# Journal Star vs Journal Star

The clearest difference is rating: Journal Star at 4.4 against Journal Star's 2.7. Journal Star also leads on review sentiment (46% vs 4%). Journal Star'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. Journal Star sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month and Journal Star sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Journal Star holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 311 and 761 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 4% of Journal Star's written reviews are positive against 46% of Journal Star's.

Journal Star ships an update monthly, Journal Star every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Journal Star | Journal Star |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (311 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-star/id372575588/reviews) | **[4.4 (761 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-star-peoria/id417961115/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 311 | **761** |
| Positive reviews | 4.0% of reviews | **45.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#176** | #186 |
| Size | 102 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

### Journal Star

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-star/id372575588)

**Currently charting:** #176 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Access in-depth local news, sports, and weather for Lincoln, Nebraska. Enjoy exclusive commentary, photography, and podcasts. Personalize your news feed and receive breaking alerts.

**Highlights:** Personalized news feed, Breaking news alerts, Exclusive commentary and podcasts, Video updates, Bookmark stories, Listen to articles, Customizable text size

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscriptions | $29.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $42.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $44.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $50.00 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $289.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $344.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $379.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📱 Good for accessing local news on mobile
- ✍️ Well-written articles
- 📰 Comprehensive local news coverage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Articles fail to load or display blank pages
- 🐛 Login issues and constant re-authentication required
- 💰 High subscription cost ($25.99-$26.99/month)
- 📵 Intrusive and excessive ads

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch or during use
- Articles fail to load or display blank/white screens
- Black screen pop-ups that cannot be closed
- Login credentials not saved; constant re-authentication required
- App stops loading pages in e-edition after some time

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support for tablets
- Improved search functionality
- Better content organization and categorization
- Free or lower-cost subscription tier
- Removal or reduction of ads for paid subscribers


### Journal Star

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-star-peoria/id417961115)

**Currently charting:** #186 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and breaking alerts. Access a digital replica of the print edition, along with national news. Customize your reading experience and save articles for offline access.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news and alerts, eNewspaper replica, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading, Sports coverage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $14.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Journal Star - Monthly | $24.99 | per month |
| Journal Star - Annual | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Lightning-fast load times
- 👍 Continuous reading experience
- 👍 Convenient digital delivery
- 👍 Comprehensive local news coverage
- 👍 Great sports reporting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and use
- 💸 Invasive ads even for paid subscribers
- 🔒 Login and subscription management problems
- 🔍 Outdated and incomplete content

**Reported bugs**

- Pages not loading properly
- Subscription issues and lack of customer support
- Inability to access full content
- Blurry and misaligned content
- Frequent app crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- Ability to print articles
- Improved obituary section
- More local sports coverage
- Seamless cross-device experience
- Better organization and search functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Journal Star free?

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

### Is Journal Star free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Journal Star or Journal Star?

Journal Star is rated higher. Journal Star averages 2.7 out of 5 from 311 ratings, while Journal Star averages 4.4 from 761 ratings.

### Do Journal Star or Journal Star have ads?

Both Journal Star and Journal Star show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Journal Star or Journal Star?

Journal Star ships an update monthly, and Journal Star every 4 weeks. Most recently, Journal Star was updated on November 6, 2026 and Journal Star on November 6, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Journal Star or Journal Star?

Journal Star currently peaks at #176 in the App Store charts, and Journal Star at #186. 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.*