# REFORMA vs El Universal +

The clearest difference is review sentiment: El Universal + at 63% against REFORMA's 16%. El Universal + also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.1). REFORMA's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#96 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. REFORMA sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and El Universal + sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

El Universal + holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: REFORMA has 17 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of REFORMA's written reviews are positive against 63% of El Universal +'s.

REFORMA ships an update every 3 weeks, El Universal + every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | REFORMA | El Universal + |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reforma/id322385772/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/el-universal-plus/id483272548/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **17** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 15.8% of reviews | **63.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#96** | — |
| Size | 98 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Editora el Sol](https://appshunter.io/developer/322378567) | [El Universal CPN](https://appshunter.io/developer/383395270) |

## What reviewers say

### REFORMA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reforma/id322385772)

**Currently charting:** #96 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #132 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

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:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reforma | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Reforma | $20.99 | per month |
| Reforma | $179.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Dark mode text not white
- App logs out user
- Subscription activation errors
- Text size not adjustable on iPad
- Related articles not loading

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Download all pages in background
- Improve cross-system login
- Add search functionality
- Add send by mail


### El Universal +

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/el-universal-plus/id483272548)

Access breaking news, in-depth analysis, and multimedia content from a leading Mexican news source. Enjoy a modern, intuitive design with real-time updates, exclusive podcasts, videos, and photo galleries. Subscribers receive special event access and benefits.

**Highlights:** Real-time news updates, Expert analysis and reports, Exclusive podcasts and videos, Photo galleries, Subscriber-exclusive events and benefits, Modern, intuitive design

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Digital Plus Mensual | $0.99 | per month |
| Digital Plus Anual | $0.99 | per year |
| Digital Plus Mensual | $4.99 | per month |
| Digital Plus Anual | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent news source
- 📲 Keeps me connected to Mexico
- ⏱️ Timely and up-to-date information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐞 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find content
- 💤 Slow loading times
- 📢 Excessive ads and pop-ups

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications don't link to correct articles
- Images and galleries not displaying properly
- Sections not updating regularly

**Requested features**

- Improve notification settings and functionality
- Enhance article linking from notifications
- Optimize layout and readability
- Add offline reading mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is REFORMA free?

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

### Is El Universal + free?

El Universal + is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, REFORMA or El Universal +?

El Universal + is rated higher. REFORMA averages 3.1 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while El Universal + averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do REFORMA or El Universal + have ads?

El Universal + shows ads; REFORMA does not.

### Which is updated more often, REFORMA or El Universal +?

REFORMA ships an update every 3 weeks, and El Universal + every 5 weeks. Most recently, REFORMA was updated on September 22, 2026 and El Universal + on September 24, 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.*