# Columbus Business First vs CMSMonitor

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CMSMonitor at none against Columbus Business First's 10. CMSMonitor also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Columbus Business First sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. CMSMonitor asks for nothing beyond the download.

Columbus Business First ships an update every 3 months, CMSMonitor every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Columbus Business First | CMSMonitor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (268 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/columbus-business-first/id320620305/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **268** | — |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 26 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [American City Business Journals](https://appshunter.io/developer/303455969) | [HealthDox](https://appshunter.io/developer/6795321942) |

## What reviewers say

### Columbus Business First

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/columbus-business-first/id320620305)

Stay informed on local business news and intelligence. Access daily headlines, weekly digital editions, and in-depth coverage of key industries to help your business grow and thrive in the community.

**Highlights:** Local business news and intelligence, Daily headlines, Weekly digital editions, Commercial real estate news, Banking and finance updates, Healthcare industry news, Small business insights

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Subscription | $48.99 | per 3 months |
| Biannual Subscription | $79.99 | per 6 months |
| Columbus Business First | $179.99 | per year |
| August 30, 2013 | $4.99 | one-time |
| October 14, 2016 | $4.99 | one-time |
| November 04, 2016 | $4.99 | one-time |
| January 20, 2017 | $4.99 | one-time |
| April 28, 2017 | $4.99 | one-time |
| September 13, 2019 | $4.99 | one-time |


### CMSMonitor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmsmonitor/id6795321940)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Columbus Business First free?

Columbus Business First is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CMSMonitor free?

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

### Do Columbus Business First or CMSMonitor have ads?

Neither Columbus Business First nor CMSMonitor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Columbus Business First or CMSMonitor?

Columbus Business First ships an update every 3 months, and CMSMonitor every 5 days. Most recently, Columbus Business First was updated on October 28, 2026 and CMSMonitor on October 15, 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.*