POLITICO vs MSN
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
POLITICO
Get real-time political news and analysis delivered directly to your phone. This app offers a streamlined way to access breaking news and in-depth stories from a leading political news source.
- Up-to-the-minute insight
- Political news analysis
- Breaking news alerts
- Sleek and navigable design
- Dynamic stories
Read full descriptionHide full description
Stay ahead of the political news driving your day, with POLITICO's redesigned app. We curate the essential politics and policy news breaking in and between the centers of power, and help you understand what it means for you. What's inside: - Driving the Day: curated coverage of what’s shaping politics within and across the world’s power centers - For You: a feed built around what's actually driving your day - Newsletters: all POLITICO newsletters, native to the app - Podcasts: every POLITICO show - People: every lawmaker, staffer and regulator, one search away
MSN
Stay informed, productive, and entertained with a personalized feed of news, weather, stock updates, and short videos. Access quality content from trusted publishers and track your favorite stocks with real-time market data.
- Tailored content feed
- Real-time weather forecasts
- Financial news and stock tracking
- Personalized video feed
- Content from trusted publishers
Read full descriptionHide full description
The MSN app keeps you informed, productive, and entertained with tailored content, real-time weather, stock tracking, short videos and more. Key features Your tailored feed, with you on the go. Quality content from thousands of trusted publishers. Weather report Get hourly and 10-day forecasts, air quality, UV index and more. Financial news hub See the latest on the market, trends and your favorite stocks. Your personalized video feed Scroll short clips of the latest news, trending stories and viral moments.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: POLITICO at none against MSN's 1. POLITICO also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). MSN's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and review sentiment (38% vs 29%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. MSN sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $20.00 per month. POLITICO asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for POLITICO against 4.6 for MSN. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 49K and 124K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of POLITICO's written reviews are positive against 38% of MSN's.
POLITICO ships an update monthly, MSN every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | POLITICO | MSN |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (49K ratings) — better | 4.6 (124K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 29.3% of reviews | 38.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 49K | 124K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | #55 — better | #90 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 88 MB | 260 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | POLITICO, LLC | Microsoft Corporation |
Customer experience
POLITICO
MSN
User reviews
POLITICO
From 49K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent news coverage
- 🔍 Thorough and insightful analysis
- 🗞️ Reliable and trustworthy journalism
- 📊 Valuable data and metrics
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔄 Difficulty refreshing content
- 📱 Poor app performance and navigation
- 🔍 Biased or partisan reporting
- 🔍 Lack of objectivity
MSN
From 124K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 📰 Comprehensive news coverage
- 🌐 Customizable news sources
- 🔍 Useful search functionality
- 🕰️ Timely updates
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Inconsistent search and navigation
- 📢 Excessive ads and sponsored content
- 🤖 Biased or inaccurate news curation
- 🔄 Inability to save reading progress
Bugs and requests
POLITICO
Reported bugs
4 issues- App freezes and crashes
- Inability to refresh content
- Notifications not working properly
- Compatibility issues with newer devices
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to adjust font size
- Offline reading mode
- Improved article organization and search
- More balanced political coverage
MSN
Reported bugs
5 issues- Inability to comment on articles
- Inconsistent behavior when clicking back button
- News articles not loading properly
- Personalization settings not saving
- Compatibility issues on older devices
Requested features
5 requests- Customizable news feed and interests
- Offline reading mode
- Dark mode option
- Improved article sharing capabilities
- Better integration with other Microsoft services
In-app purchases
POLITICO
No in-app purchases
MSN
- Microsoft Copilot Pro$20.001 Month
