# QCTimes vs BadgerExtra

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | QCTimes | BadgerExtra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (213 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qctimes/id356499313/reviews) | **[3.7 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/badgerextra/id460186290/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **213** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | **27.6% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 101 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Madison Newspapers Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/345874451) | [Lee Enterprises](https://appshunter.io/developer/366562520) |

## What reviewers say

### QCTimes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qctimes/id356499313)

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.

**Highlights:** Personalized local news topics, Breaking news and custom alerts, Exclusive commentary and podcasts, Photo and video updates, Article listening option, Customizable text size

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscriptions | $27.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $40.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $44.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $50.00 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $269.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $329.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $364.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great local news source
- 📱 Easy to use on mobile
- 📰 Good newspaper content
- 🚀 Fast updates (historically)
- 💬 Ability to comment on stories

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😩 Invasive and unclosable ads
- 🐌 Slow response times
- 🗞️ Outdated news content
- 👎 Poor app performance
- 🗑️ Difficult navigation

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Bring back obituaries
- Add pull to refresh
- Include gas prices
- More pictures with articles
- Dedicated weather page


### BadgerExtra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/badgerextra/id460186290)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BadgerExtra Digital Plus | $12.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is QCTimes free?

QCTimes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is BadgerExtra free?

BadgerExtra is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, QCTimes or BadgerExtra?

BadgerExtra is rated higher. QCTimes averages 3.5 out of 5 from 213 ratings, while BadgerExtra averages 3.7 from 22 ratings.

### Do QCTimes or BadgerExtra have ads?

Both QCTimes and BadgerExtra show ads.

### Which is updated more often, QCTimes or BadgerExtra?

QCTimes ships an update every 2 months, and BadgerExtra monthly. Most recently, QCTimes was updated on October 29, 2026 and BadgerExtra on October 23, 2026.

---

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