# The Columbian vs Courier Express

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Columbian | Courier Express |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-columbian/id1323054032/reviews) | **[4.6 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/courier-express/id1636337083/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | 54.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 135 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [The Columbian](https://appshunter.io/developer/577482559) | [Community Media Group Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1080808685) |

## What reviewers say

### The Columbian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-columbian/id1323054032)

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.

**Highlights:** Local news coverage, Breaking news alerts, Government and business updates, Sports scores, Local event listings, Multi-platform access

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great local journalism
- 👍 Variety of articles, comics, and local news
- 👍 Unbiased local, state and national coverage
- 👍 Convenient online access

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes and crashes
- 🐛 Articles close themselves while reading
- 🔋 Slow app loading and connectivity issues
- 💰 Paid subscription required for full access

**Reported bugs**

- Consistent login failures
- Inability to access past articles

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Search functionality
- Improved navigation and article history
- Reduce paid subscription cost


### Courier Express

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/courier-express/id1636337083)

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.

**Highlights:** Local news coverage, Sports updates, Entertainment news, Home delivery options, 24/7 online coverage, Mobile app access

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Columbian free?

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

### Is Courier Express free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Columbian or Courier Express?

Courier Express is rated higher. The Columbian averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Courier Express averages 4.6 from 24 ratings.

### Do The Columbian or Courier Express have ads?

Both The Columbian and Courier Express show ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Columbian or Courier Express?

The Columbian ships an update every 7 months, and Courier Express every 5 months. Most recently, The Columbian was updated on November 6, 2026 and Courier Express on November 3, 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.*