Comparison

LAist vs LA Times

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

Head to head
About

LAist

Access Southern California's premier news source for NPR broadcasts, local headlines, and podcasts. Stream live radio, catch up on on-demand programs, and receive breaking news alerts. Stay informed with comprehensive coverage from LAist.com.

Highlights
  • Live radio streaming
  • On-demand program archives
  • Daily news headlines
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Sleep timer and alarm clock
  • Story sharing
Currently charting
Read full description

Welcome to the new (and improved) LAist app! Stay connected with Southern California’s go-to source for NPR news, local headlines, and podcasts. The LAist app allows you to listen to the live broadcast stream of LAist 89.3, get the latest headlines and in-depth coverage from LAist.com, and stay informed with breaking news alerts and program updates. Live Streaming • Take LAist on the go with digital streaming-no radio signal required. • Explore the program schedule for LAist 89.3. On-Demand • Catch up with the LA Report updated twice daily with essential headlines. Access to all LAist 89.3 program archives. • DVR-like controls. Pause, rewind and fast forward on-demand programs with ease. • Browse and select individual stories and episodes to listen to at your convenience. LAist.com Headlines • Get the latest headlines and news updates from LAist.com. • Get push alerts for breaking news, stories you may have missed, and program schedule changes. • Share stories easily from within the app. Additional features • Built-in Sleep Timer and Alarm Clock allow you to go to sleep and wake up to your favorite station. Please support LAist by becoming a member today! https://laist.com/give

About

LA Times

Access award-winning journalism covering Southern California and the world. Browse digital content or the eNewspaper, save articles, and watch exclusive videos. Stay informed with breaking news and in-depth reporting.

Highlights
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Digital content browsing
  • eNewspaper access
  • Save articles to 'My Library'
  • Exclusive video section
  • Easy content sharing
Features
Read full description

Get the trustworthy news you need everywhere you go with the Los Angeles Times app. Receive instant access to our award-winning journalism, breaking news, politics, the best in food, entertainment, events and more for Southern California and the world. Updated with a new design, the L.A. Times app gives you the option of browsing our digital content or paging through the eNewspaper. Our content includes in-depth coverage of Los Angeles, California and the West; exclusive narrative storytelling such as “Column One”; revitalized reporting on the latest in food and dining; a unique take on politics and the 2020 campaign; comprehensive coverage of the arts, pop culture and the entertainment industry; on and off-season reporting on L.A.’s home teams and major sports events. New tools include “My Library,” to save your own reading list, and a video section to access the latest short documentaries and other videos. Download the iOS app to experience our new digital publishing platform. APP FEATURES: • Top News: Scan a curated feed of the most important news as it happens • Push notifications: Get the latest news from our newsroom as soon as stories break • eNewspaper experience: Download today’s issue for offline reading and browse archives of past issues • Video section: Enjoy exclusive video • My Library: View saved stories and view your recent activity • Share content easily with Twitter, Facebook, or email SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS: • If you’re a current digital subscriber, sign in with your email address and password to get unlimited access to the app’s content. • Non-subscribers, download the app a select number of stories stories each month. For full access, try a free month of Unlimited Digital Access to the app, the L.A. Times website, and our eNewspaper; then it's only $15.99 a month. Make sure to create a registration while in the app so you'll be able to log in to the website and eNewspaper when you visit them in web browsers. • Your subscription automatically renews each month unless auto-renew is turned off within your Account Settings at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. • Your iTunes account will be charged $15.99 for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user 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 • You can read our Privacy Policy here: https://www.latimes.com/privacy-policy • You can read our Terms of Service here: https://www.latimes.com/terms-of-service • CA Notice of Collection - https://www.latimes.com/privacy-policy#california-notice-of-collection • Do Not Sell My Info - https://membership.latimes.com/privacy-settings • Questions about your subscription, including adding or removing access to the L.A. Times website from your app access, can be directed to Customer Service: 213-347-5300. TECHNICAL HELP AND ASSISTANCE: If you ever have questions about how the app works, want to provide helpful feedback, or experience crashes or freezes after installing an update, please contact us at mobile@latimes.com. A quick email to our support team helps our developers identify and resolve issues faster. We work hard to make sure you have the best experience using our app.

Screenshots

LAist4 screens
LA Times4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LAist at none against LA Times's 3. LAist also leads on ads (none vs shown). LA Times's advantage is ratings volume (20K vs 655) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support 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. LA Times sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. LAist asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LA Times holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LA Times has 20K ratings behind it against 655, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 30% and 29% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LAist ships an update monthly, LA Times every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
LAist versus LA Times: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLAistLA Times
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (655 ratings)4.6 (20K ratings) — better
Positive reviews30.0% of reviews — better29.1% of reviews
Number of ratings65520K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#173#13 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB37 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperSouthern California Public RadioLos Angeles Times Communications LLC

Customer experience

LAist

All ratings634 ratings
Positive80.6%
Neutral6.9%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews170 reviews
Positive30.0%
Neutral14.7%
Negative55.3%

LA Times

All ratings19,564 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral3.7%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews127 reviews
Positive29.1%
Neutral10.2%
Negative60.6%

User reviews

LAist

From 655 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Reliable source of news
  • 👍 Vital app for news
  • 👍 Fantastic
  • 👍 Reliable and unbiased

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Glitchy performance issues
  • 🐛 Carplay not working properly
  • 🐛 Ads disrupt the listening experience

LA Times

From 20K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth navigation
  • 👍 Great UI design
  • 🚀 Fast load times
  • 💡 Useful features like traffic alerts
  • 👍 Comprehensive local and national news coverage

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy search functionality
  • 🔒 Subscription issues and paywall problems
  • 🔋 Slow performance on older devices
  • 👎 Outdated or irrelevant content
  • 👎 Overwhelming with ads

Bugs and requests

LAist

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Podcasts not loading properly
  • Live stream frequently drops out
  • Playback issues when switching between apps
  • Inconsistent behavior when pausing and resuming
  • Sync issues between device and app

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add rewind and fast-forward functionality
  • Improve CarPlay integration
  • Implement a sleep timer
  • Enhance podcast playback controls
  • Improve organization and discoverability of content
Show 2 more
  • Add a dark mode option
  • Provide better support for older devices

LA Times

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Images not loading properly
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Paywall issues preventing access to content
  • Sync problems between app and website

Requested features

5 requests
  • Customizable news feed and section ordering
  • Offline reading mode
  • Better integration with subscription accounts
  • Improved article navigation and scrolling
  • Accessibility features for visually impaired users

In-app purchases

None

LAist

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

LA Times

Subscriptions3
  • News App Only$4.991 Month
  • Unlimited Digital Access3 Months trial$5.991 Month
  • Unlimited Digital Access1 Month trial$15.991 Month

Questions

Is LAist free?
LAist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LA Times free?
LA Times is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LAist or LA Times?
LA Times is rated higher. LAist averages 4.3 out of 5 from 655 ratings, while LA Times averages 4.6 from 20K ratings.
Do LAist or LA Times have ads?
LA Times shows ads; LAist does not.
Which is updated more often, LAist or LA Times?
LAist ships an update monthly, and LA Times every 3 weeks. Most recently, LAist was updated on October 31, 2026 and LA Times on November 5, 2026.
Which is more popular, LAist or LA Times?
LAist currently peaks at #173 in the App Store charts, and LA Times at #13. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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