Washington Post vs POLITICO
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 24/7 news feed
- Morning briefing (The 7)
- Customizable alerts
- Podcasts and audio articles
- Curated recommendations (My Post)
- Multimedia content (graphics, video, AR)
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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/
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.
- Up-to-the-minute insight
- Political news analysis
- Breaking news alerts
- Sleek and navigable design
- Dynamic stories
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
Washington Post ships an update every 9 days, POLITICO monthly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Washington Post | POLITICO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (636K ratings) | 4.7 (49K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 48.0% of reviews — better | 29.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 636K — better | 49K |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Best chart rank | #3 — better | #52 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 110 MB | 129 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Washington Post | POLITICO, LLC |
Customer experience
Washington Post
POLITICO
User reviews
Washington Post
From 636K App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
Washington Post
- Core1 Month trial$7.991 Month
- Core1 Month trial3 variants$13.991 Month
- Premium1 Month trial3 variants$18.991 Month
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- Core1 Year trial3 variants$139.991 Year
- Premium1 Year trial$189.991 Year
- One-Day Pass$3.99
POLITICO
No in-app purchases









