# QuakeWatch vs LA Times The clearest difference is review sentiment: QuakeWatch at 85% against LA Times's 29%. QuakeWatch also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). LA Times's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and ratings volume (20K vs 79). On chart position and device support there is nothing between them. LA Times is free to download; QuakeWatch costs $0.99 up front. LA Times sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. QuakeWatch asks for nothing beyond the download. LA Times holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LA Times has 20K ratings behind it against 79, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of QuakeWatch's written reviews are positive against 29% of LA Times's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about. QuakeWatch ships an update every 3 months, LA Times every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively. ## The numbers | Metric | QuakeWatch | LA Times | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | $0.99 | **Free** | | Rating | [4.3 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quakewatch/id314600768/reviews) | **[4.6 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/la-times/id373238146/reviews)** | | Number of ratings | 79 | **20K** | | Positive reviews | **84.5% of reviews** | 29.1% of reviews | | In-app purchases | **No** | Yes | | Ads | **No** | Yes | | Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 weeks** | | Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** | | Best chart rank | #26 | **#19** | | Size | 10 MB | 37 MB | | Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.0 | | Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad | | Age rating | 4+ | 12+ | | Developer | [LateNightProjects](https://appshunter.io/developer/314600771) | [Los Angeles Times Communications LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1449774969) | ## What reviewers say ### QuakeWatch [App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quakewatch/id314600768) **Currently charting:** #26 Top Paid Β· News (US App Store) This app provides real-time information on earthquakes worldwide. It features an interactive map, detailed reports, and customizable alerts. Stay informed about seismic activity near you or loved ones. **Highlights:** Interactive world map with tectonic plates, Sortable earthquake listings (recent, largest, closest), Tsunami information access, Customizable minimum magnitude filter, Share earthquake data via email, social media, SMS, Detailed earthquake reports with live maps **Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support **In-app purchases:** none **What reviewers like** - πŸš€ Excellent, comprehensive, and detailed information - πŸ—ΊοΈ Great maps and ways of sorting information - ⏱️ Updates information quickly - πŸ“Š Provides lots of useful data and statistics - πŸ” Allows customization of parameters **What reviewers complain about** - πŸ”” Lacks push notification functionality - πŸ”— Some broken/outdated links - πŸ—ΊοΈ Limited map scrolling and zooming capabilities - πŸ•°οΈ Delayed or slow updates in some cases - πŸ€– Concerns about the app being abandoned or not maintained **Reported bugs** - Occasional crashes or app not loading properly - Inaccuracies in earthquake location and magnitude reporting - Issues with specific data feeds (e.g., USGS, GeoNet NZ) **Requested features** - Add push notification alerts for earthquakes near user's location - Improve map functionality to allow better scrolling and zooming - Provide more historical earthquake data and analysis - Add support for more data sources beyond just USGS - Integrate with other earthquake/disaster preparedness resources ### LA Times [App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/la-times/id373238146) **Currently charting:** #19 Top Grossing Β· Magazines & Newspapers, #27 Top Grossing Β· News, #63 Top Free Β· Magazines & Newspapers, #119 Top Free Β· News (US App Store) Access award-winning journalism covering Southern California and the world. Browse digital content or the eNewspaper, save articles, and watch exclusive videos. Stay informed with breaking news and in-depth reporting. **Highlights:** Award-winning journalism, Breaking news alerts, Digital content browsing, eNewspaper access, Save articles to 'My Library', Exclusive video section **Features:** Vision Pro support **In-app purchases (3)** | Purchase | Price | Billing | | --- | --- | --- | | News App Only | $4.99 | per month | | Unlimited Digital Access | $5.99 | per month | | Unlimited Digital Access | $15.99 | per month | **What reviewers like** - πŸš€ Smooth navigation - πŸ‘ Great UI design - πŸš€ Fast load times - πŸ’‘ Useful features like traffic alerts - πŸ‘ Comprehensive local and national news coverage **What reviewers complain about** - πŸ› Buggy search functionality - πŸ”’ Subscription issues and paywall problems - πŸ”‹ Slow performance on older devices - πŸ‘Ž Outdated or irrelevant content - πŸ‘Ž Overwhelming with ads **Reported bugs** - Images not loading properly - Frequent crashes and freezes - Paywall issues preventing access to content - Sync problems between app and website **Requested features** - Customizable news feed and section ordering - Offline reading mode - Better integration with subscription accounts - Improved article navigation and scrolling - Accessibility features for visually impaired users ## Frequently asked questions ### Is QuakeWatch free? QuakeWatch costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases. ### Is LA Times free? LA Times is free to download, with in-app purchases available. ### Which has better reviews, QuakeWatch or LA Times? LA Times is rated higher. QuakeWatch averages 4.3 out of 5 from 79 ratings, while LA Times averages 4.6 from 20K ratings. ### Do QuakeWatch or LA Times have ads? LA Times shows ads; QuakeWatch does not. ### Which is updated more often, QuakeWatch or LA Times? QuakeWatch ships an update every 3 months, and LA Times every 4 weeks. Most recently, QuakeWatch was updated on October 31, 2026 and LA Times on November 1, 2026. ### Which is more popular, QuakeWatch or LA Times? QuakeWatch currently peaks at #26 in the App Store charts, and LA Times at #19. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base. --- *Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*