# HLN vs DS Nieuws

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DS Nieuws at none against HLN's 5. DS Nieuws also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.6). HLN's advantage is ratings volume (64 vs 14). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HLN sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. DS Nieuws asks for nothing beyond the download.

DS Nieuws holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 64 and 14 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of HLN's written reviews are positive against 28% of DS Nieuws's.

HLN ships an update fortnightly, DS Nieuws every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HLN | DS Nieuws |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hln/id403025567/reviews) | **[4.0 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-nieuws/id506601384/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **64** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | 20.0% of reviews | **27.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 110 MB | 183 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DPG Media (Apps)](https://appshunter.io/developer/383836515) | [Corelio Publishing](https://appshunter.io/developer/449824170) |

## What reviewers say

### HLN

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hln/id403025567)

Stay informed with local and national news, engaging videos, and fun puzzles. Customize your feed with regional updates and enjoy a variety of games. Access podcasts and save articles for later reading.

**Highlights:** Local news updates, Video content, Puzzles and games, Podcast player, Save articles, Push notifications

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HLN Digitaal Basis maandelijks | $6.99 | per month |
| HLN Digitaal Basis maand | $7.99 | per month |
| HLN Digitaal Premium maand | $12.99 | per month |
| HLN Mobiel 6-maandelijks | $41.99 | per 6 months |
| HLN Digitaal Basis jaarlijks | $80.99 | per year |


### DS Nieuws

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-nieuws/id506601384)

Access in-depth news, analysis, and opinion from a trusted source. Stay informed with daily digital editions, podcasts, and interactive puzzles. Enjoy a comprehensive understanding of the world with reliable journalism.

**Highlights:** Reliable live news updates, In-depth opinion and analysis, Digital newspaper and supplements, Daily evening news round-up, Daily news podcast, Interactive daily puzzles

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HLN free?

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

### Is DS Nieuws free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HLN or DS Nieuws?

DS Nieuws is rated higher. HLN averages 3.6 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while DS Nieuws averages 4.0 from 14 ratings.

### Do HLN or DS Nieuws have ads?

Both HLN and DS Nieuws show ads.

### Which is updated more often, HLN or DS Nieuws?

HLN ships an update fortnightly, and DS Nieuws every 3 weeks. Most recently, HLN was updated on September 24, 2026 and DS Nieuws on September 20, 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.*