Comparison

Newser vs Mother Jones

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Newser

Get informed with concise news stories, typically two paragraphs long, covering the day's most important and interesting events. A grid format allows for quick scanning of headlines to stay updated.

Highlights
  • Brief news stories
  • Two-paragraph summaries
  • Grid format headlines
  • Stay informed quickly
  • Important and interesting news
Features
Read full description

Newser makes it easy to read less and know more: Our stories are brief – usually two paragraphs that tell you all you need to know about the day’s most important and interesting news. Too busy for that? We get it. Our grid format gives you a simple way to scan the day’s headlines and stay informed.

About

Mother Jones

Access award-winning investigative journalism on politics, climate, and more. This nonprofit news outlet provides in-depth reporting and storytelling that informs and inspires.

Highlights
  • Award-winning investigative journalism
  • Reporting on politics and climate change
  • In-depth investigations
  • Storytelling that informs and inspires
  • Magazine subscriptions available
Read full description

Mother Jones is a nonprofit news outlet that delivers bold and original award-winning reporting on the urgent issues of our day, from politics and climate change to education and the food we eat. We investigate stories that are in the public and the nation's interest. From revelatory scoops to deep-dive investigations, Mother Jones journalism is storytelling that informs and inspires 9 million monthly readers. We are headquartered in San Francisco and have bureaus in Washington, DC, and New York City. Mother Jones has been nominated for more than 30 National Magazine Awards and has won seven times, including for General Excellence in 2001, 2008, and 2010. In addition, Mother Jones has been recognized repeatedly with top industry honors, including two National Press Club Awards, three Online News Association Awards, and the Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award two years in a row. Mother Jones has also been named a finalist for eight Data Journalism Awards. Magazine Subscriptions are available for purchase inside this app. One year subscription - $13.99 (automatically renewed until canceled) Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your iTunes account will automatically be charged at the same price for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period unless you change your subscription preferences in your account settings. You can manage your subscriptions through your account settings after purchase on your device. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Please visit http://www.magzter.com/ns/privacy-policy.html for our Privacy Policy and http://www.magzter.com/ns/terms_condition.html for our Terms & Conditions

Screenshots

Newser4 screens
Mother Jones4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Mother Jones at 3.5 against Newser's 2.4. Mother Jones also leads on chart position (#198 vs unranked). Newser's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mother Jones sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per year. Newser asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mother Jones holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 107 and 168 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 20% and 20% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Newser ships an update fortnightly, Mother Jones every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Newser versus Mother Jones: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNewserMother Jones
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.4 (107 ratings)3.5 (168 ratings) — better
Positive reviews20.2% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings107168 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#198 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better11.0
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB29 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperNewserMagzter Inc.

Customer experience

Newser

All ratings91 ratings
Positive30.8%
Neutral5.5%
Negative63.7%
Written reviews84 reviews
Positive20.2%
Neutral6.0%
Negative73.8%

Mother Jones

All ratings167 ratings
Positive62.3%
Neutral3.6%
Negative34.1%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative73.3%

In-app purchases

None

Newser

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Mother Jones

Subscriptions1
  • 1 Year Digital Subscription7 Days trial$13.991 Year
One-time9
  • Mother Jones - May/June 2016$6.99
  • Mother Jones - July/August 2016$6.99
  • Mother Jones - September/October 2016$6.99
Show 6 more
  • Mother Jones - November - December 2016$6.99
  • Mother Jones - January - February 2017$6.99
  • Mother Jones - July - August 2017$6.99
  • Mother Jones Jan/Feb 2024$6.99
  • January/February 2025$6.99
  • Mother Jones Nov/Dec 2024$6.99

Questions

Is Newser free?
Newser is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mother Jones free?
Mother Jones is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Newser or Mother Jones?
Mother Jones is rated higher. Newser averages 2.4 out of 5 from 107 ratings, while Mother Jones averages 3.5 from 168 ratings.
Do Newser or Mother Jones have ads?
Neither Newser nor Mother Jones shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Newser or Mother Jones?
Newser ships an update fortnightly, and Mother Jones every 4 months. Most recently, Newser was updated on October 31, 2026 and Mother Jones on November 6, 2026.

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