ProPublica vs The Philadelphia Inquirer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Latest investigative journalism
- Reporting on government and policy
- Coverage of healthcare and criminal justice
- Environmental reporting
- Streamlined reading experience
- Offline support
- Story notifications
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• 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.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Access award-winning local news, sports, and insights with a streamlined reading experience. Stay informed with breaking alerts, customizable feeds, and convenient features like dark mode and adjustable text sizes. Offers digital subscriptions for full access.
- Intuitive news feed
- Seamless section navigation
- Bookmarking and sharing
- Breaking news alerts
- Customizable news feed
- Adjustable text size
- Dark mode
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Staying on top of award-winning Philadelphia news is now faster and easier than ever with The Philadelphia Inquirer’s iPhone and iPad app — the official iOS news app for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News. With The Philadelphia Inquirer App you can: Discover the latest breaking news and important updates with our intuitive news feed and uncluttered reading experience. Explore the news topics you care about, from sports teams like the Eagles and Phillies to local news and insights, with our seamless section navigation. Remember the stories that matter to you with quick action buttons for bookmarking and sharing. Never miss a story with Basic and Premium digital all-access subscriptions, available as an in-app purchase. Additional Features: Alerts and Notifications — Be the first to know with verified breaking news. Easily access breaking news articles with one tap on a notification. Newsletters — Stay on top of the news in your inbox. Sign up for the newsletters you’d like to receive to get the very best of The Inquirer. Frequent Updates — Stay connected with 24/7 coverage and other important news throughout the day. Log In — Use your existing Inquirer account or register a new one. Customized Feed — Customize your news feed to follow the topics that matter most to you. Switch between your custom feed and Latest Headlines with just a tap. Custom Text Size — Read more comfortably with the ability to increase/decrease article font sizes. Split Screen Support — Multitask with The Inquirer App and other apps at the same time on compatible iPads. Today Widget — Quickly access the latest headlines by adding our custom widget to your homescreen or Today screen. Dark Mode — Activate from the Settings tab and the app will switch to dark mode when activated on your device for easier nighttime reading. We’d love to hear your feedback! Reach out to our support team under Settings > Submit Feedback.
Screenshots
Verdict
ProPublica and The Philadelphia Inquirer both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of ProPublica's written reviews are positive against 36% of The Philadelphia Inquirer's. ProPublica also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). The Philadelphia Inquirer's advantage is ratings volume (18K vs 104) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). On price, rating, chart position 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. The Philadelphia Inquirer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. ProPublica asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for ProPublica against 4.6 for The Philadelphia Inquirer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Philadelphia Inquirer has 18K ratings behind it against 104, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of ProPublica's written reviews are positive against 36% of The Philadelphia Inquirer's.
ProPublica ships an update every 4 months, The Philadelphia Inquirer monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ProPublica | The Philadelphia Inquirer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (104 ratings) | 4.6 (18K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 74.8% of reviews — better | 35.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 104 | 18K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #47 | #28 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 218 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | ProPublica | Philadelphia Media Network, Inc. |
Customer experience
ProPublica
The Philadelphia Inquirer
User reviews
ProPublica
From 104 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📰 High-quality investigative journalism
- ✅ Factual, unbiased reporting
- 🎯 In-depth, well-researched stories
- 🆓 Ad-free content
- 🧹 Clean, simple interface
Room to improve
- 🌙 Bright white screen (no dark mode)
- 📤 Social sharing doesn't include headlines
- ⚠️ Outdated app updates
- 🖼️ Image sizing issues on older devices
- 🔄 Slow initial loading times
The Philadelphia Inquirer
From 18K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🗞️ Solid online edition of newspaper
- 👍 Provides a good reading experience
- 🔍 Comprehensive news coverage
- 🗓️ Timely and relevant news
- 📰 Essential for local news
Room to improve
- 🔍 Biased and opinionated reporting
- 🤖 Intrusive and disruptive ads
- 🤯 Frustrating navigation and UI
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
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 moreShow fewer
- 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 moreShow fewer
- iOS 18 theme adherence
- Read-later app integration (Instapaper, Pocket)
- Improved article navigation
- Better browsing of older stories
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Reported bugs
4 issues- Articles not loading or updating properly
- Compatibility issues with certain WiFi connections
- Repeated crashes when interacting with ads
- Scrolling issues and content being obscured by ads
Requested features
5 requests- Save/share articles with options to print, email, or link
- Ability to clip and share articles
- Dark mode option
- Improved article organization and search
- Better integration with email and browsers
In-app purchases
ProPublica
No in-app purchases
The Philadelphia Inquirer
- Inquirer Digital Subscription1 Year trial$19.991 Month
- Premium Digital Access3 Months trial$27.991 Month
- Day Pass$0.99
Questions
Is ProPublica free?
Is The Philadelphia Inquirer free?
Which has better reviews, ProPublica or The Philadelphia Inquirer?
Do ProPublica or The Philadelphia Inquirer have ads?
Which is updated more often, ProPublica or The Philadelphia Inquirer?
Which is more popular, ProPublica or The Philadelphia Inquirer?
Other comparisons
