptionHide full description
CCTV+ APP is designed to provide international journalist with easy access to cctvplus.com contents via their mobile phones. The app allows quick preview and search of contents available, and users can be notified of updates to news they're following.
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.
- Daily news highlights
- In-depth features
- Commentaries and opinions
- Visual storytelling
- Interviews with key figures
- Collaborative projects
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sixth Tone at 78% against CCTVPlus's 0%. Sixth Tone also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.3) and ratings volume (146 vs 3). CCTVPlus's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Sixth Tone holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sixth Tone has 146 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of CCTVPlus's written reviews are positive against 78% of Sixth Tone's.
CCTVPlus ships an update every 3 months, Sixth Tone every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CCTVPlus | Sixth Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (3 ratings) | 4.9 (146 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 77.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 146 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | China Global Television Network Corp. | 上海东方报业有限公司 |
Customer experience
CCTVPlus
Sixth Tone
In-app purchases
CCTVPlus
No in-app purchases
Sixth Tone
No in-app purchases







