# Sun Sentinel vs SC Times

The clearest difference is monetization model: SC Times at free with in-app purchases against Sun Sentinel's subscription. Sun Sentinel's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (7K vs 482). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sun Sentinel sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and SC Times sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

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 482, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of Sun Sentinel's written reviews are positive against 26% of SC Times's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sun Sentinel | SC Times |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sun-sentinel/id402230662/reviews)** | [4.1 (482 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sc-times/id493275576/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7K** | 482 |
| Positive reviews | **27.2% of reviews** | 26.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#116** | #196 |
| Size | 191 MB | 190 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Tribune Publishing Company, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/290161713) | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) |

## What reviewers say

### Sun Sentinel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sun-sentinel/id402230662)

**Currently charting:** #116 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| News App Only | $19.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Digital Access | $19.99 | per month |
| Sun Sentinel | $199.99 | per year |
| Premium Story Credits | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🗞️ 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### SC Times

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sc-times/id493275576)

**Currently charting:** #196 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and multimedia content. Receive real-time alerts for breaking news, sports, and weather. Customize your reading experience and access a digital replica of the print edition.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news alerts, Sports coverage, Weather alerts, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading, eNewspaper access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $14.99 | per month |
| St. Cloud Times Digital Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| St. Cloud Times Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Improved local news coverage
- 👍 Well-organized eNewspaper layout
- 🔔 Push notifications for breaking news
- 📱 Reliable app performance
- 🆓 Free access to much of the content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes and crashes frequently
- 📄 Page navigation issues and skipping
- 📢 Intrusive popup advertisements
- 🔐 Account access problems on iPhone
- 📊 Declining local news coverage and relevance

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and becomes unresponsive
- Pages skip or fail to load when selected
- iPhone account access not working
- Blurry article images until opened
- Breaking news notifications don't load stories

**Requested features**

- Remove or reduce popup advertisements
- Add option to disable ads entirely
- Improve page navigation and selection
- Support landscape orientation
- Better organization of local news categories


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sun Sentinel free?

Sun Sentinel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SC Times free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sun Sentinel or SC Times?

Sun Sentinel is rated higher. Sun Sentinel averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7K ratings, while SC Times averages 4.1 from 482 ratings.

### Do Sun Sentinel or SC Times have ads?

Both Sun Sentinel and SC Times show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sun Sentinel or SC Times?

Sun Sentinel ships an update monthly, and SC Times monthly. Most recently, Sun Sentinel was updated on October 23, 2026 and SC Times on October 22, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Sun Sentinel or SC Times?

Sun Sentinel currently peaks at #116 in the App Store charts, and SC Times at #196. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*