# 南方周末 vs 凤凰FM

The clearest difference is rating: 凤凰FM at 4.0 against 南方周末's 2.5. 凤凰FM also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). 南方周末's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (74% vs 46%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 南方周末 sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and 凤凰FM sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

凤凰FM holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 32 and 13 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of 南方周末's written reviews are positive against 46% of 凤凰FM's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 南方周末 | 凤凰FM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id333953812/reviews) | **[4.0 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fm/id1075700108/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **32** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **74.4% of reviews** | 46.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 263 MB | 102 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Guangdong Southern Weekly New Media Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/333953815) | [凤凰爱听(北京)信息技术有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/921306282) |

## 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 (15)**

| 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78元 | $9.99 | 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


### 凤凰FM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fm/id1075700108)

Access a vast library of audio content including news, lectures, audiobooks, and entertainment. Features AI-powered news briefs, personalized story creation for children, and health tips. Offers daily news updates and specialized programs on technology, finance, and more.

**Highlights:** AI-powered news briefs, Personalized AI children's stories, Health and wellness tips, News, lectures, and audiobooks, 24-hour news updates, Specialized content on tech and finance

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 凤凰FM 29.9连续包月会员费用 | $3.99 | per month |
| 18凤凰币 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 1个月会员 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 50凤凰币 | $7.99 | one-time |
| 六个月会员 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 凤凰FM半年会员（6个月） | $14.99 | one-time |
| 128凤凰币 | $19.99 | one-time |
| 158凤凰币 | $23.99 | one-time |
| 168凤凰币 | $24.99 | one-time |
| 1年会员 | $24.99 | one-time |
| 12个月会员 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 223凤凰币 | $32.99 | one-time |
| 228凤凰币 | $33.99 | one-time |
| 288凤凰币 | $45.99 | one-time |
| 298凤凰币 | $46.99 | one-time |
| 348凤凰币 | $49.99 | 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 凤凰FM free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 南方周末 or 凤凰FM?

凤凰FM is rated higher. 南方周末 averages 2.5 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while 凤凰FM averages 4.0 from 13 ratings.

### Do 南方周末 or 凤凰FM have ads?

凤凰FM shows ads; 南方周末 does not.

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

南方周末 ships an update every 3 weeks, and 凤凰FM every 3 weeks. Most recently, 南方周末 was updated on October 31, 2026 and 凤凰FM on October 26, 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.*