Comparison

LA Times vs Straight Arrow | SAN

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

LA Times

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
Read full description

Get the trustworthy news you need everywhere you go with the Los Angeles Times app. Receive instant access to our award-winning journalism, breaking news, politics, the best in food, entertainment, events and more for Southern California and the world. Updated with a new design, the L.A. Times app gives you the option of browsing our digital content or paging through the eNewspaper. Our content includes in-depth coverage of Los Angeles, California and the West; exclusive narrative storytelling such as “Column One”; revitalized reporting on the latest in food and dining; a unique take on politics and the 2020 campaign; comprehensive coverage of the arts, pop culture and the entertainment industry; on and off-season reporting on L.A.’s home teams and major sports events. New tools include “My Library,” to save your own reading list, and a video section to access the latest short documentaries and other videos. Download the iOS app to experience our new digital publishing platform. APP FEATURES: • Top News: Scan a curated feed of the most important news as it happens • Push notifications: Get the latest news from our newsroom as soon as stories break • eNewspaper experience: Download today’s issue for offline reading and browse archives of past issues • Video section: Enjoy exclusive video • My Library: View saved stories and view your recent activity • Share content easily with Twitter, Facebook, or email SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS: • If you’re a current digital subscriber, sign in with your email address and password to get unlimited access to the app’s content. • Non-subscribers, download the app a select number of stories stories each month. For full access, try a free month of Unlimited Digital Access to the app, the L.A. Times website, and our eNewspaper; then it's only $15.99 a month. Make sure to create a registration while in the app so you'll be able to log in to the website and eNewspaper when you visit them in web browsers. • Your subscription automatically renews each month unless auto-renew is turned off within your Account Settings at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. • Your iTunes account will be charged $15.99 for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable • You can read our Privacy Policy here: https://www.latimes.com/privacy-policy • You can read our Terms of Service here: https://www.latimes.com/terms-of-service • CA Notice of Collection - https://www.latimes.com/privacy-policy#california-notice-of-collection • Do Not Sell My Info - https://membership.latimes.com/privacy-settings • Questions about your subscription, including adding or removing access to the L.A. Times website from your app access, can be directed to Customer Service: 213-347-5300. TECHNICAL HELP AND ASSISTANCE: If you ever have questions about how the app works, want to provide helpful feedback, or experience crashes or freezes after installing an update, please contact us at mobile@latimes.com. A quick email to our support team helps our developers identify and resolve issues faster. We work hard to make sure you have the best experience using our app.

About

Straight Arrow | SAN

Access unbiased, fact-based news and in-depth context to understand current events. Discover original video podcasts and reporting often missed by mainstream media, providing a more complete picture of the world.

Highlights
  • Unbiased news delivery
  • Fact-based reporting
  • Original video podcasts
  • Media Miss™ and Media Landscape tools
  • In-depth context
  • Cross-topic coverage
Features
Read full description

Straight Arrow fearlessly exposes the hard truths about the stories that matter most to you. No manipulation. No bias. No agenda. We go beyond the headlines to bring you the context and clarity you deserve — without spin or manipulation. From immigration to the cost of living, education to health care, Straight Arrow reports the facts you need to form your own opinions. Register in the app to become a founding member and get unlimited access to the stories that matter. Plus, discover reporting you're not seeing from mainstream media outlets. Straight Arrow’s Media Miss and Media Landscape tools highlight stories right- and left-leaning outlets aren't covering — giving you  a complete picture of the news. Independent media ratings groups like AllSides have described Straight Arrow’s reporting as Certified Balanced™. Join the Straight Arrow movement as we raise the bar on journalism in a time of media bias and mistrust. Having trouble? Please reach out to support@san.com. Follow Straight Arrow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X and YouTube. https://www.facebook.com/straightarrownews/ https://www.instagram.com/straightarrownews/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/straight-arrow-news/ https://www.tiktok.com/@straightarrownews https://x.com/straightarrow__ https://www.youtube.com/c/straightarrownews

Screenshots

LA Times4 screens
Straight Arrow | SAN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Straight Arrow | SAN at free against LA Times's subscription. Straight Arrow | SAN also leads on review sentiment (66% vs 29%) and ads (none vs shown). LA Times's advantage is chart position (#16 vs #53). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. LA Times sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Straight Arrow | SAN sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.95 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for LA Times against 4.7 for Straight Arrow | SAN. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20K and 9.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of LA Times's written reviews are positive against 66% of Straight Arrow | SAN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LA Times ships an update every 4 weeks, Straight Arrow | SAN fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
LA Times versus Straight Arrow | SAN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLA TimesStraight Arrow | SAN
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (20K ratings)4.7 (9.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.4% of reviews65.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings20K — better9.7K
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
Best chart rank#16 — better#53
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB101 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperLos Angeles Times Communications LLCStraight Arrow News, LLC

Customer experience

LA Times

All ratings19,566 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral3.7%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews126 reviews
Positive29.4%
Neutral10.3%
Negative60.3%

Straight Arrow | SAN

All ratings9,693 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral3.3%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews487 reviews
Positive65.5%
Neutral7.2%
Negative27.3%

User reviews

LA Times

From 20K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Straight Arrow | SAN

From 9.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Unbiased and transparent reporting
  • 👍 Comprehensive coverage of news stories
  • 🔍 Helpful 'Media Miss' feature
  • 🤝 Balanced perspectives from different sources
  • 💡 Innovative approach to news delivery

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional app crashes or bugs
  • 🔊 Audio volume issues
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding relevant stories
  • 🌐 Limited coverage of international news

Bugs and requests

LA Times

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

Straight Arrow | SAN

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashing on launch
  • Video playback issues
  • Inconsistent UI behavior

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved search functionality
  • Expanded international news coverage
  • Customizable news feed preferences

In-app purchases

7 purchases

LA Times

Subscriptions5
  • Stage News App Only$4.991 Month
  • News App Only$4.991 Month
  • Unlimited Digital Access3 Months trial$5.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Unlimited Access - Stage App$7.991 Month
  • Unlimited Digital Access1 Month trial$15.991 Month
One-time2
  • Jonathan Gold's 101 List$2.99
  • Jonathan Gold's 101 List for 2016$2.99
2 purchases

Straight Arrow | SAN

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$12.951 Month
  • Yearly$99.901 Year

Questions

Is LA Times free?
LA Times is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Straight Arrow | SAN free?
Straight Arrow | SAN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LA Times or Straight Arrow | SAN?
Straight Arrow | SAN is rated higher. LA Times averages 4.6 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Straight Arrow | SAN averages 4.7 from 9.7K ratings.
Do LA Times or Straight Arrow | SAN have ads?
LA Times shows ads; Straight Arrow | SAN does not.
Which is updated more often, LA Times or Straight Arrow | SAN?
LA Times ships an update every 4 weeks, and Straight Arrow | SAN fortnightly. Most recently, LA Times was updated on September 23, 2026 and Straight Arrow | SAN on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, LA Times or Straight Arrow | SAN?
LA Times currently peaks at #16 in the App Store charts, and Straight Arrow | SAN at #53. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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