# Journal Star vs North Platte Telegraph

The clearest difference is review sentiment: North Platte Telegraph at 67% against Journal Star's 4%. North Platte Telegraph also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.7). Journal Star's advantage is chart position (#182 vs unranked). 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 North Platte Telegraph sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $25.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

North Platte Telegraph holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 309 and 105 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 4% of Journal Star's written reviews are positive against 67% of North Platte Telegraph's.

Journal Star ships an update monthly, North Platte Telegraph every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Journal Star | North Platte Telegraph |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (309 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-star/id372575588/reviews) | **[4.4 (105 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/north-platte-telegraph/id973807689/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **309** | 105 |
| Positive reviews | 4.0% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#182** | — |
| Size | 98 MB | 98 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Lee Enterprises](https://appshunter.io/developer/366562520) | [BH Media Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/663389623) |

## What reviewers say

### Journal Star

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

**Currently charting:** #182 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


### North Platte Telegraph

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/north-platte-telegraph/id973807689)

Access local news, sports, and community stories with in-depth reporting, exclusive commentary, and multimedia content. Personalize your feed, receive breaking news alerts, and enjoy features like audio playback and customizable text size. An optional premium subscription offers an ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Local news and sports coverage, Exclusive commentary and multimedia, Personalized news topics, Breaking news alerts, Article audio playback, Customizable text size, Hourly and 10-day weather forecasts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscriptions | $25.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $38.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $42.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $50.00 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $249.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $314.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $349.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Journal Star free?

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

### Is North Platte Telegraph free?

North Platte Telegraph is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Journal Star or North Platte Telegraph?

North Platte Telegraph is rated higher. Journal Star averages 2.7 out of 5 from 309 ratings, while North Platte Telegraph averages 4.4 from 105 ratings.

### Do Journal Star or North Platte Telegraph have ads?

Both Journal Star and North Platte Telegraph show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Journal Star or North Platte Telegraph?

Journal Star ships an update monthly, and North Platte Telegraph every 2 months. Most recently, Journal Star was updated on September 26, 2026 and North Platte Telegraph on September 20, 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.*