# EL PAÍS vs simbiu

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: simbiu at none against EL PAÍS's 10. simbiu also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). EL PAÍS's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. EL PAÍS sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. simbiu asks for nothing beyond the download.

EL PAÍS ships an update every 2 weeks, simbiu every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | EL PAÍS | simbiu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.1 (199 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/el-pais/id301049096/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **199** | — |
| Positive reviews | 14.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 298 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +12 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ediciones El Pais SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/375656061) | [SIMBIU INTELLIGENCE SL.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1625644986) |

## What reviewers say

### EL PAÍS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/el-pais/id301049096)

Access global Spanish-language news from multiple editions, including exclusive articles and multimedia content. Enjoy offline reading and news alerts. Subscription unlocks print editions and supplements.

**Highlights:** Access all editions (Spain, Americas, Mexico, Brazil, English, Catalonia), Unlimited content access, Offline reading, News alerts, Multimedia content, Exclusive articles for registered users

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Suscripción básica semanal | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Suscripción básica mensual | $10.00 | per month |
| Suscripción básica mensual | $10.00 | per month |
| Suscripción premium mensual | $14.00 | per month |
| Suscripción básica anual | $99.99 | per year |
| Suscripción básica anual | $99.99 | per year |
| Suscripción premium anual | $129.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌐 Good for learning Spanish
- 📰 Quality journalism
- 👍 Easy to navigate

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 💤 Slow performance
- 📢 Excessive ads
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🔄 Constant log-out issues

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes or crashes on launch
- Inability to log in or stay logged in
- Corrupted or missing content after updates
- Navigation issues (e.g. getting stuck on home page)

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to save articles for later
- Improved integration with other apps (e.g. Pocket, Google)
- More customization options


### simbiu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simbiu/id1625644834)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is EL PAÍS free?

EL PAÍS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is simbiu free?

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

### Do EL PAÍS or simbiu have ads?

EL PAÍS shows ads; simbiu does not.

### Which is updated more often, EL PAÍS or simbiu?

EL PAÍS ships an update every 2 weeks, and simbiu every 5 weeks. Most recently, EL PAÍS was updated on November 1, 2026 and simbiu on October 27, 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.*