# News 9 vs citizen journal

The clearest difference is review sentiment: citizen journal at 100% against News 9's 42%. citizen journal also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). News 9's advantage is ratings volume (11K vs 14). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

citizen journal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: News 9 has 11K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of News 9's written reviews are positive against 100% of citizen journal's.

News 9 ships an update every 3 months, citizen journal fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | News 9 | citizen journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/news-9/id405725825/reviews) | **[4.9 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/citizen-journal/id6727016837/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | 42.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 77 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Griffin Communications, L.L.C.](https://appshunter.io/developer/949756906) | [Loql Limited Liability Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/1769303512) |

## What reviewers say

### News 9

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/news-9/id405725825)

Access breaking news, developing stories, and local weather updates. Stream live video content for sports and current events.

**Highlights:** Breaking news updates, Developing stories, Local weather forecasts, Sports coverage, Live video streaming

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent weather coverage
- 📢 Reliable real-time notifications
- 👍 Comprehensive local news reporting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Outdated or delayed news content
- 💤 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 📺 Excessive ads and commercials
- 🔍 Difficult to find relevant information

**Reported bugs**

- Live stream playback issues
- Breaking news notifications not linked to stories
- Weather forecast data not updating in real-time

**Requested features**

- Customizable notification settings
- Live video streaming during emergencies
- Improved weather radar and forecasting


### citizen journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/citizen-journal/id6727016837)

Stay informed with daily national and state news summaries, plus hyper-local updates from specific Kansas cities. Discover occasional motivational content and expanding sports coverage.

**Highlights:** Daily national news summaries, Daily Kansas state news summaries, Local news from specific cities, Adding more cities and sports, Tweet-sized motivational content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is News 9 free?

News 9 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is citizen journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, News 9 or citizen journal?

citizen journal is rated higher. News 9 averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while citizen journal averages 4.9 from 14 ratings.

### Do News 9 or citizen journal have ads?

News 9 shows ads; citizen journal does not.

### Which is updated more often, News 9 or citizen journal?

News 9 ships an update every 3 months, and citizen journal fortnightly. Most recently, News 9 was updated on November 10, 2026 and citizen journal on October 30, 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.*