Comparison

VicEmergency vs The Standard

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

The Standard

Stay informed with local and national news, sports results, and in-depth analysis. Access breaking news 24/7, save articles for later, and enjoy interactive puzzles. A digital replica of the daily newspaper is also available.

Highlights
  • Breaking news updates 24/7
  • Browse articles by topic
  • Save articles for later
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Digital newspaper replica
  • Daily interactive puzzles
Features
Read full description

The Standard app brings together the best of your daily newspaper and its website to take your local news experience to another level. As south-west Victoria's trusted voice, we keep you up to date seven days a week with news that’s important to our community. Whether it's the breaking news you need to know from around the region or across the nation, the latest HFNL, WDFNL, or other local sporting results, in-depth analysis explaining the decisions and events affecting our lives, or incisive commentary, you will be the first to know using The Standard app. The app is free to download, but you need to be a digital subscriber of The Standard to read articles. Features include: - Access to breaking news updates 24 hours-a-day - Browse the latest articles in the topics that interest you most - Save articles to read later - Alerts for breaking news and big stories - Read a digital replica of the day's newspaper - Play our daily interactive puzzles Please note: This app features Nielsen's proprietary measurement software which will allow you to contribute to market research or audience ratings services. Please see http://www.nielsen.com/digitalprivacy for more information.

Screenshots

VicEmergency4 screens
The Standard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: VicEmergency at none against The Standard's 2. VicEmergency also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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. The Standard sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. VicEmergency asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VicEmergency ships an update every 3 months, The Standard every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
VicEmergency versus The Standard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVicEmergencyThe Standard
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews23.1% of reviews — better18.2% of reviews
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB59 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperState of Victoria - Department of JusticeRural Press Pty Ltd

Customer experience

VicEmergency

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

The Standard

Written reviews11 reviews
Positive18.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative81.8%

In-app purchases

None

VicEmergency

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

The Standard

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$12.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$129.991 Year

Questions

Is VicEmergency free?
VicEmergency is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Standard free?
The Standard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do VicEmergency or The Standard have ads?
The Standard shows ads; VicEmergency does not.
Which is updated more often, VicEmergency or The Standard?
VicEmergency ships an update every 3 months, and The Standard every 4 months. Most recently, VicEmergency was updated on October 24, 2026 and The Standard on October 24, 2026.

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