The Star ePaper vs The Vibes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Star ePaper
Access the daily digital edition of a major newspaper, with options to read in a traditional layout or a mobile-friendly text format. Enjoy audio versions of articles and browse up to 60 days of past issues, covering sports, business, and local news.
- Digital newspaper format
- Mobile-optimized text view
- Audio reader for news
- Access to 60 days of past issues
- Includes all newspaper sections
- Available daily from 6 AM MYT
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The Star ePaper: Malaysia’s Premier English News experience. Enjoy the complete print edition of The Star in a modern digital format—tailored for your daily reading habit. WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THE APP: • Personalized Themes: Switch between Light, Dark, or System mode for eye comfort. • Dual View Modes: Toggle between classic print layout and mobile-friendly text view. • Extended Archives: Access up to 180 days of past daily issues across all sections. • Pullout Archive Search: Search any specific pullout to access its latest 12 published issues. • Guided Onboarding: Quick tips to help you navigate features effortlessly. • Audio Reader: Listen to news hands-free anytime, anywhere. • Full Section Access: Main Edition, Metro, Business, Sport, and daily supplements from 6 AM MYT. THE STAR BUNDLE: Enjoy ePaper access + home newspaper delivery. Visit newsstand.thestar.com.my for more info. NEED HELP? Contact 1 300 88 7827 or email customerservice@thestar.com.my.
The Vibes
Access breaking news and daily updates from Malaysia and around the world. This platform aims to provide diverse, unbiased information, empowering users to express views and make informed choices.
- Breaking news alerts
- Read later bookmarking
- Dark mode interface
- Unlimited article access
- Diverse and unbiased reporting
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The Vibes features breaking news and the latest stories happening inside and outside of Malaysia daily #FromEverySide. The Vibes is a platform for the people that is diverse, unbiased, and not one-sided. The team strives to empower its audience to express their views and make informed choices with access to unfettered information. The Vibes app is free to download, and all users can access unlimited number of articles per month, why pay when you can have it for free? Features: - Read Later: Bookmark stories and read them later. - Dark Mode: Switch to a darker interface that's easier on the eyes - Breaking news alerts: Get notified whenever there is a breaking story.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: The Vibes at 5.0 against The Star ePaper's 2.3. The Vibes also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). The Star ePaper's advantage is ratings volume (7 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
The Vibes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Star ePaper has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
The Star ePaper ships an update fortnightly, The Vibes monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Star ePaper | The Vibes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.3 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Fireworks Mobile | Appleseeds |
Customer experience
The Star ePaper
The Vibes
In-app purchases
The Star ePaper
No in-app purchases
The Vibes
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Star ePaper free?
Is The Vibes free?
Which has better reviews, The Star ePaper or The Vibes?
Do The Star ePaper or The Vibes have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Star ePaper or The Vibes?
Other comparisons
