# TMZ vs Free Beacon

The clearest difference is review sentiment: TMZ at 61% against Free Beacon's 14%. TMZ also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.2) and ratings volume (213K vs 52). Free Beacon's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

TMZ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TMZ has 213K ratings behind it against 52, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of TMZ's written reviews are positive against 14% of Free Beacon's.

TMZ ships an update monthly, Free Beacon every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and July 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TMZ | Free Beacon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (213K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tmz/id299948601/reviews)** | [3.2 (52 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/free-beacon/id1047859882/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **213K** | 52 |
| Positive reviews | **61.5% of reviews** | 13.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#125** | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Ehm Productions, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1506775803) | [Free Beacon, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1047859881) |

## What reviewers say

### TMZ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tmz/id299948601)

**Currently charting:** #125 Top Free · News (US App Store)

Stay updated with the latest in entertainment news and celebrity gossip. Get exclusive stories, breaking alerts, and candid footage directly on your device. Access photos and stream full episodes of popular shows.

**Highlights:** Exclusive stories and footage, Breaking news alerts, Home and Lock Screen widget, Candid celebrity interviews, Curated photo galleries, Stream full episodes

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 First to report breaking news
- 👍 Accurate and reliable information
- 🤩 Entertaining celebrity gossip
- 💯 Trusted news source

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Inconsistent photo captions
- 🤬 Hateful and toxic comments
- 📢 Too many intrusive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Videos not loading or playing properly
- App redirecting to App Store unexpectedly
- Notifications not working reliably
- Frequent app crashes on iOS devices

**Requested features**

- Bring back comment section with moderation
- Add ability to turn off notification badges
- Improve swipe navigation between articles
- Make app more user-friendly on tablets


### Free Beacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/free-beacon/id1047859882)

Access breaking news and in-depth investigative journalism from a dedicated news source. Stay informed with political analysis, humorous satire, and exclusive videos, all conveniently available on your smartphone and tablet.

**Highlights:** Breaking news updates, Investigative journalism, Editor's Blog access, Political analysis, Humorous satire, Mobile-friendly video playback

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TMZ free?

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

### Is Free Beacon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, TMZ or Free Beacon?

TMZ is rated higher. TMZ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 213K ratings, while Free Beacon averages 3.2 from 52 ratings.

### Do TMZ or Free Beacon have ads?

TMZ shows ads; Free Beacon does not.

### Which is updated more often, TMZ or Free Beacon?

TMZ ships an update monthly, and Free Beacon every 6 weeks. Most recently, TMZ was updated on September 29, 2026 and Free Beacon on July 6, 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.*