# Spotlight News vs Aebly Media

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Aebly Media at none against Spotlight News's 10. Aebly Media also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (83% vs 71%). Spotlight News's advantage is ratings volume (121 vs 13). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spotlight News sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Aebly Media asks for nothing beyond the download.

Aebly Media holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spotlight News has 121 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Spotlight News's written reviews are positive against 83% of Aebly Media's.

Spotlight News ships an update every 6 weeks, Aebly Media every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spotlight News | Aebly Media |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (121 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spotlight-news/id1291820344/reviews) | **[4.7 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aebly-media/id6761602613/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **121** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 40 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.1** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Spotlight Media Labs, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1365725559) | [Julius Aebly](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890395407) |

## What reviewers say

### Spotlight News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spotlight-news/id1291820344)

Discover local, authentic, and often overlooked news stories that matter to you. This app provides access to college newspapers, local newsrooms, and national outlets, cutting out clickbait and paywalls for a personalized and meaningful news experience.

**Highlights:** Access college newsroom reporting, Tailored local newspaper coverage, Latest stories from national sources, Personalized feed based on selected topics, Location-based news from nearby publishers

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-Free | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium+ Student | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium+ Ad-Free Student | $6.99 | per month |
| Premium+ | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium+ Ad-Free | $13.99 | per month |
| Ad-Free Year | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium+ Annual Student | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium+ Ad-Free Year Student | $69.99 | per year |
| Premium+ Annual | $99.99 | per year |
| Premium+ Ad-Free Year | $139.99 | per year |


### Aebly Media

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aebly-media/id6761602613)

Explore news from multiple perspectives, understand government actions, and track your political compass. Engage with your community and hold representatives accountable with this civic-tech news platform.

**Highlights:** Multi-perspective news reporting, Government bill and ruling analysis, Personal political compass tracking, Representative voting records, Ballot and candidate comparison, Community discussion and video commentary

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spotlight News free?

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

### Is Aebly Media free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spotlight News or Aebly Media?

Aebly Media is rated higher. Spotlight News averages 4.4 out of 5 from 121 ratings, while Aebly Media averages 4.7 from 13 ratings.

### Do Spotlight News or Aebly Media have ads?

Neither Spotlight News nor Aebly Media shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spotlight News or Aebly Media?

Spotlight News ships an update every 6 weeks, and Aebly Media every 2 weeks. Most recently, Spotlight News was updated on November 3, 2026 and Aebly Media on November 5, 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.*