# The Australian vs Alert SA

The clearest difference is rating: Alert SA at 4.9 against The Australian's 2.9. Alert SA also leads on review sentiment (53% vs 18%) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). The Australian's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (727 vs 15). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Alert SA holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Australian has 727 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of The Australian's written reviews are positive against 53% of Alert SA's.

The Australian ships an update fortnightly, Alert SA every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Australian | Alert SA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.9 (727 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-australian/id369849696/reviews) | **[4.9 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alert-sa/id1487904728/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **727** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | 17.8% of reviews | **53.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 108 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [News Digital Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/369849699) | [Government of South Australia – South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission](https://appshunter.io/developer/998243396) |

## What reviewers say

### The Australian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-australian/id369849696)

Access award-winning journalism and breaking news from Australia and around the world. Stay informed with tailored notifications, read the digital paper, listen to podcasts, and enjoy mind games. Subscription required for full content access.

**Highlights:** Award-winning journalism, Breaking news alerts, Digital paper replica, Chart-topping podcasts, Mind games and puzzles, Gifting feature for subscribers

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great digital version of daily paper
- 🚀 Comprehensive, mostly objective news coverage
- 🚀 Easy to use and navigate app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔍 Poor search functionality
- 💰 Expensive subscription, difficult to cancel
- 🔍 Difficult to find and access old articles
- 🔍 Cluttered with ads despite paid subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Inability to access saved articles
- Inconsistent performance across iOS versions
- Sync issues between app and website

**Requested features**

- Ability to read articles offline
- Improved search and article organization
- Customizable font size and layout options
- Better integration with other devices/platforms
- More balanced and objective news coverage


### Alert SA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alert-sa/id1487904728)

Receive timely alerts and warnings for various hazards like fires, heatwaves, severe weather, and floods. Customize notifications for up to 10 specific areas and stay informed about fire danger ratings and total fire bans. This official government app ensures you have critical public safety information.

**Highlights:** Multi-hazard alerts, Customizable watch zones, Fire danger ratings, Total fire ban information, Cross-border notifications, Accessibility features

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Customizable watch zones for personalized alerts
- 📍 Real-time incident mapping and location visibility
- 🔔 Reliable notifications for critical emergencies
- 👍 User-friendly interface and easy navigation
- 💾 Comprehensive incident information and details

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔊 Notification sound is intrusive and cannot be customized
- 📢 Alert fatigue from excessive non-critical notifications
- 🐛 Notifications fail to arrive despite enabled settings
- ❌ Frozen app after recent updates (iOS)
- 📍 Insufficient location details in notifications (missing suburb/street address)

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes on welcome screen after update (version 3.3.0+)
- Fire hazard rating button causes app crash
- Notifications not received despite enabled settings and watch zones configured
- Push notifications fail after iPhone OS updates
- App stuck in portrait mode on iPad in landscape orientation

**Requested features**

- Customizable notification sounds with multiple options
- Ability to filter alert types (fires only vs. all incidents)
- Watch zones smaller than 5km for suburban areas
- Wind direction and speed information for fire events
- Dynamic watch zones that adjust based on fire danger levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Australian free?

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

### Is Alert SA free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Australian or Alert SA?

Alert SA is rated higher. The Australian averages 2.9 out of 5 from 727 ratings, while Alert SA averages 4.9 from 15 ratings.

### Do The Australian or Alert SA have ads?

Neither The Australian nor Alert SA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Australian or Alert SA?

The Australian ships an update fortnightly, and Alert SA every 3 months. Most recently, The Australian was updated on November 10, 2026 and Alert SA on November 11, 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.*