The Standard vs Caixin Global
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Standard
Access Hong Kong's leading free English daily newspaper on your mobile device. Stay updated with breaking news, local events, business, and sports, all delivered in a bold tabloid format. Customize text size and share stories easily.
- Breaking news push notifications
- Social media sharing
- Dynamic text size adjustment
- Access to print ads
- Local, Business, China, World news
- Entertainment and Sports coverage
- Arts & Lifestyle section
Read full descriptionHide full description
OVERVIEW The Standard is Hong Kong's biggest circulation free English daily newspaper. It has evolved into a powerful, influential medium in Hong Kong with a diverse audience and a broad reach since becoming a free newspaper in September 2007. The paper is distributed Monday through Friday throughout Hong Kong. Editorial quality, integrity and fairness remain guiding principles, with a diverse range of news and features presented in a bold tabloid format. The Standard is also available across different media. From the paper format to the latest digital format included website (www.thestandard.com.hk), apps and social media platforms, delivers the most updates news to readers round the clock, all at no cost. Market Positioning * The Standard is the "First Free English Daily Newspaper in Hong Kong". * News sections present the latest Local, Business, China, World, Entertainment and Sports events, while the Arts & Lifestyle section cover a wide range of topics. Functions and Features for this App 1. Push notifications for breaking news stories 2. Connect the App to your social networks to share the news 3. Support for dynamic text. The app will respect the font size in your device settings so you can increase or decrease the story text size as suits your preference 4. Print Ad in newspaper also available in the App ADDRESS The Standard Sing Tao News Corporation Building, 7 Chun Cheong Street, Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2798 2323 Fax: (852) 2305 1765 For Advertising Enquiries, please call our Advertising Hotline (852) 3181 3311 or Fax your request to (852) 2758 3579.
Caixin Global
Access award-winning journalism covering China's economy, finance, and business. Features include in-depth explanations, AI-powered summaries, podcasts, and exclusive subscriber events. Offers a mix of free and premium content for a comprehensive understanding of the Chinese market.
- Exclusive finance & business content
- AI-powered article summaries
- Economic and business podcasts
- Subscriber-only events
- Commentary and analysis
- Video replays of discussions
Read full descriptionHide full description
Award-winning journalism from China's most respected newsroom. Exclusive finance & business content from Caixin's renowned team of analysts. -Caixin Explains: covering hot topics of significance in economics, finance and China’s business world. -Digest Hub: A sidebar on our article pages offering summaries of multiple lengths tailored by AI, perfect for readers who are short on time. -Caixin Global Podcast: We dissect economic data, business buzzwords and political dynamics, while turning hard news into stories made fast, fair and friendly to your ears. -Subscriber Event: facilitating discussions on China's economic, tech and industry trends -Video: Caixin Media hosts a series of Caixin Roundtables and Webinars. We provide replay videos to let you enjoy the high-quality discussion online. - Commentary & Analysis: Commentary by key opinion-leaders in business, government, and academia. The Caixin app is free to download, and all users can read some free articles, subscribers get unlimited web and app access to real-time tech news portal, featuring 24-hour news, short-form analysis, and business and tech news roundups. Subscription introduction: 1. We offer monthly, yearly and student packages. 2. All subscription prices are based on the order price. 3. Auto-renewal enabled. You can cancel it anytime before the next billing period begins. 4. Please note that this digital subscription is not refundable. Support You need help? Visit http://www.caixinglobal.com/contact Email: helo@caixin.com Privacy Policy: http://www.caixinglobal.com/privacy/ Terms and Conditions: http://ww.caixinglobal.com/terms/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Caixin Global at 4.6 against The Standard's 3.0. Caixin Global also leads on ratings volume (227 vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). The Standard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). 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
Both are free to download. Caixin Global sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $25.99 per month. The Standard asks for nothing beyond the download.
Caixin Global holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Caixin Global has 227 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of The Standard's written reviews are positive against 56% of Caixin Global's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
The Standard ships an update monthly, Caixin Global every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Standard | Caixin Global |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) | 4.6 (227 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews — better | 55.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 227 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Sing Tao Limited | Caixin Global Limited |
Customer experience
The Standard
Caixin Global
Bugs and requests
The Standard
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Caixin Global
Reported bugs
10 issues- Subscription not activated after payment
- App insists subscription doesn't exist
- Constantly logged out
- Subscription sync issues
- Doesn't load entire story
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Login issues
- Password reset doesn't work
- Payment problems
- App requires subscription during free trial
- Multiple login issues reported
Requested features
12 requests- iPad version supporting
- Simple "continue" subscription button with WeChat payment
- More articles on Chinese government policies and investments
- More in-depth articles about Chinese companies' culture
- Filter more, be more selective
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Keep exhibition listings up-to-date
- Dark mode option
- Horizontal view option
- Better URL integration for in-app article redirection
- Ability to download editions
- Improve password reset functionality
- Make subscription more reasonable
In-app purchases
The Standard
No in-app purchases
Caixin Global
- Monthly Package$25.991 Month
- Student Package$59.991 Year
- Annual Package$249.991 Year
