Comparison

Sun Sentinel vs The Gainesville Sun

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

The Gainesville Sun

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and real-time alerts. Access a digital replica of the print edition, customize your reading experience, and enjoy offline access to important stories and updates.

Highlights
  • In-depth local journalism
  • Breaking news and alerts
  • Streamlined reading experience
  • Customizable text size and night mode
  • Offline reading
  • Digital eNewspaper access
Features
Read full description

From critically acclaimed storytelling to powerful photography to engaging videos — the Gainesville Sun app delivers the local news that matters most to your community. APP FEATURES: • Access all of our in-depth journalism, including things to do around town, sports coverage from high school to the pros, and much more. • Enjoy a streamlined, fast-loading experience that makes it easy to view the stories, photos, and videos that matter to you. • Get breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts with real-time notifications tailored to your interests. • Customize your experience by saving your favorite stories, adjusting text size, using night mode, or reading offline. • eNewspaper: Just like our print edition but accessible on your mobile devices. And access to USA TODAY and 200+ local eNewspapers. MORE INFORMATION: • Privacy Policy: https://cm.gainesville.com/privacy/ • Terms of Service: https://cm.gainesville.com/terms/ • Help Center: https://help.gainesville.com • Subscriptions are charged to your account at confirmation of purchase and automatically renew each month or year, unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information.

Screenshots

Sun Sentinel4 screens
The Gainesville Sun4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: The Gainesville Sun at free with in-app purchases against Sun Sentinel's subscription. Sun Sentinel's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (7K vs 511). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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 and The Gainesville Sun sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sun Sentinel holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sun Sentinel has 7K ratings behind it against 511, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 27% of Sun Sentinel's written reviews are positive against 33% of The Gainesville Sun's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Sun Sentinel versus The Gainesville Sun: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSun SentinelThe Gainesville Sun
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (7K ratings) — better4.2 (511 ratings)
Positive reviews27.2% of reviews33.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7K — better511
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#127 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size191 MB185 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperTribune Publishing Company, LLCUSA TODAY Co., Inc.

Customer experience

Sun Sentinel

All ratings7,036 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral3.6%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive27.2%
Neutral8.0%
Negative64.8%

The Gainesville Sun

All ratings510 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral5.3%
Negative14.7%
Written reviews94 reviews
Positive33.0%
Neutral5.3%
Negative61.7%

User reviews

Sun Sentinel

From 7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📰 Great reporting and articles
  • 🗞️ Excellent local news coverage
  • 🗞️ Variety of content

Room to improve

  • 🗞️ Biased and one-sided reporting
  • 🔍 Difficult to navigate and search
  • 💻 Buggy and glitchy app
  • 📢 Intrusive and excessive ads
  • 🔒 Issues with account login and subscription access

The Gainesville Sun

From 511 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Excellent local news coverage
  • 📰 Great for staying up-to-date on community events
  • 📚 Comprehensive reporting on national and international news
  • 👍 User-friendly app design

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 📱 Clunky and unintuitive user interface
  • 🗞️ Lack of local opinion pieces and editorial content
  • 💰 Frustration with paywall and subscription issues

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

The Gainesville Sun

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezes and becomes unresponsive
  • Inability to access archived or older content
  • Inconsistent performance across different devices
  • Paywall issues and problems with subscription management

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved search functionality
  • Ability to customize news feed and section preferences
  • Integration of local event calendars and community information
  • Offline reading mode

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
4 purchases

The Gainesville Sun

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Monthly Digital Subscription1 Month trial$24.991 Month
  • Gainesville Sun monthly1 Month trial$24.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Gainesville Sun annual1 Year trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Sun Sentinel free?
Sun Sentinel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Gainesville Sun free?
The Gainesville Sun is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sun Sentinel or The Gainesville Sun?
Sun Sentinel is rated higher. Sun Sentinel averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7K ratings, while The Gainesville Sun averages 4.2 from 511 ratings.
Do Sun Sentinel or The Gainesville Sun have ads?
Both Sun Sentinel and The Gainesville Sun show ads.
Which is updated more often, Sun Sentinel or The Gainesville Sun?
Sun Sentinel ships an update monthly, and The Gainesville Sun monthly. Most recently, Sun Sentinel was updated on November 1, 2026 and The Gainesville Sun on November 1, 2026.

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