Comparison

Wisconsin State Journal vs Post Crescent

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

Head to head
About

Wisconsin State Journal

Access local news, sports, and weather for the Madison, Wisconsin area. Enjoy in-depth stories, exclusive commentary, photography, video, and podcasts. Subscribe for unlimited digital access and an ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • Personalized news topics
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Easy navigation
  • News Feed and E-edition reading
  • Video and podcast updates
  • Bookmark stories
  • Listen to articles
  • Customizable text size
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Your story lives in Madison. Get in-depth stories from the premier website for news, sports and entertainment in the Madison, Wisconsin area and beyond – including breaking news sports, opinion, obituaries, entertainment, and politics. From reporting on the Badgers and all of your favorite teams to the news that matters most in your community, we cover it all. Easily access the very latest news in an app built for you. Read, see, and hear exclusive commentary, stunning photography, video updates, and binge-worthy podcasts. Support local journalism by subscribing today for unlimited digital access. Plus, subscribers have the ability to upgrade to News+, our premium ad-free experience! That means faster-loading pages and an uninterrupted reading experience. Our app features: * Your Stories – personalize your experience by selecting the local news topics that matter most to you * Get notified – stay in the loop by selecting alerts for news, sports, weather, and more * Easy navigation – see all the latest local stories by simply swiping up/down, and left/right * Read stories your way – either in the News Feed or via the E-edition * Breaking news updates – top banners let you know what’s happening right now * Follow author – get notifications whenever your favorite writers post a story * Continue watching – pause a video and pick up where you left off across devices * Bookmark for later – save stories to enjoy at your leisure * Listen to articles – press the play button to listen instead * Customize your text size – make the content bigger or smaller in your profile settings * Weather where you are – hourly, 10-day forecasts, and frequent video updates Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to breaking news updates, analysis, and more. Get the Wisconsin State Journal in Your Inbox Get convenient, curated updates delivered to your Inbox. Sign up for Breaking News updates as they happen, the Afternoon Update for a roundup of the latest local top stories, Local Sports for the latest sports headlines, Food & Drink for foodies, Garage Sales for bargain hunters and many more. Visit https://madison.com/newsletters/ to view and subscribe to all of the Wisconsin State Journal Newsletters. Keep Up with the Wisconsin State Journal Follow us on Facebook and other social platforms: https://x.com/WiStateJournal https://www.pinterest.com/madisondotcom/ https://www.instagram.com/wistatejournal/ https://www.facebook.com/WisconsinStateJournal/ https://www.youtube.com/user/madisondotcomvids https://www.linkedin.com/company/wisconsin-state-journal/ About the Wisconsin State Journal The Wisconsin State Journal is the best source of news and information in south central and southwestern Wisconsin. It is the second largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is primarily distributed in a 15-county region in south central Wisconsin. We'd love to hear what you think! For any technical issues or questions, contact us at appsupport@lee.net https://madison.com/terms The Wisconsin State Journal is part of Lee Enterprises.

About

Post Crescent

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and engaging multimedia content. Receive real-time alerts for breaking news, sports scores, and weather. Customize your reading experience and access a digital replica of the print edition.

Highlights
  • In-depth local journalism
  • Breaking news and alerts
  • Sports coverage
  • Streamlined reading experience
  • Customizable settings
  • Offline reading
  • eNewspaper access
Features
Read full description

From critically acclaimed storytelling to powerful photography to engaging videos — the Post Crescent app delivers the local news that matters most to your community. APP FEATURES: • Access all of our in-depth journalism, including things to do around town, sports coverage from high school to the pros, and much more. • Enjoy a streamlined, fast-loading experience that makes it easy to view the stories, photos, and videos that matter to you. • Get breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts with real-time notifications tailored to your interests. • Customize your experience by saving your favorite stories, adjusting text size, using night mode, or reading offline. • eNewspaper: Just like our print edition but accessible on your mobile devices. And access to USA TODAY and 200+ local eNewspapers. MORE INFORMATION: • Privacy Policy: https://cm.postcrescent.com/privacy/ • Terms of Service: https://cm.postcrescent.com/terms/ • Help Center: https://help.postcrescent.com • Subscriptions are charged to your account at confirmation of purchase and automatically renew each month or year, unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information.

