The Columbian vs Courier Express
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Columbian
Access local news and updates for Clark County, Washington. Stay informed on breaking news, government, business, sports, and community events through a multi-platform publishing company with over 125 years of service.
- Local news coverage
- Breaking news alerts
- Government and business updates
- Sports scores
- Local event listings
- Multi-platform access
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The Columbian is an independently owned, multi-platform publishing company with more than 125 years of serving Clark County, Washington. Our motto is "Community begins here." We live up to that phrase by being your source of news, whether you pick up a print edition or find us on your phone. We provide consistent coverage on a variety of topics impacting Clark County and its residents, including breaking news, government coverage, business news, sports updates, local events, and more.
Courier Express
Access local news, sports, and entertainment from western Pennsylvania. Get daily updates Monday through Friday and weekend publications, plus 24/7 coverage online and on mobile.
- Local news coverage
- Sports updates
- Entertainment news
- Home delivery options
- 24/7 online coverage
- Mobile app access
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With roots dating back to 1944, the Courier Express newspaper covers local news, sports and entertainment in the DuBois area of Clearfield County and most of Jefferson County, as well as parts of Elk, McKean and Forest counties in western Pennsylvania. The newspaper offers home delivery Monday through Friday and on the weekend with its Tri-County Weekend publication. It also provides 24/7 coverage at thecourierexpress.com and on its mobile app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The Columbian and Courier Express both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Courier Express's written reviews are positive against 54% of The Columbian's. The Columbian's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 24). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for The Columbian against 4.6 for Courier Express. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Columbian has 2.5K ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of The Columbian's written reviews are positive against 100% of Courier Express's.
The Columbian ships an update every 7 months, Courier Express every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Columbian | Courier Express |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (2.5K ratings) | 4.6 (24 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 54.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.5K — better | 24 |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 135 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | The Columbian | Community Media Group Inc |
Customer experience
The Columbian
Courier Express
Bugs and requests
The Columbian
Reported bugs
2 issues- Consistent login failures
- Inability to access past articles
Requested features
4 requests- Dark mode option
- Search functionality
- Improved navigation and article history
- Reduce paid subscription cost
Courier Express
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
The Columbian
No in-app purchases
Courier Express
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Columbian free?
Is Courier Express free?
Which has better reviews, The Columbian or Courier Express?
Do The Columbian or Courier Express have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Columbian or Courier Express?
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