# LA Times vs Frontline Wildfire Tracker

The clearest difference is rating: LA Times at 4.6 against Frontline Wildfire Tracker's 2.3. LA Times also leads on ratings volume (20K vs 168) and chart position (#14 vs unranked). Frontline Wildfire Tracker's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and review sentiment (40% vs 29%). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. LA Times sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Frontline Wildfire Tracker asks for nothing beyond the download.

LA Times holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LA Times has 20K ratings behind it against 168, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of LA Times's written reviews are positive against 40% of Frontline Wildfire Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

LA Times ships an update every 4 weeks, Frontline Wildfire Tracker every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LA Times | Frontline Wildfire Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/la-times/id373238146/reviews)** | [2.3 (168 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/frontline-wildfire-tracker/id1508096232/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 168 |
| Positive reviews | 29.1% of reviews | **40.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#14** | — |
| Size | 37 MB | 120 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Los Angeles Times Communications LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1449774969) | [Fire Friends, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508096231) |

## What reviewers say

### LA Times

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/la-times/id373238146)

**Currently charting:** #14 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #25 Top Grossing · News, #66 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers, #120 Top Free · News (US App Store)

Access award-winning journalism, breaking news, and in-depth coverage of California and global events. Browse digital content or the eNewspaper, save articles, and watch exclusive videos. Stay informed with curated news feeds and push notifications.

**Highlights:** Award-winning journalism, Breaking news alerts, Digital content browsing, eNewspaper access, Save articles to 'My Library', Exclusive video content

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stage News App Only | $4.99 | per month |
| News App Only | $4.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Digital Access | $5.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Access - Stage App | $7.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Digital Access | $15.99 | per month |
| Jonathan Gold's 101 List | $2.99 | one-time |
| Jonathan Gold's 101 List for 2016 | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth navigation
- 👍 Great UI design
- 🚀 Fast load times
- 💡 Useful features like traffic alerts
- 👍 Comprehensive local and national news coverage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy search functionality
- 🔒 Subscription issues and paywall problems
- 🔋 Slow performance on older devices
- 👎 Outdated or irrelevant content
- 👎 Overwhelming with ads

**Reported bugs**

- Images not loading properly
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Paywall issues preventing access to content
- Sync problems between app and website

**Requested features**

- Customizable news feed and section ordering
- Offline reading mode
- Better integration with subscription accounts
- Improved article navigation and scrolling
- Accessibility features for visually impaired users


### Frontline Wildfire Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/frontline-wildfire-tracker/id1508096232)

Stay informed about wildfires with real-time maps, alerts, and preparation tools. This app provides crucial information on fire danger, weather, and evacuation orders to help you protect your home and loved ones.

**Highlights:** Wildfire maps and tracking, Fire danger indexes, Real-time alerts and notifications, Preparation checklists, Emergency contact groups, Fire weather information

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LA Times free?

LA Times is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Frontline Wildfire Tracker free?

Frontline Wildfire Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, LA Times or Frontline Wildfire Tracker?

LA Times is rated higher. LA Times averages 4.6 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Frontline Wildfire Tracker averages 2.3 from 168 ratings.

### Do LA Times or Frontline Wildfire Tracker have ads?

Both LA Times and Frontline Wildfire Tracker show ads.

### Which is updated more often, LA Times or Frontline Wildfire Tracker?

LA Times ships an update every 4 weeks, and Frontline Wildfire Tracker every 5 weeks. Most recently, LA Times was updated on October 25, 2026 and Frontline Wildfire Tracker on October 24, 2026.

---

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