# Sixth Tone vs LightRead

The clearest difference is update cadence: LightRead at every 8 days against Sixth Tone's every 2 months. Sixth Tone's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17). On price, ads, 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, LightRead every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sixth Tone | LightRead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (146 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sixth-tone/id1462612037/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **146** | — |
| Positive reviews | 81.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 28 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [上海东方报业有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/878962721) | [Weichen Cheng](https://appshunter.io/developer/1193049632) |

## 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


### LightRead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightread/id6753268332)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sixth Tone free?

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

### Is LightRead free?

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

### Do Sixth Tone or LightRead have ads?

Both Sixth Tone and LightRead show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sixth Tone or LightRead?

Sixth Tone ships an update every 2 months, and LightRead every 8 days. Most recently, Sixth Tone was updated on October 8, 2026 and LightRead on September 28, 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.*