# Sixth Tone vs South APP

The clearest difference is ads: South APP at none against Sixth Tone's shown. South APP also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 82%) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Sixth Tone's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). On price, update cadence, 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.

Sixth Tone ships an update every 2 months, South APP monthly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sixth Tone | South APP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (147 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sixth-tone/id1462612037/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **147** | — |
| Positive reviews | 81.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 28 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [上海东方报业有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/878962721) | [广东南方网络信息科技有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1011701808) |

## What reviewers say

### Sixth Tone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sixth-tone/id1462612037)

Access in-depth news, features, and visual storytelling about contemporary China. Explore diverse perspectives, expert opinions, and multimedia content. Stay informed with daily highlights and special projects.

**Highlights:** Daily news highlights, In-depth features, Commentaries and opinions, Visual storytelling, Interviews with key figures, Collaborative projects

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### South APP

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/south-app/id1665003111)

This app provides authoritative news and stories about China, with a focus on Guangdong Province and the Greater Bay Area. It serves as an international media gateway for global audiences to access information from South China's News Network.

**Highlights:** Authoritative news on China, Focus on Guangdong Province, Greater Bay Area coverage, International media gateway, Mobile news platform

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sixth Tone free?

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

### Is South APP free?

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

### Do Sixth Tone or South APP have ads?

Sixth Tone shows ads; South APP does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sixth Tone or South APP?

Sixth Tone ships an update every 2 months, and South APP monthly. Most recently, Sixth Tone was updated on November 3, 2026 and South APP 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.*