# Reading Eagle for Mobile vs Spotlight PA

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Spotlight PA at 100% against Reading Eagle for Mobile's 12%. Spotlight PA also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Reading Eagle for Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (491 vs 7). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reading Eagle for Mobile sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Spotlight PA asks for nothing beyond the download.

Spotlight PA holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reading Eagle for Mobile has 491 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of Reading Eagle for Mobile's written reviews are positive against 100% of Spotlight PA's.

Reading Eagle for Mobile ships an update monthly, Spotlight PA every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reading Eagle for Mobile | Spotlight PA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (491 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-eagle-for-mobile/id1482286788/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spotlight-pa/id6498866659/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **491** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 11.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 187 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Journal Register Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/503293224) | [Spotlight PA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1741840400) |

## What reviewers say

### Reading Eagle for Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-eagle-for-mobile/id1482286788)

Access personalized news recommendations, save articles for later, and customize push notifications. Enjoy the digital replica of the daily newspaper, read offline, and play included games. Features a streamlined navigation for an enhanced reading experience.

**Highlights:** Personalized news recommendations, Saved articles for later, Customizable push notifications, Digital newspaper replica (E-News), Offline reading, In-app games (Sudoku, Solitaire, etc.), Topic following

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reading Eagle Monthly Sub | $11.99 | per month |
| Reading Eagle Annual | $139.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyed sports, movie reviews, and local news
- 👍 Sometimes can log in

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 New version shows two pages, making text too small
- 😞 Prominently displaying old articles
- 😞 Cannot get to articles, bombarded with subscription ads
- 😞 Obituary section goes blank when scrolling
- 😞 App is black/dark

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or closes in browser
- Obituary section goes blank
- App is black/dark
- Repeated notifications
- Cannot access e-edition

**Requested features**

- Show a facsimile of the actual newspaper page
- Bring back the old app format
- Make the app look like a newspaper
- Fix e-edition access
- Improve search functionality


### Spotlight PA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spotlight-pa/id6498866659)

Access high-quality investigative journalism focused on Pennsylvania state government and urgent statewide issues. Receive a curated daily dose of top stories to stay informed without being overwhelmed.

**Highlights:** Investigative journalism, Public-service journalism, Pennsylvania state government focus, Daily top stories, Nonpartisan news

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reading Eagle for Mobile free?

Reading Eagle for Mobile is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Spotlight PA free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Reading Eagle for Mobile or Spotlight PA?

Spotlight PA is rated higher. Reading Eagle for Mobile averages 4.5 out of 5 from 491 ratings, while Spotlight PA averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do Reading Eagle for Mobile or Spotlight PA have ads?

Reading Eagle for Mobile shows ads; Spotlight PA does not.

### Which is updated more often, Reading Eagle for Mobile or Spotlight PA?

Reading Eagle for Mobile ships an update monthly, and Spotlight PA every 3 weeks. Most recently, Reading Eagle for Mobile was updated on September 23, 2026 and Spotlight PA on September 24, 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.*