# AL.com vs Montgomery Advertiser

AL.com and Montgomery Advertiser both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 56% of Montgomery Advertiser's written reviews are positive against 24% of AL.com's. AL.com's advantage is ratings volume (16K vs 407) and chart position (#140 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AL.com sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Montgomery Advertiser sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 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 4.4 for Montgomery Advertiser. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AL.com has 16K ratings behind it against 407, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 24% of AL.com's written reviews are positive against 56% of Montgomery Advertiser's.

AL.com ships an update every 3 weeks, Montgomery Advertiser monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AL.com | Montgomery Advertiser |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alcom/id419876008/reviews)** | [4.4 (407 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/montgomery-advertiser/id531366264/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 407 |
| Positive reviews | 23.8% of reviews | **56.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#140** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 186 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [al.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/419876011) | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) |

## What reviewers say

### AL.com

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

**Currently charting:** #140 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


### Montgomery Advertiser

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/montgomery-advertiser/id531366264)

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and powerful photography. Get breaking alerts, sports scores, and weather updates. Enjoy a streamlined experience with customizable features and an eNewspaper edition.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news alerts, Sports coverage, Weather alerts, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading, eNewspaper edition

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Montgomery Advertiser Digital Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Montgomery Advertiser Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Local news coverage and community connection
- 📱 Easy to navigate and user-friendly interface
- 🔔 Real-time news notifications throughout the day
- 🖥️ Digital version mirrors print edition layout
- ✨ Keeps users informed on local and regional events

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Login and authentication issues persist
- 💰 Ads present despite paid subscription
- 📉 Declining content quality and local coverage
- 🔄 Subscription management problems and confusion
- ⚠️ Poor customer service and unresolved issues

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen loops and prevents access
- Password reset not working properly
- Subscription status not persisting after login
- Ads blocking content and not closing properly
- Digital subscription access denied despite active account

**Requested features**

- Remove ads for paid subscribers
- Improve digital edition to match print version completely
- Better subscription management and account tracking
- Faster app performance and content loading
- Free or lower-cost subscription options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AL.com free?

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

### Is Montgomery Advertiser free?

Montgomery Advertiser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, AL.com or Montgomery Advertiser?

AL.com is rated higher. AL.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while Montgomery Advertiser averages 4.4 from 407 ratings.

### Do AL.com or Montgomery Advertiser have ads?

Both AL.com and Montgomery Advertiser show ads.

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

AL.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and Montgomery Advertiser monthly. Most recently, AL.com was updated on September 26, 2026 and Montgomery Advertiser on September 21, 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.*