# First News vs Atom Learning

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Atom Learning at none against First News's 7. Atom Learning also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months). First News's advantage is review sentiment (74% vs 63%). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. First News sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month. Atom Learning asks for nothing beyond the download.

First News ships an update every 6 months, Atom Learning monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First News | Atom Learning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-news/id1544460681/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **22** | — |
| Positive reviews | **73.9% of reviews** | 62.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 23 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [First News](https://appshunter.io/developer/579391153) | [Atom Learning Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/6775806717) |

## What reviewers say

### First News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-news/id1544460681)

This app provides children with a balanced and truthful view of world events, written by award-winning journalists. It offers interactive articles, daily curated news, puzzles, games, and a video platform with news explainers to foster curiosity and critical thinking.

**Highlights:** Weekly 28-page interactive newspaper edition, Searchable archive of past issues, Hundreds of news explainer videos, Weekly topical quiz with avatar and leaderboard, Interactive puzzles linked to current news, Daily news feed with age-appropriate articles, Weekly polls and competitions

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $5.49 | per month |
| 1-month subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| 3 Month Subscription | $24.49 | per 3 months |
| 3-month subscription | $28.49 | per 3 months |
| 6 Month subscription | $43.99 | per 6 months |
| 6-month subscription | $53.99 | per 6 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $79.99 | per year |


### Atom Learning

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atom-learning/id6795516508)

This platform offers personalized learning for children aged 7-16, covering maths, English, and reasoning. It adapts to individual progress, prepares for exams, and provides revision tools. Learning syncs across devices for continuous study.

**Highlights:** Adaptive learning across subjects, 11+ and entrance exam preparation, GCSE revision with mock tests, Personalized learning journeys, Progress tracking and rewards, Cross-device progress syncing

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First News free?

First News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Atom Learning free?

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

### Do First News or Atom Learning have ads?

Neither First News nor Atom Learning shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, First News or Atom Learning?

First News ships an update every 6 months, and Atom Learning monthly. Most recently, First News was updated on September 15, 2026 and Atom Learning on September 14, 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.*