# VicEmergency vs Australia Channel

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | VicEmergency | Australia Channel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vicemergency/id356559665/reviews)** | [2.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/australia-channel/id1326104036/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **7** |
| Positive reviews | **23.1% of reviews** | 13.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 17 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 15 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [State of Victoria - Department of Justice](https://appshunter.io/developer/688084760) | [Australian News Channel Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/693894264) |

## What reviewers say

### VicEmergency

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vicemergency/id356559665)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Australia Channel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/australia-channel/id1326104036)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $4.00 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $30.00 | per year |


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