# 南方周末 vs 南方Plus

The clearest difference is rating: 南方Plus at 4.1 against 南方周末's 2.5. 南方Plus also leads on monetization model (free vs subscription) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 南方周末 sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and 南方Plus sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

南方Plus holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 32 and 18 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of 南方周末's written reviews are positive against 71% of 南方Plus's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

南方周末 ships an update every 3 weeks, 南方Plus monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 南方周末 | 南方Plus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id333953812/reviews) | **[4.1 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plus/id1041891085/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **32** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | **74.4% of reviews** | 71.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 262 MB | 128 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Guangdong Southern Weekly New Media Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/333953815) | [广东南方报业移动媒体有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1247398040) |

## What reviewers say

### 南方周末

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id333953812)

Access in-depth news, opinion pieces, and cultural content from a trusted Chinese media outlet. Enjoy enhanced reading and listening experiences with original reporting, historical archives, and curated humanistic courses.

**Highlights:** In-depth news reporting, Original articles and opinion pieces, Audio playback of content, Humanistic courses and lectures, Historical newspaper and magazine archives, Interactive voting and discussion features

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 南方周末会员月订阅 | $3.99 | per month |
| 南方周末会员季订阅 | $10.99 | per 3 months |
| 南方周末会员年订阅 | $25.99 | per year |
| 打赏文章6元 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 充值南周币6元 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 充值南周币8元 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 打赏文章12元 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 充值南周币28元 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 打赏文章50元 | $6.99 | one-time |
| 充值南周币68元 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 充值南周币98元 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 充值南周币128元 | $19.99 | one-time |
| 充值南周币188元 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 充值南周币288元 | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 High-quality, in-depth journalism content
- 🎨 Clean, elegant, and well-designed interface
- 📱 Smooth and fluid user experience (in earlier versions)
- 🔄 Responsive customer support and quick updates
- 📖 Magazine-style layout and presentation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and instability
- ⏳ Severe lag and stuttering performance
- 🌐 Network connectivity issues and error messages
- 📺 No landscape/horizontal screen support
- 💰 Excessive ads despite paid membership

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup (especially on older devices like iPhone 3G, iPad 4)
- Content fails to load or gets stuck in loading state
- Network error messages despite normal connectivity
- Image view mode has no exit button, requires app restart
- Swipe gesture for navigation fails frequently

**Requested features**

- Landscape/horizontal screen orientation support for iPad
- Improved article navigation and back button functionality
- Better optimization for iPhone XR, XS Max, and newer devices
- Content update indicators and new content highlighting
- Article collection/bookmark feature


### 南方Plus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plus/id1041891085)

This official news app provides real-time, authoritative information and in-depth analysis on Guangdong province. It features 21 city-specific channels, live video broadcasts, and integrated government and lifestyle services. Stay informed about official announcements and local news with a team of professional journalists.

**Highlights:** Authoritative Guangdong news and analysis, 21 city-specific news channels, Live video broadcasts of news events, Integrated government and lifestyle services, Official announcements and updates, Platform for new media distribution

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 精品内容45元 | $6.99 | one-time |
| 精品内容50元 | $7.99 | one-time |
| 精品内容60元 | $8.99 | one-time |
| 精品内容68元 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 精品内容73元 | $10.99 | one-time |
| 精品内容78元 | $11.99 | one-time |
| 精品内容88元 | $12.99 | one-time |
| 精品内容93元 | $13.99 | one-time |
| 精品内容98元 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 精品内容108元 | $15.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 南方周末 free?

南方周末 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is 南方Plus free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 南方周末 or 南方Plus?

南方Plus is rated higher. 南方周末 averages 2.5 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while 南方Plus averages 4.1 from 18 ratings.

### Do 南方周末 or 南方Plus have ads?

Neither 南方周末 nor 南方Plus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 南方周末 or 南方Plus?

南方周末 ships an update every 3 weeks, and 南方Plus monthly. Most recently, 南方周末 was updated on September 26, 2026 and 南方Plus on September 9, 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.*