# NBC4 Columbus vs Lancaster Eagle Gazette

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NBC4 Columbus at none against Lancaster Eagle Gazette's 4. NBC4 Columbus also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (7.9K vs 272). Lancaster Eagle Gazette's advantage is review sentiment (57% vs 23%). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lancaster Eagle Gazette sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. NBC4 Columbus asks for nothing beyond the download.

NBC4 Columbus holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NBC4 Columbus has 7.9K ratings behind it against 272, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 23% of NBC4 Columbus's written reviews are positive against 57% of Lancaster Eagle Gazette's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

NBC4 Columbus ships an update every 5 weeks, Lancaster Eagle Gazette monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NBC4 Columbus | Lancaster Eagle Gazette |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (7.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nbc4-columbus/id380703612/reviews)** | [4.2 (272 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lancaster-eagle-gazette/id545726818/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.9K** | 272 |
| Positive reviews | 23.2% of reviews | **57.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 76 MB | 186 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Media General](https://appshunter.io/developer/330899733) | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) |

## What reviewers say

### NBC4 Columbus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nbc4-columbus/id380703612)

Stay informed with local news and real-time updates. Access top stories, breaking news alerts, and detailed weather forecasts for Central Ohio. Save articles for later and plan your day with interactive radar maps.

**Highlights:** Top local news stories, Breaking news alerts, Detailed weather forecasts, Interactive radar map, Save stories for later, Video reports

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great news coverage
- 🌟 Excellent weather reporting
- 📰 Up-to-date local news

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Excessive ads and pop-ups
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🙈 Biased and unreliable reporting
- 🤯 Confusing and unintuitive UI
- 🔇 Autoplay videos with no mute option

**Reported bugs**

- Radar feature not working
- Notifications not working as expected
- Scrolling issues and content cutoffs

**Requested features**

- Option to disable autoplay videos
- Improved navigation and article organization
- Better weather details and forecasting


### Lancaster Eagle Gazette

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lancaster-eagle-gazette/id545726818)

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and real-time alerts. Enjoy a streamlined reading experience with customizable features and offline access. Access the eNewspaper edition and other publications.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news and alerts, Streamlined reading experience, Customizable features, Offline reading, eNewspaper access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $14.99 | per month |
| Lancaster Eagle-Gazette Digital Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| Lancaster Eagle-Gazette Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good local information
- 👍 Keeps users current on local events
- 👍 App works well for some users
- 👍 Useful for reading while out of town
- 👍 Great sports editor coverage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 App won't open or stay open
- 🐛 Cannot get e-newspaper to work
- 🐛 Cannot get crossword puzzle
- 🐛 Pop-up ads are obnoxious

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes unless on wifi
- App won't stay open
- App crashes immediately upon opening
- Cannot get the gazette to work
- Cannot get the enewspaper

**Requested features**

- Cover more local society news (births, weddings, engagements)
- Return to being a local paper
- Incorporate new concepts in technology while retaining old features
- Allow printing of articles and puzzles


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NBC4 Columbus free?

NBC4 Columbus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Lancaster Eagle Gazette free?

Lancaster Eagle Gazette is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NBC4 Columbus or Lancaster Eagle Gazette?

NBC4 Columbus is rated higher. NBC4 Columbus averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.9K ratings, while Lancaster Eagle Gazette averages 4.2 from 272 ratings.

### Do NBC4 Columbus or Lancaster Eagle Gazette have ads?

Both NBC4 Columbus and Lancaster Eagle Gazette show ads.

### Which is updated more often, NBC4 Columbus or Lancaster Eagle Gazette?

NBC4 Columbus ships an update every 5 weeks, and Lancaster Eagle Gazette monthly. Most recently, NBC4 Columbus was updated on November 10, 2026 and Lancaster Eagle Gazette 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.*