Comparison

ABC News vs VicEmergency

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

Head to head
About

ABC News

Stay informed with breaking news and in-depth reporting from a trusted Australian news source. Access the latest updates and comprehensive information directly on your mobile device.

Highlights
  • Latest news updates
  • In-depth reporting
  • Trusted Australian source
  • Comprehensive information
Features
Read full description

The ABC NEWS app makes it easier for you to stay up to date with the latest news and information from Australia's most trusted news source.

About

VicEmergency

Receive official emergency warnings and information for Victoria, Australia. Set up personalized watch zones to get alerts for areas that matter to you, and view a live incident map with real-time updates.

Highlights
  • Live incident map
  • Personalized watch zones
  • Push notifications for warnings
  • GPS integration for location
  • Forecast Fire Danger Ratings
  • Total Fire Ban status
Features
Read full description

VicEmergency is the official Victorian Government app for emergency warnings and information. Download VicEmergency, set up a user profile and watch zones to ensure you receive official warnings and information for areas that interest you. Watch the VicEmergency video at www.youtube.com/channel/UCskGgVGdfEp1C3BMiiwAyzQ To review support articles or submit a request, visit http://support.emergency.vic.gov.au Main Features: • Live incident map showing current warnings, planned burns and other types of incidents across Victoria.*** • Simple to create a profile and use watch zones that ensure you get official warnings for your local area. Warnings and information* are pushed out to a user's phone when issued by Victoria’s emergency services.  • GPS integration to determine your current location** and surrounding incidents.  • Emergency Warnings, Warnings, Advice and information as issued by Victoria’s emergency services • Share incidents and warnings with friends and family. • View forecast Fire Danger Ratings on the map. • View today's and tomorrow’s Total Fire Ban status. * Your device must have an internet connection to receive warnings and information issued by Victorian emergency services.  ** To view your current location, GPS must be switched on and location functionality enabled. *** Map symbols represent the origin of the emergency, not its current location or spread. The VicEmergency app is just one tool to assist you to access warnings and information about emergencies, however you should never rely on just one information channel. Emergency services use a range of other information channels including SKY TV, ABC local radio, some commercial and designated community radio stations, VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226, VicEmergency website on www.emergency.vic.gov.au and VicEmergency Twitter and Facebook. Are you getting a message asking you to turn on notifications? You need to ensure that push notifications are enabled specifically for the VicEmergency app, as follows: For iOS10, iOS9, iOS8 and iOS6: 1. Click on the Settings icon and then select Notifications.  2. Scroll down, click the VicEmergency icon 3. Ensure 'Allow Notifications" or "Notification Centre" (iOS6) at top of the screen is set to On.  4. We recommend that you set Alert Style as 'Banners' or Alerts' and ensure that Sounds and "Show on Lock Screen" or "View in Lock Screen" (iOS6) are set to On.  For iOS7:  1. Open the device's Settings icon and then select 'Notification Center'. 2. Under 'Access on Lock Screen', check that 'Notifications View' is On (showing as green). 3. Scroll further down and ensure that VicEmergency is in the list under INCLUDE. Click it to open it. 4. At the top, set Alert Style as 'Banners' or Alerts' 5. Then ensure that everything in this section is turned On - ‘Badge App Icon’, ‘Sounds’, 'Show in Notification Center', 'Show on Lock Screen’, etc (all should be showing as green).

Screenshots

ABC News4 screens
VicEmergency4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ABC News at 4.6 against VicEmergency's 3.5. ABC News also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (197 vs 4). VicEmergency's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ABC News holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ABC News has 197 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of ABC News's written reviews are positive against 23% of VicEmergency's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ABC News ships an update fortnightly, VicEmergency every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ABC News versus VicEmergency: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterABC NewsVicEmergency
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (197 ratings) — better3.5 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews31.8% of reviews — better23.1% of reviews
Number of ratings197 — better4
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB15 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAustralian Broadcasting CorporationState of Victoria - Department of Justice

Customer experience

ABC News

All ratings193 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral2.1%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews286 reviews
Positive31.8%
Neutral12.2%
Negative55.9%

VicEmergency

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews121 reviews
Positive23.1%
Neutral12.4%
Negative64.5%

Bugs and requests

ABC News

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching networks
  • Issues with article loading and refreshing
  • Broken universal links and in-app navigation

Requested features

5 requests
  • Customizable font sizes and themes
  • Improved local news and weather coverage
  • Ability to save and bookmark articles
  • Better notification and alert controls
  • Integration with smart home devices

VicEmergency

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ABC News

No in-app purchases

None

VicEmergency

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ABC News free?
ABC News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is VicEmergency free?
VicEmergency is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ABC News or VicEmergency?
ABC News is rated higher. ABC News averages 4.6 out of 5 from 197 ratings, while VicEmergency averages 3.5 from 4 ratings.
Do ABC News or VicEmergency have ads?
Neither ABC News nor VicEmergency shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ABC News or VicEmergency?
ABC News ships an update fortnightly, and VicEmergency every 3 months. Most recently, ABC News was updated on October 31, 2026 and VicEmergency on November 1, 2026.

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