# Sun Sentinel vs BocaBeacon

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BocaBeacon at 100% against Sun Sentinel's 27%. BocaBeacon also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and rating (4.9 vs 4.5). Sun Sentinel's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (7K vs 31). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sun Sentinel sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. BocaBeacon asks for nothing beyond the download.

BocaBeacon holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sun Sentinel has 7K ratings behind it against 31, 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 100% of BocaBeacon's.

Sun Sentinel ships an update monthly, BocaBeacon every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sun Sentinel | BocaBeacon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sun-sentinel/id402230662/reviews) | **[4.9 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bocabeacon/id552439870/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7K** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | 27.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#96** | — |
| Size | 191 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tribune Publishing Company, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/290161713) | [Hopkins & Daughter, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/552439873) |

## What reviewers say

### Sun Sentinel

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

**Currently charting:** #96 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


### BocaBeacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bocabeacon/id552439870)

Access a digital replica of a weekly newspaper serving Boca Grande, Florida, on your iPad. Stay updated on local news, island happenings, nature, fishing, and events. Connect with social media to share content.

**Highlights:** Digital newspaper replica, Local news and events, Island news, nature, fishing updates, Facebook and Twitter integration, Read in 47 countries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sun Sentinel free?

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

### Is BocaBeacon free?

BocaBeacon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Sun Sentinel or BocaBeacon?

BocaBeacon is rated higher. Sun Sentinel averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7K ratings, while BocaBeacon averages 4.9 from 31 ratings.

### Do Sun Sentinel or BocaBeacon have ads?

Both Sun Sentinel and BocaBeacon show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sun Sentinel or BocaBeacon?

Sun Sentinel ships an update monthly, and BocaBeacon every 8 months. Most recently, Sun Sentinel was updated on October 15, 2026 and BocaBeacon on October 13, 2026.

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