# PressReader vs StarPhoenix

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PressReader at 59% against StarPhoenix's 0%. PressReader also leads on ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#36 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PressReader sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and StarPhoenix sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PressReader ships an update monthly, StarPhoenix every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PressReader | StarPhoenix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pressreader-news-and-magazines/id313904711/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | — |
| Positive reviews | **59.1% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#36** | — |
| Size | 117 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [PressReader Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/313904714) | [Postmedia Network INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/406384675) |

## What reviewers say

### PressReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pressreader-news-and-magazines/id313904711)

**Currently charting:** #36 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers, #59 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #73 Top Free · News, #77 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Access over 7,000 global newspapers and magazines in their original print or a mobile-optimized format. Features include translation into over 30 languages and text-to-speech functionality. Read on up to three devices with a free trial available.

**Highlights:** Read 7,000+ newspapers and magazines, Original print view, Mobile-optimized text view, Auto-Translate to over 30 languages, Text-to-speech stories, Unlimited reading on 3 devices

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Get Select | $11.99 | per month |
| Go Premium | $29.99 | per month |
| Legacy Monthly Membership | $29.99 | per month |
| Get this issue | $0.99 | one-time |
| Get this issue | $1.99 | one-time |
| Get this issue | $2.99 | one-time |
| Single Issue | $3.99 | one-time |
| Get this issue | $4.99 | one-time |
| Get this issue | $5.99 | one-time |
| Get this issue | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient access to newspapers and magazines
- 📚 Wide selection of publications
- 🔍 Ability to search and discover new content
- 🔖 Bookmarking and saving articles
- 🔊 Text-to-speech feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔄 Unreliable automatic downloads
- 🔒 Login and authentication issues
- 🔍 Clunky and unintuitive navigation
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to log in or access content
- Inconsistent performance after app updates
- Missing or delayed newspaper/magazine issues
- Incorrect or outdated content display

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved search and filtering capabilities
- Better organization and management of downloaded content
- Ability to annotate and take notes on articles
- Smoother integration with library accounts


### StarPhoenix

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starphoenix/id406393011)

Access local and national news with a personalized feed. Enjoy in-depth articles, photo and video coverage, and curated content from top journalists. Stay informed about your community and beyond.

**Highlights:** Personalized news feed, In-depth articles and longreads, Photo and video coverage, Community and national news, Curated content from top journalists, Discover trending stories

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Access | $9.99 | per month |

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📉 App constantly freezes
- 💥 App crashes frequently
- 🐌 Slow loading times
- ⚪ Blank/white screens
- 🔄 App doesn't update

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes constantly
- App crashes on load
- Articles do not load or display
- App causes phone to restart
- Incorrect images displayed with articles

**Requested features**

- Restore dark mode
- Fix incorrect article images
- Improve app stability
- Update app for new iOS versions
- Add back obituaries


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PressReader free?

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

### Is StarPhoenix free?

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

### Do PressReader or StarPhoenix have ads?

StarPhoenix shows ads; PressReader does not.

### Which is updated more often, PressReader or StarPhoenix?

PressReader ships an update monthly, and StarPhoenix every 3 weeks. Most recently, PressReader was updated on November 12, 2026 and StarPhoenix on November 10, 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.*