# AL.com vs The Anniston Star

The clearest difference is ratings volume: AL.com at 16K against The Anniston Star's 8. AL.com also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and chart position (#113 vs unranked). The Anniston Star's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AL.com sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and The Anniston Star sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for AL.com against 4.5 for The Anniston Star. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AL.com has 16K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

AL.com ships an update every 3 weeks, The Anniston Star every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AL.com | The Anniston Star |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alcom/id419876008/reviews) | **[4.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-anniston-star/id1165523112/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 23.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#113** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [al.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/419876011) | [Consolidated Publishing Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1165523109) |

## What reviewers say

### AL.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alcom/id419876008)

**Currently charting:** #113 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Get timely and reliable local news, sports, and weather updates directly impacting your community. Stay informed about unfolding events in your backyard, from politics and business to culture and more. Access essential information from a trusted source, anytime and anywhere.

**Highlights:** Local news reporting, Sports updates, Weather forecasts, Community-focused content, Timely and reliable information

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Digital Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Digital Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Basic Access to Al.com | $10.00 | per month |
| All Access to Al.com | $15.00 | per month |
| Premium Access to Al.com | $20.00 | per month |
| Digital Access | $99.99 | per year |
| Digital Access | $99.99 | per year |
| Basic Access to Al.com | $100.00 | per year |
| All Access to Al.com | $150.00 | per year |
| Premium Access to Al.com | $200.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Great overall news source
- 🚀 Timely and informative news coverage
- 👍 Diverse content and topics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🔋 Performance issues, slow loading
- 💬 Biased and one-sided reporting
- 📢 Intrusive and disruptive ads

**Reported bugs**

- App title displaying incorrectly as 'OSU Basketball'
- Inability to access recent search history
- Difficulty closing ads or navigating back from articles

**Requested features**

- Improve app stability and performance
- Provide more balanced and objective news coverage
- Optimize ad placement to minimize disruption


### The Anniston Star

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-anniston-star/id1165523112)

Access local news, sports, opinion, and community features for East Alabama. Your login provides full access to unmatched news coverage in Calhoun and Cleburne counties.

**Highlights:** Local news coverage, Sports updates, Opinion and entertainment, Classifieds, Obituaries, Community features

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Anniston Star monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Anniston Star annual subscription | $69.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AL.com free?

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

### Is The Anniston Star free?

The Anniston Star is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, AL.com or The Anniston Star?

The Anniston Star is rated higher. AL.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while The Anniston Star averages 4.5 from 8 ratings.

### Do AL.com or The Anniston Star have ads?

Both AL.com and The Anniston Star show ads.

### Which is updated more often, AL.com or The Anniston Star?

AL.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and The Anniston Star every 3 months. Most recently, AL.com was updated on October 22, 2026 and The Anniston Star on October 19, 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.*