# Journal Star vs Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The clearest difference is rating: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at 4.3 against Journal Star's 2.7. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also leads on review sentiment (43% vs 4%) and ratings volume (5.8K 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 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has 5.8K 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 43% of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's.

Journal Star ships an update monthly, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Journal Star | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (309 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-star/id372575588/reviews) | **[4.3 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/milwaukee-journal-sentinel/id526882300/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 309 | **5.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 4.0% of reviews | **43.4% 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 | **#60** |
| 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


### Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/milwaukee-journal-sentinel/id526882300)

**Currently charting:** #60 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #78 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Access breaking news, in-depth investigations, and local sports coverage from Wisconsin's largest newsroom. Stay informed with real-time alerts, a personalized feed, and a digital replica of the print newspaper.

**Highlights:** Breaking news alerts, Personalized news feed, Digital eNewspaper replica, In-depth investigations, Local sports coverage, Political reporting

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

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

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Well-organized and informative content
- 🚀 Efficient app performance
- 💡 Useful features like access to USA Today
- 👍 Excellent sports coverage
- 👍 Reliable local news source

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional app crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Lack of national/international news coverage
- 🔍 Perceived political bias in reporting
- 🔍 Frustrating login and subscription issues
- 🔍 Cluttered UI with too many ads

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to recognize active subscriptions
- Scrolling issues and content disappearing
- Incompatibility with older devices

**Requested features**

- Improve offline reading capabilities
- Provide more customization options
- Streamline login and subscription management
- Enhance sports statistics integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Journal Star free?

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

### Is Milwaukee Journal Sentinel free?

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

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

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is rated higher. Journal Star averages 2.7 out of 5 from 309 ratings, while Milwaukee Journal Sentinel averages 4.3 from 5.8K ratings.

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

Both Journal Star and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel show ads.

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

Journal Star ships an update monthly, and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel every 3 weeks. Most recently, Journal Star was updated on September 26, 2026 and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on September 25, 2026.

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

Journal Star currently peaks at #160 in the App Store charts, and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at #60. 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.*