# Journal Star vs NSEA Capitol Update

The clearest difference is rating: NSEA Capitol Update at 5.0 against Journal Star's 2.7. NSEA Capitol Update also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and ads (none vs shown). Journal Star's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (311 vs 1). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Journal Star sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. NSEA Capitol Update asks for nothing beyond the download.

NSEA Capitol Update holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Journal Star has 311 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Journal Star ships an update monthly, NSEA Capitol Update every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Journal Star | NSEA Capitol Update |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (311 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-star/id372575588/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nsea-capitol-update/id6444692512/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **311** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 4.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#179** | — |
| Size | 103 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lee Enterprises](https://appshunter.io/developer/366562520) | [Nebraska State Education Association](https://appshunter.io/developer/473216739) |

## What reviewers say

### Journal Star

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

**Currently charting:** #179 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


### NSEA Capitol Update

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nsea-capitol-update/id6444692512)

Stay informed on education and school finance legislation impacting Nebraska. Receive alerts on key events and calls to action to support advocacy efforts at the capitol. Essential for NSEA members to track issues affecting the education profession.

**Highlights:** Legislative updates, Education and school finance news, Key issue tracking, Event alerts, Calls to action, Advocacy support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Journal Star free?

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

### Is NSEA Capitol Update free?

NSEA Capitol Update is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Journal Star or NSEA Capitol Update?

NSEA Capitol Update is rated higher. Journal Star averages 2.7 out of 5 from 311 ratings, while NSEA Capitol Update averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Journal Star or NSEA Capitol Update have ads?

Journal Star shows ads; NSEA Capitol Update does not.

### Which is updated more often, Journal Star or NSEA Capitol Update?

Journal Star ships an update monthly, and NSEA Capitol Update every 6 months. Most recently, Journal Star was updated on November 1, 2026 and NSEA Capitol Update on October 24, 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.*