# TMZ vs RiverBender

The clearest difference is monetization model: RiverBender at free against TMZ's free with in-app purchases. RiverBender also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 62%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). TMZ's advantage is ratings volume (213K vs 9) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ads 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for TMZ against 4.7 for RiverBender. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TMZ has 213K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of TMZ's written reviews are positive against 75% of RiverBender's.

TMZ ships an update monthly, RiverBender every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TMZ | RiverBender |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (213K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tmz/id299948601/reviews)** | [4.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riverbender/id1142356550/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **213K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 62.4% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#132** | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ehm Productions, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1506775803) | [RiverBender.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/1132707068) |

## What reviewers say

### TMZ

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

**Currently charting:** #132 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


### RiverBender

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riverbender/id1142356550)

Access local news, weather updates, and community information for the River Bend area. Stay informed about breaking stories, sports, events, and local businesses.

**Highlights:** Breaking local news and weather, High school and local sports coverage, Community videos, Business directory, Classified ads, Event calendar, Live radio streaming

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TMZ free?

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

### Is RiverBender free?

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

### Which has better reviews, TMZ or RiverBender?

TMZ is rated higher. TMZ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 213K ratings, while RiverBender averages 4.7 from 9 ratings.

### Do TMZ or RiverBender have ads?

Both TMZ and RiverBender show ads.

### Which is updated more often, TMZ or RiverBender?

TMZ ships an update monthly, and RiverBender every 3 months. Most recently, TMZ was updated on October 18, 2026 and RiverBender on October 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.*