# Washington Post vs POLITICO

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Washington Post | POLITICO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (636K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/washington-post/id352509417/reviews) | [4.7 (49K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/politico/id358305912/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **636K** | 49K |
| Positive reviews | **48.0% of reviews** | 29.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | #52 |
| Size | 110 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Washington Post](https://appshunter.io/developer/352509420) | [POLITICO, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/358305915) |

## What reviewers say

### Washington Post

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/washington-post/id352509417)

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #6 Top Grossing · News, #26 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers, #54 Top Free · News (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Core | $7.99 | per month |
| Core | $13.99 | per month |
| Premium | $18.99 | per month |
| Core | $139.99 | per year |
| Premium | $189.99 | per year |
| One-Day Pass | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Issues with login and account management
- Inconsistent article formatting
- Unreliable push notifications

**Requested features**

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


### POLITICO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/politico/id358305912)

**Currently charting:** #52 Top Free · News (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked 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.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*