# Pantagraph vs The State Journal

The clearest difference is rating: The State Journal at 4.2 against Pantagraph's 3.4. The State Journal also leads on review sentiment (32% vs 19%). Pantagraph's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pantagraph sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $27.99 per month and The State Journal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The State Journal holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 402 and 401 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of Pantagraph's written reviews are positive against 32% of The State Journal's.

Pantagraph ships an update every 2 months, The State Journal monthly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pantagraph | The State Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (402 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pantagraph/id372316599/reviews) | **[4.2 (401 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-state-journal-register/id1022946883/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **402** | 401 |
| Positive reviews | 19.0% of reviews | **31.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#164** | #195 |
| Size | 101 MB | 185 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Lee Enterprises](https://appshunter.io/developer/366562520) | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) |

## What reviewers say

### Pantagraph

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pantagraph/id372316599)

**Currently charting:** #164 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Access local news, sports, and community stories from the Bloomington-Normal area. Features exclusive commentary, photography, video, and podcasts. Subscribers can upgrade to an ad-free premium experience.

**Highlights:** Personalized news topics, Breaking news alerts, Exclusive multimedia content, Ad-free premium option, Listen to articles, Customizable text size, Hourly and 10-day weather forecasts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscriptions | $27.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $40.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $44.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $50.00 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $269.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $329.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $364.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good local news
- 🚀 Always on time
- 👍 Convenient for on the go
- 🚀 Fast news delivery
- 👍 Easy to navigate

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Repetitive articles
- 🐛 Update issues
- 🐛 Misleading update messages
- 🐛 Sparse local university coverage
- 🐛 Expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Update message misleading
- App unusable after update
- Paywall appears and won't allow viewing
- Saved articles gone after update
- App blacks out

**Requested features**

- Stop repeating things
- Fix update message to go to update page
- More local articles
- More local news coverage
- Improve coverage of local small university


### The State Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-state-journal-register/id1022946883)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and multimedia content. Receive real-time alerts for breaking news, sports scores, and weather. Customize your reading experience and access a digital replica of the print edition.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news alerts, Sports scores and weather updates, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading, Digital eNewspaper replica, Access to USA TODAY

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $14.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Subscription | $24.99 | per month |
| SJ-R Monthly | $24.99 | per month |
| SJ-R Annual | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Includes USA TODAY content
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚀 Low footprint and fast loading
- 📱 Convenient access at fingertips
- 🎯 Good local news source

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🔐 Subscription access issues despite payment
- 📵 E-newspaper fails to load
- ⚠️ Poor content organization
- 📉 Lack of local news coverage

**Reported bugs**

- App not loading e-newspaper section
- Login credentials not recognized despite correct entry
- Articles displaying in background, unreadable
- Wrong date/edition displayed
- Subscription not recognized despite active payment

**Requested features**

- Offline reading capability
- Subscription status visibility in app
- Better article organization by category
- Full newspaper view layout
- Continuous content updates throughout the day


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pantagraph free?

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

### Is The State Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pantagraph or The State Journal?

The State Journal is rated higher. Pantagraph averages 3.4 out of 5 from 402 ratings, while The State Journal averages 4.2 from 401 ratings.

### Do Pantagraph or The State Journal have ads?

Both Pantagraph and The State Journal show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pantagraph or The State Journal?

Pantagraph ships an update every 2 months, and The State Journal monthly. Most recently, Pantagraph was updated on October 29, 2026 and The State Journal on October 29, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Pantagraph or The State Journal?

Pantagraph currently peaks at #164 in the App Store charts, and The State Journal at #195. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*