Comparison

Hartford Courant vs NJ.com

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

Head to head
About

Hartford Courant

Access exclusive Connecticut news, sports, business, and entertainment. Enjoy premium storytelling, videos, and photo galleries. Save articles for later and receive breaking news alerts.

Highlights
  • Exclusive premium storytelling
  • News, sports, business, entertainment
  • Exclusive videos and photo galleries
  • Save stories for offline reading
  • Breaking news notifications
  • Customizable font size
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Now there's a simple, elegant and customizable way to get all of the Hartford Courant's exclusive, premium storytelling on your iPhone and iPad. FEATURES: • Stay informed with Connecticut's best source of news, sports, business and entertainment • Enjoy exclusive videos and photo galleries • Save must-read stories, photos and videos for when you have the time to enjoy them • Get the latest breaking news from our newsroom in your notifications • Share stories easily with Twitter, Facebook, or email • Offline reading: Download and read content offline • Quick link to our eNewspaper website • Customize your font size for optimal legibility SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS: • Download the app to enjoy enjoy a sampling of free stories each month. For full access, try a free month of Unlimited Digital Access to the app, the Hartford Courant website, and our eNewspaper; then it's only $19.99 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 $19.99 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: http://www.tribpub.com/privacy-policy/ • You can read our Terms of Service here: http://www.tribpub.com/central-terms-of-service/ • Questions about your subscription, including adding or removing Web access to the website from your app access, can be directed to Customer Service: 860-785-4888. CRASHES / PROBLEMS? We've been working hard to fix any and all crashes in the app. If you're still experiencing crashes or freezes after installing this update, please contact us at customer_service@hartford.cust-serv.com. A quick email to our support team helps our developers identify and resolve crashes faster.

About

NJ.com

Stay informed with local news, sports, and weather impacting your community. Access timely and reliable reporting from journalists who live and work in your area. Covers a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, and culture.

Highlights
  • Local news reporting
  • Sports coverage
  • Weather updates
  • Politics and business news
  • Culture and events
  • Premium content access
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Get trusted local news from across New Jersey. Breaking news, in-depth reporting, and all the stories people are talking about. Stay connected to what's happening around you with timely coverage of news, weather, sports, and more, optimized for your phone. Free to download. Get breaking news, alerts, and top stories. Subscribers receive unlimited access to in-depth reporting, exclusive content, and additional features. Subscriptions are available in-app. Our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: http://www.advance.net/advancedigitalUserAgreementPP/

Screenshots

Hartford Courant4 screens
NJ.com3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: NJ.com at none against Hartford Courant's shown. NJ.com also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (25K vs 4.3K). Hartford Courant's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. Hartford Courant sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and NJ.com sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NJ.com holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NJ.com has 25K ratings behind it against 4.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 22% of Hartford Courant's written reviews are positive against 18% of NJ.com's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hartford Courant ships an update monthly, NJ.com every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Hartford Courant versus NJ.com: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHartford CourantNJ.com
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (4.3K ratings)4.5 (25K ratings) — better
Positive reviews21.6% of reviews — better18.2% of reviews
Number of ratings4.3K25K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionSubscription
Best chart rank#73#52 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size195 MB34 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperTribune Publishing Company, LLCNJ.com

Customer experience

Hartford Courant

All ratings4,302 ratings
Positive82.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative11.7%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive21.6%
Neutral11.2%
Negative67.2%

NJ.com

All ratings25,067 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral5.4%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews143 reviews
Positive18.2%
Neutral7.0%
Negative74.8%

User reviews

Hartford Courant

From 4.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Reliable news source
  • 📰 Comprehensive local coverage
  • 🔍 Useful search functionality

Room to improve

  • 🐞 Frequent app crashes
  • 🔍 Unreliable search results
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 📱 Poor mobile app experience
  • 📢 Intrusive ads even for subscribers

NJ.com

From 25K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🗞️ Informative local news coverage
  • 📰 Reliable source for NJ news
  • 🔍 Helpful search functionality

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Excessive paywall restrictions
  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • 💤 Slow loading times and performance issues
  • 📢 Overwhelming ads and notifications
  • 🗣️ Lack of user commenting features

Bugs and requests

Hartford Courant

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Articles fail to load or scroll properly
  • App freezes or crashes on launch
  • Subscription status not properly recognized

Requested features

4 requests
  • Restore landscape mode for tablets
  • Improve article scrolling and navigation
  • Provide clear subscription pricing and terms
  • Enhance customer support responsiveness

NJ.com

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues and inability to access subscriber content
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • Navigation and search functionality problems
  • Incompatibility with certain devices and OS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Bring back ability to save articles
  • Improve app stability and performance
  • Offer more free content access
  • Restore team-specific sports browsing
  • Add user commenting functionality

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Hartford Courant

Subscriptions5
  • Unlimited Digital Access1 Month trial3 variants$19.991 Month
  • News App Only$19.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription1 Month trial$19.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Hartford Courant1 Year trial$199.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription1 Year trial$199.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Story Credits$0.99
10 purchases

NJ.com

Subscriptions10
  • Rutgers Sports Insider$5.991 Month
  • Digital Access$9.991 Month
  • Digital Access1 Month trial$9.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Subscriber Exclusive Content7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Subscriber Exclusive Content1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • All Access to NJ.com$11.991 Month
  • All Access to NJ.com$15.001 Month
  • All Access to New Jersey$15.001 Month
  • All Access to NJ.com1 Year trial$99.991 Year
  • All Access to NJ.com$119.991 Year

Questions

Is Hartford Courant free?
Hartford Courant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NJ.com free?
NJ.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hartford Courant or NJ.com?
NJ.com is rated higher. Hartford Courant averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4.3K ratings, while NJ.com averages 4.5 from 25K ratings.
Do Hartford Courant or NJ.com have ads?
Hartford Courant shows ads; NJ.com does not.
Which is updated more often, Hartford Courant or NJ.com?
Hartford Courant ships an update monthly, and NJ.com every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hartford Courant was updated on November 10, 2026 and NJ.com on November 10, 2026.
Which is more popular, Hartford Courant or NJ.com?
Hartford Courant currently peaks at #73 in the App Store charts, and NJ.com at #52. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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