# Journal Star vs Courier Journal

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Courier Journal at 50% against Journal Star's 4%. Courier Journal also leads on rating (4.3 vs 2.7) and ratings volume (3.2K vs 309). Journal Star's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Journal Star sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month and Courier Journal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Courier Journal holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Courier Journal has 3.2K ratings behind it against 309, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 4% of Journal Star's written reviews are positive against 50% of Courier Journal's.

Journal Star ships an update monthly, Courier Journal every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Journal Star | Courier Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (309 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-star/id372575588/reviews) | **[4.3 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/courier-journal/id525811534/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 309 | **3.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 4.0% of reviews | **49.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #160 | **#80** |
| Size | 98 MB | 188 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 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:** #160 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


### Courier Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/courier-journal/id525811534)

**Currently charting:** #80 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #106 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Access local news, in-depth journalism, and a digital replica of the print edition. Get breaking news alerts, sports scores, and weather updates. Customize your reading experience with offline access and adjustable text size.

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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

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

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good app for reading the newspaper
- 👍 Ease of e-paper
- 👍 Enjoy keeping up with local and national news
- 👍 Solid journalism

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy at times
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Difficult to navigate
- 🐛 Requires frequent sign-in
- 🐛 Outdated content

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Subscription problems
- Printing and viewing issues
- Unreliable updates

**Requested features**

- Bring back old app
- Improve layout and readability
- Add more local news coverage
- Improve login and account management
- Provide print-friendly version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Journal Star free?

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

### Is Courier Journal free?

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

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

Courier Journal is rated higher. Journal Star averages 2.7 out of 5 from 309 ratings, while Courier Journal averages 4.3 from 3.2K ratings.

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

Both Journal Star and Courier Journal show ads.

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

Journal Star ships an update monthly, and Courier Journal every 3 weeks. Most recently, Journal Star was updated on September 26, 2026 and Courier Journal on September 26, 2026.

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

Journal Star currently peaks at #160 in the App Store charts, and Courier Journal at #80. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

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