Comparison

Washington Post vs LA Times

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 subscribe to get unlimited access. • 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 three extra accounts to share. • Payment: Payment will be charged to your iTunes account with the confirmation of your purchase. • Auto-renewal: Your subscription will auto-renew 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

LA Times

Access award-winning journalism, breaking news, and in-depth coverage of California and global events. Browse digital content or the eNewspaper, save articles, and watch exclusive videos. Stay informed with curated news feeds and push notifications.

Highlights
  • Award-winning journalism
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Digital content browsing
  • eNewspaper access
  • Save articles to 'My Library'
  • Exclusive video content
Features
Read full description

Get the trustworthy news you need everywhere you go with the Los Angeles Times app. Receive instant access to our award-winning journalism, breaking news, politics, the best in food, entertainment, events and more for Southern California and the world. Updated with a new design, the L.A. Times app gives you the option of browsing our digital content or paging through the eNewspaper. Our content includes in-depth coverage of Los Angeles, California and the West; exclusive narrative storytelling such as “Column One”; revitalized reporting on the latest in food and dining; a unique take on politics and the 2020 campaign; comprehensive coverage of the arts, pop culture and the entertainment industry; on and off-season reporting on L.A.’s home teams and major sports events. New tools include “My Library,” to save your own reading list, and a video section to access the latest short documentaries and other videos. Download the iOS app to experience our new digital publishing platform. APP FEATURES: • Top News: Scan a curated feed of the most important news as it happens • Push notifications: Get the latest news from our newsroom as soon as stories break • eNewspaper experience: Download today’s issue for offline reading and browse archives of past issues • Video section: Enjoy exclusive video • My Library: View saved stories and view your recent activity • Share content easily with Twitter, Facebook, or email SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS: • If you’re a current digital subscriber, sign in with your email address and password to get unlimited access to the app’s content. • Non-subscribers, download the app a select number of stories stories each month. For full access, try a free month of Unlimited Digital Access to the app, the L.A. Times website, and our eNewspaper; then it's only $15.99 a month. Make sure to create a registration while in the app so you'll be able to log in to the website and eNewspaper when you visit them in web browsers. • Your subscription automatically renews each month unless auto-renew is turned off within your Account Settings at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. • Your iTunes account will be charged $15.99 for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable • You can read our Privacy Policy here: https://www.latimes.com/privacy-policy • You can read our Terms of Service here: https://www.latimes.com/terms-of-service • CA Notice of Collection - https://www.latimes.com/privacy-policy#california-notice-of-collection • Do Not Sell My Info - https://membership.latimes.com/privacy-settings • Questions about your subscription, including adding or removing access to the L.A. Times website from your app access, can be directed to Customer Service: 213-347-5300. TECHNICAL HELP AND ASSISTANCE: If you ever have questions about how the app works, want to provide helpful feedback, or experience crashes or freezes after installing an update, please contact us at mobile@latimes.com. A quick email to our support team helps our developers identify and resolve issues faster. We work hard to make sure you have the best experience using our app.

Screenshots

Washington Post4 screens
LA Times4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Washington Post at free with in-app purchases against LA Times's subscription. Washington Post also leads on ratings volume (640K vs 20K) and review sentiment (48% vs 29%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 and LA Times sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Washington Post against 4.6 for LA Times. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Washington Post has 640K ratings behind it against 20K, 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 LA Times's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Washington Post ships an update every 9 days, LA Times every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Washington Post versus LA Times: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWashington PostLA Times
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (640K ratings) — better4.6 (20K ratings)
Positive reviews48.0% of reviews — better29.1% of reviews
Number of ratings640K — better20K
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#4 — better#17
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB37 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperThe Washington PostLos Angeles Times Communications LLC

Customer experience

Washington Post

All ratings639,734 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews2,614 reviews
Positive48.0%
Neutral9.4%
Negative42.7%

LA Times

All ratings19,567 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral3.7%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews127 reviews
Positive29.1%
Neutral10.2%
Negative60.6%

User reviews

Washington Post

From 640K 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

LA Times

From 20K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth navigation
  • 👍 Great UI design
  • 🚀 Fast load times
  • 💡 Useful features like traffic alerts
  • 👍 Comprehensive local and national news coverage

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy search functionality
  • 🔒 Subscription issues and paywall problems
  • 🔋 Slow performance on older devices
  • 👎 Outdated or irrelevant content
  • 👎 Overwhelming with ads

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

LA Times

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Images not loading properly
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Paywall issues preventing access to content
  • Sync problems between app and website

Requested features

5 requests
  • Customizable news feed and section ordering
  • Offline reading mode
  • Better integration with subscription accounts
  • Improved article navigation and scrolling
  • Accessibility features for visually impaired users

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
7 purchases

LA Times

Subscriptions5
  • Stage News App Only$4.991 Month
  • News App Only$4.991 Month
  • Unlimited Digital Access3 Months trial$5.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Unlimited Access - Stage App$7.991 Month
  • Unlimited Digital Access1 Month trial$15.991 Month
One-time2
  • Jonathan Gold's 101 List$2.99
  • Jonathan Gold's 101 List for 2016$2.99

Questions

Is Washington Post free?
Washington Post is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LA Times free?
LA Times is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Washington Post or LA Times?
Washington Post is rated higher. Washington Post averages 4.7 out of 5 from 640K ratings, while LA Times averages 4.6 from 20K ratings.
Do Washington Post or LA Times have ads?
Both Washington Post and LA Times show ads.
Which is updated more often, Washington Post or LA Times?
Washington Post ships an update every 9 days, and LA Times every 4 weeks. Most recently, Washington Post was updated on October 29, 2026 and LA Times on October 29, 2026.
Which is more popular, Washington Post or LA Times?
Washington Post currently peaks at #4 in the App Store charts, and LA Times at #17. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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