# The Press vs CalMatters

The clearest difference is ads: CalMatters at none against The Press's shown. CalMatters also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (18 vs 6). The Press's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 The Press against 5.0 for CalMatters. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 18 respectively.

The Press ships an update every 6 weeks, CalMatters fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Press | CalMatters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-press/id1458457525/reviews) | [5.0 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calmatters/id6475375084/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **18** |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 63 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Brentwood Press & Publishing LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1458457524) | [CalMatters](https://appshunter.io/developer/1724098439) |

## What reviewers say

### The Press

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-press/id1458457525)

Access daily local news from East Contra Costa County. Stay informed with trusted reporting delivered through a website and printed newspapers.

**Highlights:** Daily news updates, Local community coverage, Printed newspaper delivery, Online news access, Trusted local source

**In-app purchases:** none


### CalMatters

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calmatters/id6475375084)

Access in-depth, nonpartisan news and analysis focused on California's quality of life issues. Hold leaders accountable with investigative journalism covering the Golden State and its global economic impact.

**Highlights:** In-depth news analysis, Focus on quality of life issues, Investigative journalism, Accountability reporting, Covers California and its economy

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Press free?

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

### Is CalMatters free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Press or CalMatters?

The Press and CalMatters are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6 and 18 ratings respectively.

### Do The Press or CalMatters have ads?

The Press shows ads; CalMatters does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Press or CalMatters?

The Press ships an update every 6 weeks, and CalMatters fortnightly. Most recently, The Press was updated on October 19, 2026 and CalMatters on October 12, 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.*