Comparison

VicEmergency vs Australia Channel

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

Head to head
About

VicEmergency

Receive official emergency warnings and information for Victoria, Australia. Set up personalized watch zones to get alerts for areas that matter to you, and view a live incident map with real-time updates.

Highlights
  • Live incident map
  • Personalized watch zones
  • Push notifications for warnings
  • GPS integration for location
  • Forecast Fire Danger Ratings
  • Total Fire Ban status
Features
Read full description

VicEmergency is the official Victorian Government app for emergency warnings and information. Download VicEmergency, set up a user profile and watch zones to ensure you receive official warnings and information for areas that interest you. Watch the VicEmergency video at www.youtube.com/channel/UCskGgVGdfEp1C3BMiiwAyzQ To review support articles or submit a request, visit http://support.emergency.vic.gov.au Main Features: • Live incident map showing current warnings, planned burns and other types of incidents across Victoria.*** • Simple to create a profile and use watch zones that ensure you get official warnings for your local area. Warnings and information* are pushed out to a user's phone when issued by Victoria’s emergency services.  • GPS integration to determine your current location** and surrounding incidents.  • Emergency Warnings, Warnings, Advice and information as issued by Victoria’s emergency services • Share incidents and warnings with friends and family. • View forecast Fire Danger Ratings on the map. • View today's and tomorrow’s Total Fire Ban status. * Your device must have an internet connection to receive warnings and information issued by Victorian emergency services.  ** To view your current location, GPS must be switched on and location functionality enabled. *** Map symbols represent the origin of the emergency, not its current location or spread. The VicEmergency app is just one tool to assist you to access warnings and information about emergencies, however you should never rely on just one information channel. Emergency services use a range of other information channels including SKY TV, ABC local radio, some commercial and designated community radio stations, VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226, VicEmergency website on www.emergency.vic.gov.au and VicEmergency Twitter and Facebook. Are you getting a message asking you to turn on notifications? You need to ensure that push notifications are enabled specifically for the VicEmergency app, as follows: For iOS10, iOS9, iOS8 and iOS6: 1. Click on the Settings icon and then select Notifications.  2. Scroll down, click the VicEmergency icon 3. Ensure 'Allow Notifications" or "Notification Centre" (iOS6) at top of the screen is set to On.  4. We recommend that you set Alert Style as 'Banners' or Alerts' and ensure that Sounds and "Show on Lock Screen" or "View in Lock Screen" (iOS6) are set to On.  For iOS7:  1. Open the device's Settings icon and then select 'Notification Center'. 2. Under 'Access on Lock Screen', check that 'Notifications View' is On (showing as green). 3. Scroll further down and ensure that VicEmergency is in the list under INCLUDE. Click it to open it. 4. At the top, set Alert Style as 'Banners' or Alerts' 5. Then ensure that everything in this section is turned On - ‘Badge App Icon’, ‘Sounds’, 'Show in Notification Center', 'Show on Lock Screen’, etc (all should be showing as green).

About

Australia Channel

Stream live news, political coverage, documentaries, and analysis from Australia's leading newsmakers while overseas. Access opinion shows and insights from top journalists and commentators. Not available in Australia or New Zealand.

Highlights
  • Live political coverage
  • Top-rated opinion shows
  • Original documentaries
  • Live news, sport, business, weather analysis
  • Commentator insights
Features
Read full description

Stream News24 while you’re overseas with Australia Channel. Access unmissable live political coverage, top-rated opinion shows, a catalogue of original documentaries, plus live news, sport, business and weather analysis. Real news and honest views from Australia's leading newsmakers and political commentators. Hear all sides of the debate with Peta Credlin, Andrew Bolt, Paul Murray, Chris Kenny and Sharri Markson. Get the latest political analysis from award-winning journalists including Kieran Gilbert, Andrew Clennell, Laura Jayes, Ashleigh Gillon, Tom Connell and Peter Stefanovic. Plus, access leading business, finance and property insights with Ross Greenwood. Start streaming for only AUD$6 per month. Australia Channel is an international streaming service. Not available from within Australia or New Zealand. Full Terms and Conditions: https://watch.australiachannel.com.au/readme/terms Privacy Policy: https://preferences.news.com.au/privacy

Screenshots

VicEmergency4 screens
Australia Channel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: VicEmergency at 3.5 against Australia Channel's 2.9. VicEmergency also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 17 months). On price, ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Australia Channel sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.00 per month. VicEmergency asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

VicEmergency holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of VicEmergency's written reviews are positive against 13% of Australia Channel's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VicEmergency ships an update every 3 months, Australia Channel every 17 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
VicEmergency versus Australia Channel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVicEmergencyAustralia Channel
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (4 ratings) — better2.9 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews23.1% of reviews — better13.3% of reviews
Number of ratings47 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 17 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB56 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperState of Victoria - Department of JusticeAustralian News Channel Pty Ltd

Customer experience

VicEmergency

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews121 reviews
Positive23.1%
Neutral12.4%
Negative64.5%

Australia Channel

All ratings7 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive13.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative80.0%

In-app purchases

None

VicEmergency

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Australia Channel

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly subscription$4.001 Month
  • Annual Subscription$30.001 Year

Questions

Is VicEmergency free?
VicEmergency is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Australia Channel free?
Australia Channel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, VicEmergency or Australia Channel?
VicEmergency is rated higher. VicEmergency averages 3.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Australia Channel averages 2.9 from 7 ratings.
Do VicEmergency or Australia Channel have ads?
Neither VicEmergency nor Australia Channel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VicEmergency or Australia Channel?
VicEmergency ships an update every 3 months, and Australia Channel every 17 months. Most recently, VicEmergency was updated on October 29, 2026 and Australia Channel on October 29, 2026.

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