Fayetteville Observer vs The State Port Pilot
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Fayetteville Observer
Access local news, in-depth journalism, and powerful photography. Get breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts with real-time notifications. Customize your reading experience with features like offline reading and night mode.
- In-depth local journalism
- Breaking news and weather alerts
- Customizable reading experience
- Offline reading capability
- eNewspaper access
- Real-time notifications
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From critically acclaimed storytelling to powerful photography to engaging videos — the Fayetteville Observer app delivers the local news that matters most to your community. APP FEATURES: • Access all of our in-depth journalism, including things to do around town, sports coverage from high school to the pros, and much more. • Enjoy a streamlined, fast-loading experience that makes it easy to view the stories, photos, and videos that matter to you. • Get breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts with real-time notifications tailored to your interests. • Customize your experience by saving your favorite stories, adjusting text size, using night mode, or reading offline. • eNewspaper: Just like our print edition but accessible on your mobile devices. And access to USA TODAY and 200+ local eNewspapers. MORE INFORMATION: • Privacy Policy: https://cm.fayobserver.com/privacy/ • Terms of Service: https://cm.fayobserver.com/terms/ • Help Center: https://help.fayobserver.com • Subscriptions are charged to your account at confirmation of purchase and automatically renew each month or year, unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information.
The State Port Pilot
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The State Port Pilot, described in April 1935 by Editor/Publisher, James M. Harper, Jr. as “A good newspaper in a good community,” has been serving the Southport, NC, area since 1928. In the last two decades alone, The State Port Pilot has earned over 600 awards in the annual North Carolina Press Association news and advertising competitions — including more than 20 General Excellence awards — proof that James Harper’s stated goal in 1935 is still the standard the newspaper strives for today.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The State Port Pilot at none against Fayetteville Observer's 6. The State Port Pilot also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). Fayetteville Observer's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 29 months). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Fayetteville Observer sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. The State Port Pilot asks for nothing beyond the download.
Fayetteville Observer ships an update monthly, The State Port Pilot every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Fayetteville Observer | The State Port Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (184 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 38.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 184 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 29 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 186 MB | 64 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | USA TODAY Co., Inc. | The State Port Pilot |
Bugs and requests
Fayetteville Observer
Reported bugs
8 issues- Cannot read e-newspaper on iPad
- Missing icons on iPad
- App doesn't work half the time
- Cannot enlarge screen when reading an article
- App will not load
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- App crashes on opening
- Login issues
- Faux newspaper version is horrid
Requested features
13 requests- Make cancellation easier
- Improve app navigation to allow reading the paper directly
- More aggressive and varied articles/content
- Fix iPad issues with missing icons
- Provide clearer billing information and honor trial periods
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- Allow users to choose preferred reading format (e.g., e-edition)
- Include daily crosswords and allow printing
- Fix login issues
- Return the e-edition to the app
- Allow screen enlargement for articles
- Bring back the old app/e-edition format
- Allow downloading 7 days of newspapers
- Include crime report/recent arrests
The State Port Pilot
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Fayetteville Observer
- Monthly Digital Subscription6 Months trial$12.991 Month
- Monthly Digital Subscription1 Month trial$14.991 Month
- Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$14.991 Month
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- Fayettteville Observer Monthly1 Month trial$19.991 Month
- Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$69.991 Year
- Annual Digital Subscription1 Month trial$79.991 Year
The State Port Pilot
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Fayetteville Observer free?
Is The State Port Pilot free?
Do Fayetteville Observer or The State Port Pilot have ads?
Which is updated more often, Fayetteville Observer or The State Port Pilot?
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