# Ground News vs Roundtable (RTB)

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Roundtable (RTB) at 100% against Ground News's 55%. Roundtable (RTB) also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 12) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Ground News's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (48K vs 14). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ground News sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Roundtable (RTB) asks for nothing beyond the download.

Roundtable (RTB) holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ground News has 48K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Ground News's written reviews are positive against 100% of Roundtable (RTB)'s.

Ground News ships an update every 2 weeks, Roundtable (RTB) every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ground News | Roundtable (RTB) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-news/id1324203419/reviews) | **[5.0 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roundtable-rtb/id6450423049/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | 54.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | — |
| Size | 96 MB | 172 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Snapwise Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/922865702) | [RTB Digital, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1751982395) |

## What reviewers say

### Ground News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-news/id1324203419)

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers, #5 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #9 Top Grossing · News, #10 Top Free · News (US App Store)

This app aggregates news from thousands of sources, highlighting media bias, reliability, and ownership. It aims to help users escape echo chambers and understand different perspectives on any story.

**Highlights:** News aggregation from 50K+ sources, Media bias and reliability analysis, Source ownership transparency, Avoid algorithmic echo chambers, Compare partisan topic coverage, Daily breaking news updates

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ground News Pro Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Ground News Premium Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Ground News Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Ground News Vantage Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Ground News Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Ground News Premium Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Ground News Premium Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Ground News Premium Yearly | $44.99 | per year |
| Ground News Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Ground News Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Ground News Vantage Yearly | $71.99 | per year |
| Ground News Vantage Yearly | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Unique and useful news service
- 👍 Refreshing to see multiple news sources
- 👍 Factuality checks are helpful
- 👍 Provides a balanced view of news stories
- 👍 Excellent news resource

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Subscription issues (e.g. unable to cancel, auto-renewal)
- 🔍 Too US-centric, lacking international news coverage
- 💸 Excessive ads and paywalls
- 🤔 Bias ratings may not always be accurate
- 🤔 Cluttered user interface

**Reported bugs**

- Notification issues (e.g. not clearing, inaccurate counts)
- Subscription recognition problems across devices
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to customize news feed by region/country
- Improved navigation and reading experience
- Sync topics/preferences across devices
- Built-in news reader mode
- Ability to filter out paywalled articles


### Roundtable (RTB)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roundtable-rtb/id6450423049)

This platform connects passionate fans and curious thinkers with expert-led discussions on sports, politics, health, and crypto. Follow breaking news, insider reporting, and engage in high-signal conversations without bots or noise.

**Highlights:** Expert-led sports coverage, Breaking news and insider reporting, Community discussion forums, Politics and public policy updates, Health and medical developments, Crypto and blockchain investing news

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ground News free?

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

### Is Roundtable (RTB) free?

Roundtable (RTB) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ground News or Roundtable (RTB)?

Roundtable (RTB) is rated higher. Ground News averages 4.7 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while Roundtable (RTB) averages 5.0 from 14 ratings.

### Do Ground News or Roundtable (RTB) have ads?

Roundtable (RTB) shows ads; Ground News does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ground News or Roundtable (RTB)?

Ground News ships an update every 2 weeks, and Roundtable (RTB) every 3 weeks. Most recently, Ground News was updated on October 1, 2026 and Roundtable (RTB) on September 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.*