Comparison

Sun Sentinel vs PBSO ConnectProtect

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

Head to head
About

Sun Sentinel

Access in-depth local news, sports, business, and entertainment from South Florida's premier news source. Customize your reading experience with personalized sections, exclusive videos, and photo galleries. Read stories offline and receive breaking news alerts.

Highlights
  • Local news, sports, business, entertainment
  • Push notifications for breaking news
  • Exclusive videos and photo galleries
  • Customizable section order
  • Save stories for later
  • Offline reading
  • Progress tracking for read articles
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Now there's a simple, elegant and customizable way to get all of the Sun Sentinel's exclusive, in-depth local reporting on your iPhone and iPad. FEATURES: • Stay informed with South Florida's best source of news, sports, business, and entertainment • Sign up for push notifications to get the latest news from our newsroom as soon as stories break • Enjoy exclusive videos and photo galleries • Edit the section list to be in your preferred order • Save must-read stories, photos and videos for when you have the time to enjoy them • Keep track of what you've read and what you haven't with Progress Report • Turn your device sideways for an entirely different visual view of the news (iPad only) • 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 • See your progress: Articles that have been read are greyed out to make your reading experience more efficient SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS: • Download the app to enjoy a sampling of free stories each month. For full access, try a free month of Unlimited Digital Access to the app, the Sun Sentinel 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. • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable • 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 • 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 Sun Sentinel website from your app access, can be directed to Customer Service: 954-393-0111. 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 mobile@sun-sentinel.com. A quick email to our support team helps our developers identify and resolve crashes faster.

About

PBSO ConnectProtect

This app facilitates direct, location-aware communication between Palm Beach County residents and the Sheriff's Office. Receive instant, relevant neighborhood alerts and report suspicious activity to enhance community safety.

Highlights
  • Two-way communication with Sheriff's Office
  • Location-based alerts
  • Report suspicious activity
  • Instant information updates
  • Community safety enhancement
Features
Read full description

The new, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office uses ConnectProtect technology to provide two-way communications between the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the people of Palm Beach County. The PBSO app is part of a revolution in communications between law enforcement and the people they serve. Through the app, PBSO can be in contact with the residents of Palm Beach County with information based on exactly where you are at the time. Information that is relevant to your neighborhood – even the street where you live – can be instantly sent to you. But it’s not a one-way communications tool: ConnectProtect technology gives Palm Beach County residents an unsurpassed ability to communicate directly to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. After a crime or act of terrorism, all too often someone say that they saw something beforehand, but didn’t say something when they saw it. ConnectProtect technology enables residents of Palm Beach County to instantly let PBSO know when there is suspicious activity that they think needs attention, making Palm Beach County residents a vital part in the fight against crime and terrorism. Download and use the PBSO app regularly for instant information and two-way communications with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office; and, help make Palm Beach County a better, safer place to live, work and enjoy. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Screenshots

Sun Sentinel4 screens
PBSO ConnectProtect3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PBSO ConnectProtect at 75% against Sun Sentinel's 27%. PBSO ConnectProtect also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). Sun Sentinel's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months) and rating (4.5 vs 4.1). On price 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. Sun Sentinel sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. PBSO ConnectProtect asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sun Sentinel holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sun Sentinel has 7K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 27% of Sun Sentinel's written reviews are positive against 75% of PBSO ConnectProtect's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sun Sentinel ships an update monthly, PBSO ConnectProtect every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Sun Sentinel versus PBSO ConnectProtect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSun SentinelPBSO ConnectProtect
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (7K ratings) — better4.1 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews27.4% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7K — better9
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 7 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
Best chart rank#124 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size191 MB14 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperTribune Publishing Company, LLCPalm Beach County Sheriff's Office

Customer experience

Sun Sentinel

All ratings6,999 ratings
Positive89.0%
Neutral3.6%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews124 reviews
Positive27.4%
Neutral8.1%
Negative64.5%

PBSO ConnectProtect

All ratings9 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Sun Sentinel

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Repeated login issues for subscribers
  • Inability to access subscriber-only content
  • Outdated and repetitive content

Requested features

4 requests
  • Restore landscape mode on iPad
  • Improve search functionality
  • Reduce ads for paid subscribers
  • Provide a dark mode option

PBSO ConnectProtect

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Sun Sentinel

Subscriptions3
  • News App Only$19.991 Month
  • Unlimited Digital Access1 Month trial2 variants$19.991 Month
  • Sun Sentinel1 Year trial$199.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Story Credits$0.99
None

PBSO ConnectProtect

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sun Sentinel free?
Sun Sentinel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PBSO ConnectProtect free?
PBSO ConnectProtect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sun Sentinel or PBSO ConnectProtect?
Sun Sentinel is rated higher. Sun Sentinel averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7K ratings, while PBSO ConnectProtect averages 4.1 from 9 ratings.
Do Sun Sentinel or PBSO ConnectProtect have ads?
Sun Sentinel shows ads; PBSO ConnectProtect does not.
Which is updated more often, Sun Sentinel or PBSO ConnectProtect?
Sun Sentinel ships an update monthly, and PBSO ConnectProtect every 7 months. Most recently, Sun Sentinel was updated on September 24, 2026 and PBSO ConnectProtect on June 1, 2026.

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