QCTimes vs BadgerExtra
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
QCTimes
Access local news, sports, and in-depth stories from the Illinois Quad-Cities region. Enjoy exclusive commentary, photography, video, and podcasts. Personalize your news feed and receive breaking alerts.
- Personalized local news topics
- Breaking news and custom alerts
- Exclusive commentary and podcasts
- Photo and video updates
- Article listening option
- Customizable text size
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Your story lives in the Illinois Quad-Cities. From reporting on all of your favorite teams to the news that matters most, we cover it all. Get in-depth stories from the region and beyond – including news, sports, opinion, obituaries, entertainment, and politics. Easily access the very latest news in an app built for you. Read, see, and hear exclusive commentary, stunning photography, video updates, and binge-worthy podcasts. Plus, subscribers have the ability to upgrade to News+, our premium ad-free experience! That means faster-loading pages and an uninterrupted reading experience. Our app features: * Your Stories – personalize your experience by selecting the local news topics that matter most to you * Get notified – stay in the loop by selecting alerts for news, sports, weather, and more * Easy navigation – see all the latest local stories by simply swiping up/down, and left/right. * Read stories your way – either in the News Feed or via the E-edition * Breaking news updates – top banners let you know what’s happening right now * Follow author – get notifications whenever your favorite writers post a story * Bookmark for later – save stories to enjoy at your leisure * Listen to articles – press the play button to listen instead * Customize your text size – make the content bigger or smaller in your profile settings * Weather where you are – hourly, 10-day forecasts, and frequent video updates Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. https://qctimes.com/terms
BadgerExtra
Get exclusive Wisconsin Badgers sports coverage, including reporter Q&As, podcasts, videos, and recruiting news. Access historical content and subscriber-only newsletters for all major UW sports. Features live chats and behind-the-scenes interviews with athletes.
- Exclusive reporter Q&As
- Podcasts and videos
- Recruiting news and analysis
- Historical interactives
- Subscriber-only newsletters
- Live chats with reporters
- Behind-the-scenes athlete interviews
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BadgerExtra: Bringing you the best coverage of Wisconsin Badgers sports – featuring EXCLUSIVE reporter Q&As, podcasts, videos, recruiting news and analysis, historical interactives, and subscriber-only newsletters. BadgerExtra covers the range of University of Wisconsin sports — the legendary football program, the powerhouse volleyball team, the perennially competitive men’s basketball team, and the always-exciting softball squad, to mention just a few. You’ll get all the coverage that has made the Wisconsin State Journal the top source for UW sports news for generations, plus new exclusive content such as: * Weekly live chats with reporters and columnists * Access to the premium video podcast Open Jim, on which columnist Jim Polzin answers reader questions about the state of the Badgers * Text your burning Badger questions to our experts * One on One: Video interviews take you behind the scenes to show what life is like for current standout Badgers athletes * Badger Legends: Get lost in Badger nostalgia and take a deep dive into our archives for an interactive trip back to the most significant moments and best athletes in Wisconsin history * A full schedule — game days and times for your favorite Badger teams Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. Apple Pay accepted. Go, Bucky! https://www.badgerextra.com/terms/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: QCTimes at 213 against BadgerExtra's 22. BadgerExtra's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. QCTimes sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $27.99 per month and BadgerExtra sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
BadgerExtra holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: QCTimes has 213 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 28% of QCTimes's written reviews are positive against 25% of BadgerExtra's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
QCTimes ships an update every 2 months, BadgerExtra monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | QCTimes | BadgerExtra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (213 ratings) | 3.7 (22 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 27.6% of reviews — better | 25.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 213 — better | 22 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 101 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Madison Newspapers Incorporated | Lee Enterprises |
Customer experience
QCTimes
BadgerExtra
Bugs and requests
QCTimes
Reported bugs
14 issues- App crashes frequently
- Stories fail to open
- App tells users they need to subscribe when they already do
- Blank screen on app open
- Page not available for download messages
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- Ads that cannot be clicked out of
- Update pop-ups that prevent updates
- App redirects to other apps/ads
- Freezes and pop-ups
- PDF version not opening
- Inconsistent performance
- Obituaries not updated
- Sports section issues
- Old app worked better
Requested features
10 requests- Bring back obituaries
- Add pull to refresh
- Include gas prices
- More pictures with articles
- Dedicated weather page
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- Improve subscription access
- Fix ad pop-ups
- Make news current
- Restore old app features
- Improve navigation
BadgerExtra
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
QCTimes
- Subscriptions$27.991 Month
- Subscriptions$40.991 Month
- Subscriptions$44.991 Month
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Subscriptions$50.001 Year
- Subscriptions$269.991 Year
- Subscriptions$329.991 Year
- Subscriptions$364.991 Year
BadgerExtra
- BadgerExtra Digital Plus$12.991 Month
Questions
Is QCTimes free?
Is BadgerExtra free?
Which has better reviews, QCTimes or BadgerExtra?
Do QCTimes or BadgerExtra have ads?
Which is updated more often, QCTimes or BadgerExtra?
Other comparisons
