Comparison

CT Insider vs CT Mirror

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CT Insider

Access statewide Connecticut news, from local communities to statewide sports. Receive customized alerts, read the e-Edition, and enjoy text-to-audio storytelling. Offers puzzles and local guides.

Highlights
  • Connecticut news alerts
  • Customizable homepage
  • Sports coverage
  • e-Edition replica
  • Text-to-audio stories
  • Local guides and commentary
Features
Read full description

Know more about Bridgeport, Stamford, New Haven, Hartford and communities across Connecticut with the CT Insider app. Stay informed with trusted journalism wherever you are. - Get Connecticut news alerts and notifications, customized by preferred topics - Customize your homepage with local news from your community - Catch statewide high school, UConn and pro sports coverage, plus tune in to the GametimeCT high school sports podcast - Page through the e-Edition, a digital replica of the newspaper - Stay sharp with Puzzmo’s reimagined favorites and new puzzles - Listen to CT Insider stories with Everlit, a text-to-audio tool - Check out local guides and compelling columns and commentary SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS: Subscribe for unlimited digital access to the app, CTInsider.com and newsletters. Get 1 month free, then $14.99 per month. Cancel anytime. Current digital and print subscribers have unlimited access to the app. - Digital subscribers: Sign in to the app to access your benefit. - Print subscribers: If you haven’t activated your digital access yet, look for “Activate Access” at the bottom of the app welcome screen. PAYMENT: Payment will be charged to your iTunes account with the confirmation of your purchase and will automatically renew each month unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of your monthly period. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. PRIVACY POLICY: https://www.ctinsider.com/privacy/ TERMS OF SERVICE: https://www.ctinsider.com/tos/ FEEDBACK: We want to hear from you! Let us know if you have questions or suggestions: appsupport@hearstmediact.com.

About

CT Mirror

Stay informed about Connecticut's public policy, government, and politics with in-depth reporting. Receive daily news digests and breaking alerts directly on your phone.

Highlights
  • In-depth reporting on CT public policy
  • Daily news digest
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Push notifications for top stories
  • Submit news tips
Features
Read full description

CT Mirror is Connecticut's trusted source for in-depth news and reporting on Connecticut public policy, government and politics. We cover the state budget, justice system, elections, housing, economic development, health care and more. Our app delivers our reporting in an immersive digest format that's ready-made for your phone. Our app offers: - Push notifications highlighting each morning's top story - Breaking news alerts - A daily "News Digest" highlighting CT Mirror stories - The ability to get in touch or send us a news tip With so many news apps to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with an endless stream of information. Get our top stories in a quick daily dose so you can read about what matters most in our state and go about your day.

Screenshots

CT Insider4 screens
CT Mirror4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: CT Mirror at 100% against CT Insider's 37%. CT Mirror also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). CT Insider's advantage is ratings volume (4.7K vs 97) and chart position (#61 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. CT Insider sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. CT Mirror asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CT Mirror holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CT Insider has 4.7K ratings behind it against 97, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of CT Insider's written reviews are positive against 100% of CT Mirror's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CT Insider ships an update every 3 weeks, CT Mirror fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
CT Insider versus CT Mirror: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCT InsiderCT Mirror
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (4.7K ratings)4.8 (97 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.7K — better97
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
Best chart rank#61 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB53 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperHearst NewspapersConnecticut News Project, Inc.

Customer experience

CT Insider

All ratings4,706 ratings
Positive89.6%
Neutral4.3%
Negative6.1%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive36.7%
Neutral12.2%
Negative51.0%

CT Mirror

All ratings97 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

CT Insider

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Notifications don't open articles
  • Subscription issues/double billing
  • Compatibility problems on Android

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add search by keyword
  • Allow saving favorite articles
  • Enable article commenting
  • Improve integration with email/website

CT Mirror

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

CT Insider

Subscriptions2
  • CT Insider Monthly1 Month trial$14.991 Month
  • CT Insider Monthly2 Months trial$14.991 Month
None

CT Mirror

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CT Insider free?
CT Insider is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CT Mirror free?
CT Mirror is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CT Insider or CT Mirror?
CT Mirror is rated higher. CT Insider averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.7K ratings, while CT Mirror averages 4.8 from 97 ratings.
Do CT Insider or CT Mirror have ads?
CT Insider shows ads; CT Mirror does not.
Which is updated more often, CT Insider or CT Mirror?
CT Insider ships an update every 3 weeks, and CT Mirror fortnightly. Most recently, CT Insider was updated on October 29, 2026 and CT Mirror on October 30, 2026.

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