# AL.com vs SILive.com

The clearest difference is monetization model: AL.com at free with in-app purchases against SILive.com's subscription. SILive.com's advantage is review sentiment (44% vs 23%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AL.com sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and SILive.com sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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 4.6 for SILive.com. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16K and 6.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 23% of AL.com's written reviews are positive against 44% of SILive.com's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | AL.com | SILive.com |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alcom/id419876008/reviews) | **[4.6 (6.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/silivecom/id421906731/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 6.6K |
| Positive reviews | 23.4% of reviews | **44.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#136** | #197 |
| Size | 32 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [al.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/419876011) | [SILive.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/421906734) |

## What reviewers say

### AL.com

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

**Currently charting:** #136 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


### SILive.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/silivecom/id421906731)

**Currently charting:** #197 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Stay informed with local news, sports, and weather impacting your community. Get timely and reliable reporting from journalists who live and work in your area, covering everything from local events to politics and culture.

**Highlights:** Local news reporting, Sports coverage, Weather updates, Community events, Politics and business news, Dining and culture

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

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $1.99 | per month |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $2.99 | per month |
| All Access to Sports Insider | $7.99 | per month |
| Digital Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $9.99 | per month |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access | $11.00 | per month |
| All Access to SILive.com | $11.99 | per month |
| All Access to Staten Island Live | $15.00 | per month |
| All Access to SILive.com | $75.00 | per year |
| All Access to Sports Insider | $79.99 | per year |
| All Access to SILive.com | $99.99 | per year |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $99.99 | per year |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Access | $100.00 | per year |
| All Access to SILive.com | $119.99 | per year |
| Monthly Subscription | $119.99 | per month |
| All Access to Staten Island Live | $150.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent source of local news and information
- 🚀 Timely updates and notifications
- 💡 Good coverage of Staten Island community

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 💰 Excessive ads and paywalls
- 🤔 Perceived political bias in reporting
- 🔍 Poor search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes when opening certain articles
- Notification links often lead to wrong stories
- Inconsistent performance across devices

**Requested features**

- Improved article navigation and scrolling
- Ability to customize font size and layout
- Restore classic app version with better functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AL.com free?

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

### Is SILive.com free?

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

### Which has better reviews, AL.com or SILive.com?

SILive.com is rated higher. AL.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while SILive.com averages 4.6 from 6.6K ratings.

### Do AL.com or SILive.com have ads?

Both AL.com and SILive.com show ads.

### Which is updated more often, AL.com or SILive.com?

AL.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and SILive.com every 3 weeks. Most recently, AL.com was updated on October 12, 2026 and SILive.com on October 12, 2026.

### Which is more popular, AL.com or SILive.com?

AL.com currently peaks at #136 in the App Store charts, and SILive.com at #197. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*