Screenshots

Wisconsin State Journal4 screens
Post Crescent4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Post Crescent at 4.3 against Wisconsin State Journal's 2.6. Post Crescent also leads on review sentiment (36% vs 15%). Wisconsin State Journal's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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. Wisconsin State Journal sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month and Post Crescent sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Post Crescent holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 553 and 829 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 15% of Wisconsin State Journal's written reviews are positive against 36% of Post Crescent's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Wisconsin State Journal versus Post Crescent: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWisconsin State JournalPost Crescent
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (553 ratings)4.3 (829 ratings) — better
Positive reviews15.2% of reviews35.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings553829 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#190#177 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size103 MB189 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperMadison Newspapers IncorporatedUSA TODAY Co., Inc.

Customer experience

Wisconsin State Journal

All ratings549 ratings
Positive37.9%
Neutral6.4%
Negative55.7%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive15.2%
Neutral8.8%
Negative76.0%

Post Crescent

All ratings828 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral8.0%
Negative9.7%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive35.5%
Neutral6.6%
Negative57.9%

User reviews

Wisconsin State Journal

From 553 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💻 Newspaper-like reading experience
  • 🕰 Ability to read the paper with a hot cup of coffee
  • 📰 Thorough coverage of local news and events

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent app performance, with freezing and crashing issues
  • ⏱ Slow page loading and navigation
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding and accessing specific content
  • 🔒 Frequent log-out issues and need to re-login
  • 🔀 Unreliable page turning and content jumping

Post Crescent

From 829 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Quick access to local news
  • 💡 Expanded online articles
  • 🗞️ Good source for local information

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🔒 Login and subscription issues
  • 🔍 Proofreading and factual errors
  • 📱 Compatibility problems with iOS updates
  • 💰 Unexpected billing and cancellation difficulties

Bugs and requests

Wisconsin State Journal

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Articles not opening or loading correctly
  • Repeated page resets and loss of reading position
  • Inconsistent behavior when swiping or tapping to turn pages

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved navigation and section-based browsing
  • Ability to easily share articles
  • Better font and layout customization options
  • Faster and more reliable performance

Post Crescent

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Constant crashes and freezes
  • Inability to log in or access subscribed content
  • Outdated content and lack of timely updates
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to print crossword puzzles and other content
  • Separate section for high school sports
  • Improved navigation and organization
  • Better integration between print and digital editions
  • Easier subscription management and cancellation

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Wisconsin State Journal

Subscriptions7
  • Subscriptions$29.991 Month
  • Subscriptions$42.991 Month
  • Subscriptions$46.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Subscriptions$50.001 Year
  • Subscriptions$289.991 Year
  • Subscriptions$344.991 Year
  • Subscriptions$379.991 Year
4 purchases

Post Crescent

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$14.991 Month
  • Monthly Digital Subscription1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • The Post-Crescent Digital Subscription1 Month trial$19.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • The Post-Crescent Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Wisconsin State Journal free?
Wisconsin State Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Post Crescent free?
Post Crescent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Wisconsin State Journal or Post Crescent?
Post Crescent is rated higher. Wisconsin State Journal averages 2.6 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while Post Crescent averages 4.3 from 829 ratings.
Do Wisconsin State Journal or Post Crescent have ads?
Both Wisconsin State Journal and Post Crescent show ads.
Which is updated more often, Wisconsin State Journal or Post Crescent?
Wisconsin State Journal ships an update monthly, and Post Crescent monthly. Most recently, Wisconsin State Journal was updated on October 24, 2026 and Post Crescent on October 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Wisconsin State Journal or Post Crescent?
Wisconsin State Journal currently peaks at #190 in the App Store charts, and Post Crescent at #177. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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