# PG Reader vs PennLive

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PG Reader at none against PennLive's 15. PG Reader also leads on review sentiment (32% vs 16%). PennLive's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months) and chart position (#180 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PennLive sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. PG Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

PG Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2K and 3.2K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of PG Reader's written reviews are positive against 16% of PennLive's.

PG Reader ships an update every 8 months, PennLive every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PG Reader | PennLive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pg-reader/id365895829/reviews)** | [4.5 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pennlive/id421910267/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2K | **3.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **32.0% of reviews** | 16.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | **#180** |
| Size | 57 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette](https://appshunter.io/developer/342115595) | [PennLive LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/421910270) |

## What reviewers say

### PG Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pg-reader/id365895829)

Access breaking local and regional news from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as soon as it's published. Stay informed on politics, business, lifestyle, and sports. Share articles via email or social media, and save your favorites for later.

**Highlights:** Live feed of local and regional news, Breaking news updates, Browse articles by section, Save articles to favorites, Share articles via email, Share articles on social media

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💯 Great local news coverage
- 🏆 Excellent sports reporting
- 👍 Easy to navigate app
- 🌐 Helpful for out-of-town readers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- ⚠️ Unreliable login and content access
- 💸 Paywall and subscription issues
- 🔍 Lacking search and organization features

**Reported bugs**

- Login functionality not working
- Content not loading or updating properly
- Notifications not taking users to the app
- Frequent app freezes and crashes

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved push notifications
- Better integration with social media
- More comprehensive local coverage


### PennLive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pennlive/id421910267)

**Currently charting:** #180 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Stay informed about local happenings with timely and reliable reporting on news, sports, and weather. Access in-depth coverage of community events, politics, business, and culture from a trusted source.

**Highlights:** Local news reporting, Sports coverage, Weather updates, Politics and business news, Culture and community events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $5.99 | per month |
| PennLive Sports Insider | $7.99 | per month |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $9.99 | per month |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $9.99 | per month |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $9.99 | per month |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $9.99 | per month |
| All Access to PennLive.com | $11.99 | per month |
| All Access to PennLive.com | $15.00 | per month |
| All Access to PennLive.com | $75.00 | per year |
| PennLive Sports Insider | $79.99 | per year |
| All Access to PennLive.com | $99.99 | per year |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $99.99 | per year |
| BasicAccess to PennLive.com | $99.99 | per year |
| Basic Access to PennLive.com | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast news coverage
- 👍 Great local news focus
- 👍 Excellent reporting staff

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app freezes and crashes
- 🔍 Difficult navigation and poor UI
- 💰 Excessive ads and paywall
- 🔍 Outdated and stale content
- 🔍 Biased and opinionated reporting

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes on launch
- Inability to access articles after updates
- Inconsistent behavior across devices

**Requested features**

- Improved app stability and performance
- Streamlined and intuitive navigation
- Ability to read articles without paywall
- Unbiased and fact-based reporting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PG Reader free?

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

### Is PennLive free?

PennLive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PG Reader or PennLive?

PG Reader is rated higher. PG Reader averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while PennLive averages 4.5 from 3.2K ratings.

### Do PG Reader or PennLive have ads?

Both PG Reader and PennLive show ads.

### Which is updated more often, PG Reader or PennLive?

PG Reader ships an update every 8 months, and PennLive every 3 weeks. Most recently, PG Reader was updated on October 11, 2026 and PennLive on October 12, 2026.

---

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