Comparison

EL PAÍS vs REFORMA

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

Head to head
About

EL PAÍS

Access global Spanish-language news from a leading media outlet. Read articles from various editions, enjoy multimedia content, and save stories for offline reading. Subscribers get access to print editions and exclusive content.

Highlights
  • Access to multiple editions (Spain, Americas, Mexico, Brazil, English, Catalonia)
  • Unlimited access to all content, sections, and publications
  • Offline reading capability
  • News alerts
  • Multimedia content
  • Exclusive articles for registered users
  • Access to print editions and supplements for subscribers
Features
Read full description

EL PAÍS is the global Spanish-language media leader, with over 65 million readers across its editions. Founded in 1976, it is a point of reference in terms of information, independence and innovation. Through a continuous process of transformation, the daily can now be consulted on multiple formats and across numerous narratives. With the application, you will have access to: · All our editions: Spain, Americas, Mexico, Brazil, In English and Catalonia. · Unlimited access to content on EL PAÍS, all its sections and publications. · Offline reading. · Alerts that let you stay on top of the news. · Top-quality multimedia content. Additionally, just by registering you will have access to exclusive articles. And if you are a subscriber, you will be able to read the print editions of EL PAÍS, its supplements and magazines published in the last 30 days, true to their original formats. Terms of Use : https://elpais.com/suscripciones/digital/condiciones-generales-servicios-agrup-ingles/

About

REFORMA

Access independent journalism and breaking news from GRUPO REFORMA. Enjoy video content, listen to articles, save favorites, and read the digital printed edition. Stay informed on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

Highlights
  • Independent journalism content
  • Free video news access
  • Save articles to favorites
  • Listen to articles on the go
  • Digital printed edition
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Apple Watch integration
Features
Read full description

Stay well informed wherever you are. Enjoy GRUPO REFORMA's independent journalism with REFORMA's specially designed app for your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. • Enjoy all REFORMA's content on this app designed specially for you. • All our Video content is available in one place with completely free access. There you'll find all the most relevant news on video presented by section and you'll also be able to easily find episodes of your favorite programs. • In the Favoritos (Favorites) section you can keep the articles or slide shows you're interested in. • In the Escuchar Notas (Listen to Articles ) module you can keep up to date even if you're driving or exercising, just by choosing the content that interests you. • All our historical content will always be within your reach. Use the search tab and find all past articles, photos and videos as well as the opinions of your favorite op-ed columnist. • Keep up with the latest developments with the Breaking News service. Choose the topic that interests you, create an alert by choosing a word and we'll automatically let you know when we publish new information so you can read it straight away. • Check out the full-size slide shows and enjoy them to the full with your retina display. • Consult our Edición Impresa (Printed Edition) in digital format updated for you from 5:00 am. You can easily access all our sections and special supplements there. • Find all available multimedia content directly right there, in the printed edition of each publication. • Join the conversation: read other people's comments and participate with your own opinion on the topics that interest you. • Share all the content on your Social Networks and WhatsApp. Encourage your friends and relatives to stay in the loop too. • Choose your favorite section in the new notification center Widget and easily read the headlines without opening the app. Apple Watch: • Keep up to date via Apple Watch by reading the main headlines of the latest news. • Stay alert using the face of your watch: configure the app in 'complications'. • Enjoy the Breaking News feature without using your iPhone. • Delve deeper into a news story by using Handoff to keep reading on your iPhone, or save it directly in your favorites.   Download our application now and enjoy its constant improvements. REFORMA is free for a limited time, at the end you will have several subscription options. iTunes subscription options: • $6.99 USD weekly, $20.99 USD monthly or $179.99 USD annually. • Access from 4 different devices when creating your account. • Your iTunes account will be charged and renewed automatically (cancellations valid 24 hours ahead of automatic payment date). • You can manage your subscription through iTunes and cancel automatic payment in Settings/Configuration. • Free trial only for new subscribers, days depend on the period of the subscription. At the time of subscription, the remaining trial days are canceled. Privacy Policy https://www.reforma.com/libre/estatico/avisoprivacidad/aviso_privacidad.htm Terms of Use https://www.reforma.com/libre/estatico/terminosycondiciones/terminos_y_condiciones.html

Screenshots

EL PAÍS4 screens
REFORMA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: REFORMA at 3.3 against EL PAÍS's 2.1. REFORMA also leads on ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#70 vs unranked). EL PAÍS's advantage is ratings volume (198 vs 16). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. EL PAÍS sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.00 per month and REFORMA sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

REFORMA holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: EL PAÍS has 198 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of EL PAÍS's written reviews are positive against 16% of REFORMA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EL PAÍS ships an update every 2 weeks, REFORMA every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
EL PAÍS versus REFORMA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEL PAÍSREFORMA
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.1 (198 ratings)3.3 (16 ratings) — better
Positive reviews14.1% of reviews15.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings198 — better16
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#70 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size299 MB98 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperEdiciones El Pais SLEditora el Sol

Customer experience

EL PAÍS

All ratings198 ratings
Positive25.8%
Neutral2.5%
Negative71.7%
Written reviews603 reviews
Positive14.1%
Neutral9.0%
Negative76.9%

REFORMA

All ratings16 ratings
Positive56.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative43.8%
Written reviews101 reviews
Positive15.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative81.2%

User reviews

EL PAÍS

From 198 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

REFORMA

From 16 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Good UI/UX (older reviews)
  • 👍 Informative content (implied by subscription willingness)
  • 👍 Useful for staying updated abroad (older reviews)

Room to improve

  • anúncios Full of ads
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🐌 Slow loading/performance
  • 💸 Ads despite subscription
  • 🐛 App instability/crashes

Bugs and requests

EL PAÍS

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

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

REFORMA

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Dark mode text not white
  • App logs out user
  • Subscription activation errors
  • Text size not adjustable on iPad
  • Related articles not loading
Show 3 more
  • App not working on iPad
  • Cross-system login not working
  • App not connecting (no internet)

Requested features

9 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Download all pages in background
  • Improve cross-system login
  • Add search functionality
  • Add send by mail
Show 4 more
  • Add favorites
  • Add podcast/audio columns
  • Add push notifications for breaking news
  • Offline support for caching news

In-app purchases

8 purchases

EL PAÍS

Subscriptions8
  • Suscripción básica mensual1 Month trial$9.001 Month
  • Suscripción básica mensual3 Months trial$10.001 Month
  • Suscripción básica mensual1 Month trial$10.001 Month
Show 5 more
  • Monthly global1 Month trial$10.991 Month
  • Suscripción premium mensual1 Month trial$14.001 Month
  • Suscripción básica anual1 Year trial4 variants$99.991 Year
  • Suscripción básica anual2 variants$99.991 Year
  • Suscripción premium anual$129.991 Year
3 purchases

REFORMA

Subscriptions3
  • Reforma$6.997 Days
  • Reforma7 Days trial$20.991 Month
  • Reforma1 Month trial$179.991 Year

Questions

Is EL PAÍS free?
EL PAÍS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is REFORMA free?
REFORMA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, EL PAÍS or REFORMA?
REFORMA is rated higher. EL PAÍS averages 2.1 out of 5 from 198 ratings, while REFORMA averages 3.3 from 16 ratings.
Do EL PAÍS or REFORMA have ads?
EL PAÍS shows ads; REFORMA does not.
Which is updated more often, EL PAÍS or REFORMA?
EL PAÍS ships an update every 2 weeks, and REFORMA every 3 weeks. Most recently, EL PAÍS was updated on October 23, 2026 and REFORMA on October 23, 2026.

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