# Richmond Times vs 12OnYourSide

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 12OnYourSide at none against Richmond Times's 7. 12OnYourSide also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (6.3K vs 1.7K). Richmond Times's advantage is review sentiment (26% vs 13%) and chart position (#151 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Richmond Times sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. 12OnYourSide asks for nothing beyond the download.

12OnYourSide holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.7K and 6.3K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 26% of Richmond Times's written reviews are positive against 13% of 12OnYourSide's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Richmond Times ships an update every 2 months, 12OnYourSide monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Richmond Times | 12OnYourSide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/richmond-times-dispatch/id389660678/reviews) | **[4.5 (6.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12onyourside/id450211141/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.7K | **6.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **26.3% of reviews** | 13.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#151** | — |
| Size | 101 MB | 99 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [BH Media Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/663389623) | [Gray Television Group, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/416888140) |

## What reviewers say

### Richmond Times

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/richmond-times-dispatch/id389660678)

**Currently charting:** #151 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Access in-depth local news, sports, and weather for Richmond and central Virginia. Personalize your news feed, receive breaking alerts, and enjoy multimedia content including podcasts and videos. Support local journalism with a subscription for unlimited digital access.

**Highlights:** Personalized news topics, Breaking news alerts, Multimedia content (video, podcasts), Audio playback for articles, Customizable text size, Hourly and 10-day weather forecasts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscriptions | $29.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $42.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $46.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $50.00 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $289.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $344.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $379.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great content
- 👍 Convenient digital version
- 👍 Provides local and state news
- 👍 Positive and accurate news

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable zooming
- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy app
- 🔍 Lack of local investigative journalism
- 🔍 Perceived liberal bias

**Reported bugs**

- App frequently crashes or freezes
- Login issues and constant re-logins required
- Content not loading or showing 'no content available'
- Formatting issues with e-edition

**Requested features**

- Add ability to read and share comments
- Improve formatting for digital viewing
- Add search functionality
- Provide more options for push notifications


### 12OnYourSide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12onyourside/id450211141)

Get local news and traffic updates for Richmond and central Virginia. Receive breaking news alerts, view live headlines, and access sports and video content. The app customizes content based on your location.

**Highlights:** Breaking news alerts, Local traffic coverage, School closings, Live news headlines, Sports updates, Video content

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate news reporting
- 🌟 Great weather team
- 💻 Useful for live streaming

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult to navigate
- 💰 Too many ads
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔌 High battery consumption
- 🤖 Poorly designed UI updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after recent updates
- Live stream frequently pauses or stops working
- Notifications don't link to updated stories
- Compatibility issues with certain devices and OS versions

**Requested features**

- Reduce ads and improve user experience
- Improve accessibility and readability
- Provide more timely updates, especially on weekends
- Offer an ad-free paid version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Richmond Times free?

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

### Is 12OnYourSide free?

12OnYourSide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Richmond Times or 12OnYourSide?

12OnYourSide is rated higher. Richmond Times averages 4.1 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while 12OnYourSide averages 4.5 from 6.3K ratings.

### Do Richmond Times or 12OnYourSide have ads?

Both Richmond Times and 12OnYourSide show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Richmond Times or 12OnYourSide?

Richmond Times ships an update every 2 months, and 12OnYourSide monthly. Most recently, Richmond Times was updated on November 6, 2026 and 12OnYourSide on November 5, 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.*