# QCTimes vs Des Moines Register

The clearest difference is rating: Des Moines Register at 4.3 against QCTimes's 3.5. Des Moines Register also leads on ratings volume (2.9K vs 212) and chart position (#94 vs unranked). QCTimes's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. QCTimes sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $27.99 per month and Des Moines Register sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Des Moines Register holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Des Moines Register has 2.9K ratings behind it against 212, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of QCTimes's written reviews are positive against 39% of Des Moines Register's.

QCTimes ships an update every 2 months, Des Moines Register every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | QCTimes | Des Moines Register |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (212 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qctimes/id356499313/reviews) | **[4.3 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/des-moines-register/id524153305/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 212 | **2.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 27.6% of reviews | **39.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#94** |
| Size | 103 MB | 189 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Madison Newspapers Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/345874451) | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) |

## 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


### Des Moines Register

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/des-moines-register/id524153305)

**Currently charting:** #94 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #144 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and breaking alerts. Access a digital replica of the print edition, customize your reading experience, and enjoy content on the go.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news and alerts, Digital eNewspaper replica, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading, Sports and events coverage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Des Moines Register Digital Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $24.99 | per month |
| Des Moines Register Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Best local news
- 📰 Like reading the paper
- 🗞️ Excellent newspaper
- 🔍 Great source for up-to-date local and state news
- 📰 Excellent news

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Doesn't work well for paid subscribers
- 🚫 Useless
- 🚫 Every Article Needs a Subscription
- 🚫 Terrible app that replaced Print Edition app
- 🚫 Hard to enlarge and read

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Page crashes when video is embedded in article
- Can't sign in
- Keeps asking for renewal though I have done that

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Search function
- Ability to pause subscription
- Option to turn off sports news


## Frequently asked questions

### Is QCTimes free?

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

### Is Des Moines Register free?

Des Moines Register is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, QCTimes or Des Moines Register?

Des Moines Register is rated higher. QCTimes averages 3.5 out of 5 from 212 ratings, while Des Moines Register averages 4.3 from 2.9K ratings.

### Do QCTimes or Des Moines Register have ads?

Both QCTimes and Des Moines Register show ads.

### Which is updated more often, QCTimes or Des Moines Register?

QCTimes ships an update every 2 months, and Des Moines Register every 3 weeks. Most recently, QCTimes was updated on October 23, 2026 and Des Moines Register on October 24, 2026.

---

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