Comparison

The Age vs The Border Mail

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

Head to head
About

The Age

Stay informed with breaking news and in-depth stories. Customize your news feed with topics you care about and listen to exclusive podcasts. Access premium content and daily puzzles with a subscription.

Highlights
  • Breaking headlines
  • Push notifications
  • Podcast catalogue
  • Customizable news feed
  • Today's Paper
  • Daily crosswords
  • Daily Sudoku
Features
Read full description

Get straight to the stories that matter with The Age app. Top Stories and push notifications keep you up to date with breaking headlines while our Podcast catalogue lets you tune into thought-provoking audio storytelling and discussions from our newsroom. My News lets you customise your feed, showing the topics you're interested in, in the order you want them. The app is free to download. You can unlock unlimited access to all content with a Starter Digital subscription through the App Store. To unlock premium features such as Today's Paper and puzzles including Daily Crosswords and Daily Sudoku, you can subscribe to Premium Digital via in-app purchase. Additional information about Apple subscriptions: - Purchase of an auto-renewable, monthly subscription is required to access content on The Age app - Starter Digital subscriptions are available for AU$25.99 per month (or local currency equivalent) - Premium Digital subscriptions are available for AU$37.49 per month (or local currency equivalent) - Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your iTunes App Store Account Settings after purchase - Your iTunes account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period Terms of use and privacy policy apply when accessing content via The Age app - Privacy policy: https://login.nine.com.au/privacy?client_id=theage - Terms and conditions: https://login.nine.com.au/terms?client_id=theage

About

The Border Mail

Access local and national news, sports results, and in-depth analysis from your community's trusted source. Read articles, save them for later, and receive breaking news alerts.

Highlights
  • Breaking news updates 24/7
  • Browse articles by topic
  • Save articles for later
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Digital newspaper replica
  • Daily interactive puzzles
Features
Read full description

The Border Mail app brings together the best of your daily newspaper and its website to take your local news experience to another level. As Albury Wodonga's trusted voice, we keep you up to date seven days a week with news that’s important to our community. Whether it's the breaking news you need to know from around the region or across the nation, the latest Hume League, Ovens and Murray League or other sporting results, in-depth analysis explaining the decisions and events affecting our lives, or incisive commentary, you will be the first to know using The Border Mail app. The app is free to download, but you need to be a Border Mail digital subscriber to read articles. Features include: - Access to breaking news updates 24 hours-a-day - Browse the latest articles in the topics that interest you most - Save articles to read later - Alerts for breaking news and big stories - Read a digital replica of the day's newspaper - Play our daily interactive puzzles Please note: This app features Nielsen's proprietary measurement software which will allow you to contribute to market research or audience ratings services. Please see http://www.nielsen.com/digitalprivacy for more information.

Screenshots

The Age4 screens
The Border Mail4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: The Age at none against The Border Mail's shown. The Age also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). The Border Mail's advantage is review sentiment (44% vs 27%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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 Age sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and The Border Mail sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Age ships an update every 2 weeks, The Border Mail every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
The Age versus The Border Mail: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe AgeThe Border Mail
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (31 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews27.3% of reviews44.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings31 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size134 MB59 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperFairfax Digital Australia & New Zealand Pty LimitedRural Press Pty Ltd

Customer experience

The Age

All ratings31 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews154 reviews
Positive27.3%
Neutral7.8%
Negative64.9%

The Border Mail

Written reviews18 reviews
Positive44.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative55.6%

Bugs and requests

The Age

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between sections
  • Issues with downloading and accessing offline content
  • Unreliable login and authentication processes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Bring back the old iPad app design and functionality
  • Improve article saving and bookmarking capabilities
  • Add more customization options for content display
  • Enhance crossword and puzzle experiences
  • Provide better support for offline reading

The Border Mail

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

The Age

Subscriptions2
  • Starter Digital1 Month trial$17.991 Month
  • Premium Digital1 Month trial$24.991 Month
2 purchases

The Border Mail

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$12.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$129.991 Year

Questions

Is The Age free?
The Age is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Border Mail free?
The Border Mail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do The Age or The Border Mail have ads?
The Border Mail shows ads; The Age does not.
Which is updated more often, The Age or The Border Mail?
The Age ships an update every 2 weeks, and The Border Mail every 4 months. Most recently, The Age was updated on October 29, 2026 and The Border Mail on October 30, 2026.

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