# Rapid City Journal vs The Eagle BCS

The clearest difference is rating: The Eagle BCS at 4.3 against Rapid City Journal's 3.2. The Eagle BCS also leads on review sentiment (42% vs 17%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Rapid City Journal sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $27.99 per month and The Eagle BCS sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $25.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Eagle BCS holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 184 and 229 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Rapid City Journal's written reviews are positive against 42% of The Eagle BCS's.

Rapid City Journal ships an update every 5 weeks, The Eagle BCS every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rapid City Journal | The Eagle BCS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (184 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rapid-city-journal/id375393527/reviews) | **[4.3 (229 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-eagle-bcs/id624453752/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 184 | **229** |
| Positive reviews | 17.3% of reviews | **42.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 103 MB | 104 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

### Rapid City Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rapid-city-journal/id375393527)

Access local news, sports, opinion, and more with in-depth stories and exclusive commentary. Personalize your news feed, receive alerts, and enjoy multimedia content like photos and podcasts. An optional premium subscription offers an ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Personalized news feed, Breaking news alerts, Exclusive commentary and photography, Podcasts and video updates, Listen to articles, Customizable text size, Hourly and 10-day weather forecasts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscriptions | $27.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $40.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $44.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $50.00 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $269.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $329.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $364.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for local news
- 🚀 Quick and intuitive app
- 👍 Easy navigation
- 👍 Slick and fast improvements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😠 Too much national news
- 😠 App is useless with ads
- 😠 Login every 2 minutes
- 😠 Expensive subscription ($14.99/month)
- 😠 App closes immediately on opening

**Reported bugs**

- App closes immediately on opening
- Content not available error
- App doesn't work with paid subscription
- App refuses to work with e-subscription
- Content inaccessible

**Requested features**

- More local news
- Add classifieds
- Fix weather forecast


### The Eagle BCS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-eagle-bcs/id624453752)

Access local news, sports, and community stories with in-depth reporting. Enjoy exclusive commentary, photography, and podcasts. Subscribers can upgrade to a premium ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Personalized news topics, Customizable alerts, Easy navigation, Exclusive commentary and photography, Podcasts, Ad-free premium option, Listen to articles

**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 |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good local news coverage
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 👍 Great for Aggies
- 👍 Quick access to news
- 👍 Well-designed format

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Push notifications cost money
- 😞 New format is terrible/confusing
- 😞 App is slow to boot up
- 😞 Ads are annoying/intrusive
- 😞 Sliding ads are horrible

**Reported bugs**

- Push notifications cost money
- E-edition no longer works properly
- Page to page selection is slow or doesn't work
- Puzzle pages no longer allow stylus/Apple Pencil use
- App doesn't respond or locks up

**Requested features**

- Make push notifications free
- Add a back button for obits
- Allow stylus/Apple Pencil use on puzzle pages
- Improve e-edition functionality
- Fix slow or non-working page selection


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rapid City Journal free?

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

### Is The Eagle BCS free?

The Eagle BCS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Rapid City Journal or The Eagle BCS?

The Eagle BCS is rated higher. Rapid City Journal averages 3.2 out of 5 from 184 ratings, while The Eagle BCS averages 4.3 from 229 ratings.

### Do Rapid City Journal or The Eagle BCS have ads?

Both Rapid City Journal and The Eagle BCS show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Rapid City Journal or The Eagle BCS?

Rapid City Journal ships an update every 5 weeks, and The Eagle BCS every 2 months. Most recently, Rapid City Journal was updated on October 14, 2026 and The Eagle BCS on October 11, 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.*