# Black vs SFGATE

The clearest difference is rating: Black at 4.7 against SFGATE's 4.5. Black also leads on ratings volume (675 vs 150) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). SFGATE's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly) and chart position (#98 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Black holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 675 and 150 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Black's written reviews are positive against 76% of SFGATE's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Black ships an update fortnightly, SFGATE weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Black | SFGATE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (675 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black/id1282248048/reviews)** | [4.5 (150 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sfgate/id6762748205/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **675** | 150 |
| Positive reviews | 67.3% of reviews | **76.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#98** |
| Size | 94 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Langston, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190022731) | [Hearst Newspapers](https://appshunter.io/developer/397018366) |

## What reviewers say

### Black

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black/id1282248048)

Discover news and stories from influential voices in Black culture. Curate your personal feed, share content with friends, and receive timely updates. Explore content tailored to your interests from top publications.

**Highlights:** Personalized news feed, Story recommendations, Share stories with friends, Push notifications, Explore by interest, Curated publications

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Excellent app for news about the black community
- 🌟 Informative and inspirational content
- 👍 Clean and user-friendly design
- 💯 Promotes black unity and excellence

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional app crashes and freezes
- ⏱️ Slow loading times and content refreshing issues
- 💸 Too many ads and pop-ups
- 🤖 Compatibility issues with older devices

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen not functioning properly
- Inconsistent article loading and display
- Notifications not always triggering as expected

**Requested features**

- Customizable notification settings
- Reader mode for easier article reading
- Social sharing and discussion features
- Dedicated sections for specific topics (e.g., finance, entertainment)


### SFGATE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sfgate/id6762748205)

**Currently charting:** #98 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access in-depth Bay Area news and culture with an ad-free reading experience. Unlock exclusive content and connect with the places that matter most to you.

**Highlights:** Ad-free reading experience, In-depth news coverage, Bay Area culture insights, Exclusive content for members, Connect with local places

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Black free?

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

### Is SFGATE free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Black or SFGATE?

Black is rated higher. Black averages 4.7 out of 5 from 675 ratings, while SFGATE averages 4.5 from 150 ratings.

### Do Black or SFGATE have ads?

Neither Black nor SFGATE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Black or SFGATE?

Black ships an update fortnightly, and SFGATE weekly. Most recently, Black was updated on October 22, 2026 and SFGATE on October 21, 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.*