Comparison

PDI E vs The Freeman

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

Head to head
About

PDI E

Access digital versions of top Philippine newspapers, including exact replicas of print editions. Enjoy features like article sharing, smart zoom, offline reading, and automatic bookmarking. Offers a free download with a preview and various subscription options.

Highlights
  • Digital replicas of print newspapers
  • Article sharing via social networks
  • Smartzoom for enhanced reading
  • Offline reading of downloaded issues
  • Automatic bookmarking
  • Complimentary 14-issue preview
Features
Read full description

InquirerPlus is the exciting new home of the digital version of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inquirer Libre, Bandera, Cebu Daily News and several other top Inquirer Group titles. InquirerPlus delivers an exact replica of the printed titles with additional features such as article sharing via social networks, Smartzoom, storage of previously downloaded issues for on-the-go reading when wi-fi is not available and automatic-bookmarking of your place. If you are a print subscriber of an Inquirer title with a subscription term of at least six months, contact inquirerdigital@inquirer.com.ph for your complimentary access. The app is free to download and comes with a complimentary 14-issue preview. The Philippine Daily Inquirer offers the following subscriptions for inApp Purchase: Single copy ($0.99 each): any single title Inquirer Plus ($9.99/mo): gives one access to all the titles within the app. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period.You may manage your subscriptions by going to your 'Account Settings' after purchase. http://philippinedailyinquirerplus.pressreader.com/help

About

The Freeman

Features
Read full description

Founded in 1919, The Freeman is the oldest newspaper of Cebu, the Queen City of Southern Philippines. Owned by the Gullas family of Cebu in partnership with the Philippine STAR, The Freeman chronicles news, events, and happenings in and around Cebu, a bustling city and center of commerce in the South. The Freeman prides itself on being a newspaper for Cebuanos and by Cebuanos, carrying close to a century of journalism heritage. The Freeman is a daily newspaper. The Freeman provides availability to all editions of the publication by incorporating subscriptions allowing the purchase of a 7 day, one month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months and a yearly subscription to the paper. The 7 day, monthly and yearly subscriptions are auto-renewing subscriptions. Prices for the subscriptions are $1.99 for 7 days, $6.99 for one month, $12.99 for two months, $18.99 for three months, $29.99 for 6 months and $59.99 for a year. Payment for this subscription will be charged to your iTunes account upon purchase. The subscription will auto-renew within 24 hours of the current subscription expiring. Auto-renewing subscriptions can be managed via Account Settings allowing them to be turned off. No cancellations of the current subscription are allowed during the active subscription period. For any further information see http://subscriber.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/file/Website_Privacy_statement.doc Terms: https://www.philstar.com/member-agreement Privacy Policy: https://www.philstar.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

PDI E4 screens
The Freeman4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: The Freeman at none against PDI E's shown. The Freeman also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). PDI E's advantage is update cadence (every 7 months vs every 17 months). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. PDI E sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and The Freeman sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDI E ships an update every 7 months, The Freeman every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PDI E versus The Freeman: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDI EThe Freeman
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (127 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews16.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings127 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 7 months — betterEvery 17 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB126 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPressReader IncPhilstar Daily Inc.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

PDI E

Subscriptions7
  • PREMIUM Monthly$3.991 Month
  • ALL ACCESS 1 Month$4.491 Month
  • Philippine Daily$5.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Philippine Daily Inq. Standard$8.991 Month
  • Philippine Daily Inquirer Plus$15.991 Month
  • PREMIUM 12 Month$39.991 Year
  • ALL ACCESS 12 Month$44.991 Year
One-time1
  • Single Copy$0.99
6 purchases

The Freeman

Subscriptions6
  • The Freeman - Cebu$1.997 Days
  • The Freeman - Cebu$6.991 Month
  • The Freeman - Cebu$12.992 Months
Show 3 more
  • The Freeman - Cebu$18.993 Months
  • The Freeman - Cebu$29.996 Months
  • The Freeman - Cebu$59.991 Year

Questions

Is PDI E free?
PDI E is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Freeman free?
The Freeman is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PDI E or The Freeman have ads?
PDI E shows ads; The Freeman does not.
Which is updated more often, PDI E or The Freeman?
PDI E ships an update every 7 months, and The Freeman every 17 months. Most recently, PDI E was updated on September 11, 2026 and The Freeman on September 24, 2026.

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