Comparison

Washington Post vs POLITICO

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

Head to head
About

Washington Post

Access award-winning global reporting and expert coverage from journalists. Stay informed with a 24/7 news feed, curated recommendations, and multimedia content. Enjoy a limited number of free stories or opt for unlimited digital access.

Highlights
  • 24/7 news feed
  • Morning briefing (The 7)
  • Customizable alerts
  • Podcasts and audio articles
  • Curated recommendations (My Post)
  • Multimedia content (graphics, video, AR)
Features
Read full description

Get award-winning global reporting from The Washington Post. The app is free to download and keeps you informed with expert coverage from Post journalists. PRODUCT FEATURES • Stay informed with the 24/7 feed of today’s news. • Wake up with The 7, a better morning briefing on the day’s most important and interesting stories. • Customize your alerts to be the first to know when news is breaking. • Catch up with today’s stories by listening to original podcasts and audio articles. • Discover something new in My Post, a curated feed with recommendations just for you. • Dive deeper into Post journalism with innovative graphics, video, and augmented reality exclusives. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS • Options: Download the free app and enjoy a limited number of complimentary stories each month. Get your first month of unlimited access for free, and only $11.99/month thereafter for your digital subscription. • Extras: Your subscription to The Washington Post lets you access The Post from all your devices, on the web and in the app. Premium subscribers also enjoy a bonus subscription to share and exclusive eBooks written by our journalists. • Payment: Payment will be charged to your iTunes account with the confirmation of your purchase. • Auto-renewal: Your subscription will auto-renew for $11.99 each month unless you cancel 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. The auto-renewal can be turned off at any time in the Account Settings section of the App Store. Please note, you will be unable to cancel your current subscription during an active subscription period. • Free trial: Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. • Privacy policy: https://www.washingtonpost.com/privacy-policy/2011/11/18/gIQASIiaiN_story.html • App Privacy information displayed below applies to users on iOS 14.5 or higher • Terms of service: https://www.washingtonpost.com/terms-of-service/2011/11/18/gIQAldiYiN_story.html • CA notice of collection: https://www.washingtonpost.com/privacy-policy/2011/11/18/gIQASIiaiN_story.html#CALIFORNIA • Do not sell my info (CA residents): https://www.washingtonpost.com/my-post/privacy-settings/

About

POLITICO

Get real-time political news and analysis delivered directly to your phone. This app offers a streamlined way to access breaking news and in-depth stories from a leading political news source.

Highlights
  • Up-to-the-minute insight
  • Political news analysis
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Sleek and navigable design
  • Dynamic stories
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Stay up to speed on the political news driving the day with the POLITICO iPhone app, featuring up-to-the-minute insight and analysis delivered straight to your phone. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's dynamic stories and breaking news alerts.

Screenshots

Washington Post4 screens
POLITICO4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: POLITICO at none against Washington Post's 12. POLITICO also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Washington Post's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly) and review sentiment (48% vs 29%). On price, rating, ads and device support 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. Washington Post sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. POLITICO asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Washington Post against 4.7 for POLITICO. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Washington Post has 636K ratings behind it against 49K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 48% of Washington Post's written reviews are positive against 29% of POLITICO's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Washington Post ships an update every 9 days, POLITICO monthly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Washington Post versus POLITICO: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWashington PostPOLITICO
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (636K ratings)4.7 (49K ratings)
Positive reviews48.0% of reviews — better29.4% of reviews
Number of ratings636K — better49K
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterMonthly
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#3 — better#52
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size110 MB129 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperThe Washington PostPOLITICO, LLC

Customer experience

Washington Post

All ratings636,108 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews2,533 reviews
Positive48.0%
Neutral9.4%
Negative42.6%

POLITICO

All ratings49,025 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral2.9%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews238 reviews
Positive29.4%
Neutral9.2%
Negative61.3%

User reviews

Washington Post

From 636K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🗞️ High-quality journalism
  • 🌍 Comprehensive global coverage
  • 🔍 Excellent investigative reporting
  • 🤝 Balanced and objective reporting
  • 🇺🇸 Insightful coverage of U.S. politics

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Biased or slanted reporting
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🔍 Lack of diverse political perspectives
  • 🤖 Poor performance of text-to-speech feature
  • 🔍 Excessive focus on U.S. politics

POLITICO

From 49K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent news coverage
  • 🔍 Thorough and insightful analysis
  • 🗞️ Reliable and trustworthy journalism
  • 📊 Valuable data and metrics

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔄 Difficulty refreshing content
  • 📱 Poor app performance and navigation
  • 🔍 Biased or partisan reporting
  • 🔍 Lack of objectivity

Bugs and requests

Washington Post

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent app crashes
  • Issues with login and account management
  • Inconsistent article formatting
  • Unreliable push notifications

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved search functionality
  • Ability to customize news feed
  • Integration of user comments within the app
  • Offline reading mode
  • Enhanced accessibility features

POLITICO

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezes and crashes
  • Inability to refresh content
  • Notifications not working properly
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to adjust font size
  • Offline reading mode
  • Improved article organization and search
  • More balanced political coverage

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Washington Post

Subscriptions5
  • Core1 Month trial$7.991 Month
  • Core1 Month trial3 variants$13.991 Month
  • Premium1 Month trial3 variants$18.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Core1 Year trial3 variants$139.991 Year
  • Premium1 Year trial$189.991 Year
One-time1
  • One-Day Pass$3.99
None

POLITICO

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Washington Post free?
Washington Post is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is POLITICO free?
POLITICO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Washington Post or POLITICO?
Washington Post and POLITICO are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 636K and 49K ratings respectively.
Do Washington Post or POLITICO have ads?
Both Washington Post and POLITICO show ads.
Which is updated more often, Washington Post or POLITICO?
Washington Post ships an update every 9 days, and POLITICO monthly. Most recently, Washington Post was updated on September 24, 2026 and POLITICO on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Washington Post or POLITICO?
Washington Post currently peaks at #3 in the App Store charts, and POLITICO at #52. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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