# AL.com vs WAFF48 News

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WAFF48 News at none against AL.com's 10. WAFF48 News also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). AL.com's advantage is chart position (#136 vs unranked) and ratings volume (16K vs 3K). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. WAFF48 News asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for AL.com against 4.4 for WAFF48 News. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AL.com has 16K ratings behind it against 3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 23% of AL.com's written reviews are positive against 17% of WAFF48 News's.

AL.com ships an update every 3 weeks, WAFF48 News monthly. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | AL.com | WAFF48 News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alcom/id419876008/reviews)** | [4.4 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waff48-news/id449394496/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 3K |
| Positive reviews | **23.4% of reviews** | 17.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#136** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [al.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/419876011) | [Gray Television Group, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/416888140) |

## 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


### WAFF48 News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waff48-news/id449394496)

Stay informed with local news and weather updates for the Huntsville area. Receive breaking news alerts, view live radar and storm tracking, and access sports and video content. This app also serves The Shoals, Sand Mountain, and Limestone County.

**Highlights:** Breaking news alerts, Live local news headlines, Live radar, Storm tracking, Sports coverage, Video content

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Reliable and accurate
- 🌟 Highly recommended for the TVA region
- 💯 Flawless accuracy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Excessive ads and pop-ups
- 🤖 Ads auto-play audio
- 🚫 No ad blocking option
- 💤 Slow to load and crashes frequently
- 🤔 Cluttered and outdated UI

**Reported bugs**

- Notification issues
- Freezing and crashing
- Incompatibility with older devices

**Requested features**

- Adjustable font size
- Mute option for ads
- Ability to disable sports notifications
- Live stream casting option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AL.com free?

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

### Is WAFF48 News free?

WAFF48 News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AL.com or WAFF48 News?

AL.com is rated higher. AL.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while WAFF48 News averages 4.4 from 3K ratings.

### Do AL.com or WAFF48 News have ads?

Both AL.com and WAFF48 News show ads.

### Which is updated more often, AL.com or WAFF48 News?

AL.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and WAFF48 News monthly. Most recently, AL.com was updated on October 22, 2026 and WAFF48 News on October 22, 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.*