# X vs Google News

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Google News at none against X's 25. X's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and review sentiment (44% vs 19%). On price, rating, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. X sells 25 in-app purchases, starting at $1.00 per month. Google News asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for X against 4.6 for Google News. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: X has 11M ratings behind it against 226K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 44% of X's written reviews are positive against 19% of Google News's.

X ships an update every 3 days, Google News monthly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | X | Google News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (11M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/x/id333903271/reviews) | [4.6 (226K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-news/id459182288/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11M** | 226K |
| Positive reviews | **44.4% of reviews** | 18.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | #30 |
| Size | 619 MB | 172 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [X Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/296415947) | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) |

## What reviewers say

### X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/x/id333903271)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Free · News, #1 Top Grossing · News, #47 Top Free, #47 Top Grossing (US App Store)

Connect with a global community in real-time for breaking news, live events, and conversations. Share your thoughts, discover trending topics, and engage with diverse perspectives. Features include an AI assistant, live audio/video, and private messaging.

**Highlights:** Real-time breaking news updates, Post thoughts, photos, and videos, AI assistant for news summaries, Live audio and video streaming, Direct messaging with connections, Community building around interests

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (25)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| @FatKidDeals Subscription | $1.00 | per month |
| @Rainmaker1973 Subscription | $2.00 | per month |
| @pulte Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| @Zirksee Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| @TheBabylonBee Subscription | $3.00 | per month |
| @jacksonhinklle Subscription | $3.00 | per month |
| @DataRepublican Subscription | $3.00 | per month |
| @elonmusk Subscription | $4.00 | per month |
| X Premium Basic (Monthly) | $4.00 | per month |
| @stevewilldoit Subscription | $5.00 | per month |
| @robbystarbuck Subscription | $5.00 | per month |
| @MikeBenzCyber Subscription | $5.00 | per month |
| @RealAlexJones Subscription | $5.00 | per month |
| @C__Herridge Subscription | $7.00 | per month |
| @shellenberger Subscription | $9.00 | per month |
| @shreyas Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| X Premium (Monthly) | $11.00 | per month |
| @Jake__Wujastyk Subscription | $14.00 | per month |
| @Banana3Stocks Subscription | $40.00 | per month |
| X Premium Basic (Annual) | $42.00 | per year |
| X Premium Plus (Monthly) | $50.00 | per month |
| X Premium (Annual) | $114.99 | per year |
| X Premium Plus (Annual) | $490.00 | per year |
| Promote Post for $25 | $25.00 | one-time |
| Promote Post for $50 | $50.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient platform
- 💡 Diverse range of content and discussions
- 👍 Useful for news and information sharing
- 🌐 Global connectivity and exchange of ideas

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and technical issues
- 🤖 Proliferation of bots and spam accounts
- 🔒 Concerns over censorship and lack of free speech
- 💰 Paywalled features and monetization efforts

**Reported bugs**

- Account suspension and lockout issues
- Inconsistent app performance and UI changes
- Unreliable notification system
- Inability to view deleted or suspended accounts

**Requested features**

- Edit tweet option
- Improved content moderation and enforcement of rules
- Customizable feed and better user control over content
- Enhanced privacy and data protection measures


### Google News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-news/id459182288)

**Currently charting:** #30 Top Free · News (US App Store)

This app aggregates and highlights global and local news stories tailored to your interests. It provides personalized briefings, in-depth coverage from multiple sources, and allows you to follow specific topics and news outlets. Stay informed on the go or on your desktop.

**Highlights:** Personalized news briefings, Local news from your area, Full coverage with multiple perspectives, Customizable topics and sources, Cross-device access

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Comprehensive news coverage
- 📰 Wide range of news sources
- 🔍 Customizable news feed
- 👍 Sleek and modern interface
- 🌐 Global news perspective

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔄 Annoying auto-refresh issues
- 💤 Slow article loading times
- 📢 Excessive ads and paywalls
- 🤖 Unreliable personalization algorithms

**Reported bugs**

- Articles not loading properly
- Sudden app crashes and freezes
- Inability to return to previous position in feed
- Incorrect or outdated news content
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved article bookmarking/saving
- Better control over news sources
- Smoother scrolling and navigation
- Faster updates and real-time news


## Frequently asked questions

### Is X free?

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

### Is Google News free?

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

### Which has better reviews, X or Google News?

X and Google News are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 11M and 226K ratings respectively.

### Do X or Google News have ads?

Both X and Google News show ads.

### Which is updated more often, X or Google News?

X ships an update every 3 days, and Google News monthly. Most recently, X was updated on September 24, 2026 and Google News on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, X or Google News?

X currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Google News at #30. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*