Comparison

Al Hakam vs The Comet

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Al Hakam

This news application provides the latest issue of a historical newspaper every Friday. Users can read articles, download them for offline access, and share content with others. It offers a modern digital experience for a publication with a long legacy.

Highlights
  • Weekly latest issue
  • Article downloads
  • Share articles
  • Save articles for record
  • Modern digital interface
Features
Read full description

Al Hakam, in its first phase, was launched in 1897 by the Promised Messiah in Qadian, India. Relaunched now in the era of his fifth successor, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Al Hakam is brought to you through the most modern resources and that too in the English language. Read the latest issue every Friday and join the global readership of this newspaper. Download articles, share with friends and family or save them for your record.

About

The Comet

Stay informed with local news, events, and sports from Stevenage and surrounding areas. Enjoy daily updates, digital newspapers, interactive puzzles, and an ad-free reading experience with an audio player for articles.

Highlights
  • Live news, events, and sports updates
  • Ad-free reading experience
  • Weekly digital newspapers
  • Interactive puzzles (crosswords, sudoku)
  • Article audio player
  • Content playlist creation
Features
Read full description

At the Comet, we’re passionate about reporting on the issues that matter to our communities. We live and breathe our patch and we’re dedicated to telling your stories. If you love your local area as much as us, The Comet app is the best way to experience all of the latest content at your fingertips. With The Comet you can go beyond your weekly newspaper and read the most up-to-date news and views from Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth, Baldock and the surrounding areas. Always on-hand and instantly accessible, this tailor-made app is updated daily and designed to fit into your lifestyle whether you’re at home or on the go. The Comet app is the best way to keep up to date with all the breaking news, sports and events in Stevenage and the surrounding areas and gives you the following great features… • Live Updates: Get the latest Stevenage news, events and sport as it happens • Ad-Free Reading: No ads, no pop-ups, no distractions • Weekly Digital Newspapers: Read the paper in full, cover to cover • Interactive Puzzles: Play new crosswords, sudoku and more every day • Article Audio Player: Listen to articles and create content playlists All subscriptions are auto-renewing. Payment for this subscription will be charged to your Apple account upon purchase. The subscription will auto-renew within 24 hours of the current subscription expiring, at the same rate as the initial purchase. Auto-renewing subscriptions can be managed via Account Settings allowing them to be turned off. No cancellations of the current subscription are allowed during the active subscription period. Privacy Policy - https://www.newsquest.co.uk/our-policies/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Al Hakam4 screens
The Comet4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Al Hakam at none against The Comet's 2. Al Hakam also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. The Comet sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Al Hakam asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Al Hakam versus The Comet: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAl HakamThe Comet
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (17 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings17 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB145 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperAl Shirkatul IslamiyyahNewsquest

In-app purchases

None

Al Hakam

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

The Comet

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$34.991 Year

Questions

Is Al Hakam free?
Al Hakam is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Comet free?
The Comet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Al Hakam or The Comet have ads?
Neither Al Hakam nor The Comet shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Al Hakam or The Comet?
Al Hakam ships an update every 3 months, and The Comet every 3 months. Most recently, Al Hakam was updated on October 16, 2026 and The Comet on October 10, 2026.

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