# 5 Things vs The Swarthmorean

The clearest difference is ads: 5 Things at none against The Swarthmorean's shown. 5 Things also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 26 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). The Swarthmorean's advantage is ratings volume (73 vs 1). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support 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 — 5.0 for 5 Things against 4.9 for The Swarthmorean. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Swarthmorean has 73 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

5 Things ships an update every 2 weeks, The Swarthmorean every 26 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 5 Things | The Swarthmorean |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/5-things/id1418684087/reviews)** | [4.9 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-swarthmorean/id1584081076/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **73** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 26 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 42 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rohith Bheemaiah](https://appshunter.io/developer/1418684086) | [The Swarthmorean Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1584081078) |

## What reviewers say

### 5 Things

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/5-things/id1418684087)

Discover personalized recommendations for news, restaurants, events, and more. This app learns your preferences through interaction to provide tailored suggestions.

**Highlights:** Personalized recommendations, Learns user preferences, Content discovery, Pull-to-refresh home screen, Machine learning-based suggestions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### The Swarthmorean

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-swarthmorean/id1584081076)

This community newspaper, published since 1893, delivers local news for Swarthmore, Pennsylvania and its surrounding areas. Stay informed about your community with the latest updates.

**Highlights:** Local community news, Serving Swarthmore, PA, Published since 1893, Digital newspaper format

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 5 Things free?

5 Things is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is The Swarthmorean free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 5 Things or The Swarthmorean?

5 Things is rated higher. 5 Things averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while The Swarthmorean averages 4.9 from 73 ratings.

### Do 5 Things or The Swarthmorean have ads?

The Swarthmorean shows ads; 5 Things does not.

### Which is updated more often, 5 Things or The Swarthmorean?

5 Things ships an update every 2 weeks, and The Swarthmorean every 26 months. Most recently, 5 Things was updated on November 2, 2026 and The Swarthmorean 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.*