Comparison

ProPublica vs LaborShield

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

Head to head
About

ProPublica

Access in-depth investigative journalism covering critical topics like government, healthcare, and criminal justice. Enjoy a streamlined reading experience with offline support and notifications for major stories.

Highlights
  • Latest investigative journalism
  • Reporting on government and policy
  • Coverage of healthcare and criminal justice
  • Environmental reporting
  • Streamlined reading experience
  • Offline support
  • Story notifications
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

• Get the latest independent investigative journalism from ProPublica. • Dig deep into reporting about government and policy, health care, criminal justice, the environment and more. • Get a streamlined reading experience, with smart offline support and notifications for our biggest stories.

About

LaborShield

This app provides U.S. businesses with insights into labor risks in over 145 countries. It helps identify foreign goods made with unfair trade practices, strengthen supply chains, and prevent the import of items produced with forced labor.

Highlights
  • Identify goods made with labor abuses
  • Strengthen supply chain resilience
  • Prevent procurement of goods with forced labor
  • Review country labor laws and enforcement
  • Mitigate reputational damage
Features
Read full description

LaborShield is a comprehensive resource developed by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to power American job creation by exposing foreign goods made with unfair trade practices. This app puts ILAB’s research right at the fingertips of American enterprise, showing labor risks in more than 145 countries and helping U.S. businesses pinpoint exactly where problems might occur. With country and sector-specific insights, LaborShield empowers companies to self-assess their supply chains, spot red flags early, and take action before foreign labor abuses harm their reputation or America’s workers. Key things you can do with this app are: 1. Identify foreign goods made with labor abuses; 2. Strengthen supply chain resilience; 3. Prevent the procurement and importation of goods made with forced labor; 4. Review whether countries have strong laws and enforcement efforts; 5. See what businesses can do to mitigate reputational damage.

Screenshots

ProPublica4 screens
LaborShield4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ProPublica at 75% against LaborShield's 40%. ProPublica also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.3) and chart position (#126 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ProPublica holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 104 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of ProPublica's written reviews are positive against 40% of LaborShield's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ProPublica ships an update every 4 months, LaborShield every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
ProPublica versus LaborShield: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProPublicaLaborShield
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (104 ratings) — better4.3 (27 ratings)
Positive reviews74.8% of reviews — better40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings104 — better27
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#126 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB100 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperProPublicaU.S. Department of Labor

Customer experience

ProPublica

All ratings104 ratings
Positive83.7%
Neutral7.7%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive74.8%
Neutral6.5%
Negative18.7%

LaborShield

All ratings27 ratings
Positive81.5%
Neutral3.7%
Negative14.8%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative40.0%

Bugs and requests

ProPublica

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • App won't open or load content
  • Stories don't appear when clicked
  • MuckReads section fails to load
  • Data filter dropdowns non-functional
Show 5 more
  • Articles don't fit screen (horizontal scrolling required)
  • Images not resizing properly
  • App freezes phone
  • Device registration issues
  • Content never populates

Requested features

9 requests
  • Dark mode for nighttime reading
  • Bookmark/save articles function
  • Home screen widget
  • Adjustable font size
  • Persistent font size settings
Show 4 more
  • iOS 18 theme adherence
  • Read-later app integration (Instapaper, Pocket)
  • Improved article navigation
  • Better browsing of older stories

LaborShield

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ProPublica

No in-app purchases

None

LaborShield

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ProPublica free?
ProPublica is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LaborShield free?
LaborShield is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ProPublica or LaborShield?
ProPublica is rated higher. ProPublica averages 4.5 out of 5 from 104 ratings, while LaborShield averages 4.3 from 27 ratings.
Do ProPublica or LaborShield have ads?
Neither ProPublica nor LaborShield shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ProPublica or LaborShield?
ProPublica ships an update every 4 months, and LaborShield every 2 months. Most recently, ProPublica was updated on October 13, 2026 and LaborShield on September 30, 2026.

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