The Standard vs Global Times
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
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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.
Global Times
Access sharp reporting, insightful analysis, and multimedia content from a leading English-language newspaper. Explore diverse sections covering China, global affairs, business, arts, and sports.
- Sharp and innovative reporting
- Unique and perceptive analysis
- Featured videos and multimedia
- In-depth China coverage
- Global affairs with a Chinese perspective
- Business and financial news
- Arts, culture, and lifestyle stories
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The Global Times is China’s most informative English-language newspaper. With a remarkable readership, both in China and across the globe, the Global Times provides sharp and innovative reporting, unique and perceptive analysis as well as featured videos and multimedia products. Download the app as it will offer you Editorial: Original analysis on hotly debated topics — forthright, unique and striking voice of China Hu says: Sharp video comments Opinion: Thought-provoking views China: A window delving deeper into the most important domestic and international events and trends, chronicling the rise of today’s China Business: Momentous issues from the financial world and insightful opinions from a China-focused angle World: Doorway to international affairs bringing global stories with a unique Chinese perspective Arts: Sophisticated stories on design, cuisine, fashion, art, movies/TVs, travel, celebrities and health Infographics: News in diagrams and numbers Sports: All the latest updates from the world sporting arena To know more, please visit our website: www.globaltimes.cn, join our Facebook page: @globaltimesnews, and follow our Twitter handle: @globaltimesnews.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Global Times at 3.7 against The Standard's 3.0. Global Times also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (42% vs 28%). The Standard's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Global Times holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Global Times has 24 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of The Standard's written reviews are positive against 42% of Global Times's.
The Standard ships an update monthly, Global Times every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Standard | Global Times |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) | 3.7 (24 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 28.3% of reviews | 42.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 24 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 47 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Sing Tao Limited | Global Times |
Customer experience
The Standard
Global Times
In-app purchases
The Standard
No in-app purchases
Global Times
No in-app purchases
