# LAist vs Long Beach Press

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LAist at none against Long Beach Press's 2. LAist also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (656 vs 108). Long Beach Press's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and chart position (#192 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Long Beach Press sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. LAist asks for nothing beyond the download.

Long Beach Press holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LAist has 656 ratings behind it against 108, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 30% of LAist's written reviews are positive against 28% of Long Beach Press's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LAist | Long Beach Press |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (656 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/laist/id293825085/reviews) | **[4.7 (108 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/long-beach-press-telegram/id502958939/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **656** | 108 |
| Positive reviews | **30.0% of reviews** | 27.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#192** |
| Size | 39 MB | 188 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Southern California Public Radio](https://appshunter.io/developer/293825088) | [MediaNews Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/364357227) |

## What reviewers say

### LAist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/laist/id293825085)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Add rewind and fast-forward functionality
- Improve CarPlay integration
- Implement a sleep timer
- Enhance podcast playback controls
- Improve organization and discoverability of content


### Long Beach Press

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/long-beach-press-telegram/id502958939)

**Currently charting:** #192 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Access personalized news recommendations and save articles for later. Customize notifications and enjoy offline reading. The app offers a digital replica of the daily newspaper and intuitive navigation.

**Highlights:** Personalized news recommendations, Save articles for later, Customizable push notifications, Digital newspaper replica (E-News), Offline reading, Swipe navigation between articles, Follow/unfollow topics

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LBPT Monthly Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| LBPT Annual Subscription | $174.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fair and complete news representation
- 👍 Organized sections that flow
- 👍 No commercial interruptions
- 👍 Local school coverage brings smiles
- 🚀 Runs smooth

**What reviewers complain about**

-  outdated information
- 🐛 Same articles day after day
- 🐛 Takes too long to load
- 🐛 Can't search
- 🐛 Only has a few articles

**Reported bugs**

- Takes too long to load
- Crashes a lot
- Keeps closing
- Can't read articles since update
- Kicks out of article after sign-in attempt

**Requested features**

- Bring back landscape view
- Add LBSU sports section
- Improve search functionality
- Include lottery results
- Allow choice of Facebook page for sharing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LAist free?

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

### Is Long Beach Press free?

Long Beach Press is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, LAist or Long Beach Press?

Long Beach Press is rated higher. LAist averages 4.3 out of 5 from 656 ratings, while Long Beach Press averages 4.7 from 108 ratings.

### Do LAist or Long Beach Press have ads?

Long Beach Press shows ads; LAist does not.

### Which is updated more often, LAist or Long Beach Press?

LAist ships an update monthly, and Long Beach Press monthly. Most recently, LAist was updated on November 6, 2026 and Long Beach Press on November 1, 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.*