# Boston.com vs Shordio

The clearest difference is ads: Shordio at none against Boston.com's shown. Shordio also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boston.com | Shordio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (7.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bostoncom/id361786318/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 34.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 97 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [BOSTON GLOBE MEDIA PARTNERS, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1324796989) | [Shordio, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1354873460) |

## What reviewers say

### Boston.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bostoncom/id361786318)

Access curated news alerts, weather updates, and sports scores. Stay informed about local and national news, lifestyle, and entertainment from a team of journalists.

**Highlights:** Curated news alerts, Weather updates, Sports scores, Local and national news, Lifestyle and entertainment coverage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐️ Great news and sports coverage
- ⭐️ Wonderful app
- ⭐️ Best progressive newspaper
- ⭐️ Best sports section in Boston
- ⭐️ Favorite news source

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Hiding behind a paywall
- 🚫 No images
- 🕰️ Doesn't update enough
- 🕰️ Zero updates
- 🚫 Recycling of old stories

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard


### Shordio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shordio/id1354873461)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Boston.com free?

Boston.com is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shordio free?

Shordio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Boston.com or Shordio have ads?

Boston.com shows ads; Shordio does not.

### Which is updated more often, Boston.com or Shordio?

Boston.com ships an update every 4 months, and Shordio every 4 months. Most recently, Boston.com was updated on October 23, 2026 and Shordio on October 5, 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.*