# Rapid City Journal vs SDPB App

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SDPB App at 82% against Rapid City Journal's 17%. SDPB App also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 7). Rapid City Journal's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (184 vs 32). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Rapid City Journal sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $27.99 per month. SDPB App asks for nothing beyond the download.

SDPB App holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rapid City Journal has 184 ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Rapid City Journal's written reviews are positive against 82% of SDPB App's.

Rapid City Journal ships an update every 5 weeks, SDPB App every 5 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rapid City Journal | SDPB App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (184 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rapid-city-journal/id375393527/reviews) | **[4.8 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdpb-app/id881275526/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **184** | 32 |
| Positive reviews | 17.3% of reviews | **82.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 101 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Lee Enterprises](https://appshunter.io/developer/366562520) | [South Dakota Public Broadcasting](https://appshunter.io/developer/881275529) |

## 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


### SDPB App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdpb-app/id881275526)

Access live radio and television streams, with DVR-like controls to pause and rewind. Explore on-demand content, search for programs, and set alarms to wake up to your favorite station. Share stories and programs easily with friends and family.

**Highlights:** Live radio and TV streaming, Pause, rewind, and fast forward live streams, On-demand content library, Program search functionality, Bookmark programs, Alarm clock and sleep timer, Share stories and programs

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rapid City Journal free?

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

### Is SDPB App free?

SDPB App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Rapid City Journal or SDPB App?

SDPB App is rated higher. Rapid City Journal averages 3.2 out of 5 from 184 ratings, while SDPB App averages 4.8 from 32 ratings.

### Do Rapid City Journal or SDPB App have ads?

Rapid City Journal shows ads; SDPB App does not.

### Which is updated more often, Rapid City Journal or SDPB App?

Rapid City Journal ships an update every 5 weeks, and SDPB App every 5 months. Most recently, Rapid City Journal was updated on November 1, 2026 and SDPB App on November 1, 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.*