# AL.com vs WAKA News

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WAKA News at none against AL.com's 10. WAKA News also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). AL.com's advantage is ratings volume (16K vs 9) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AL.com sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. WAKA News asks for nothing beyond the download.

AL.com holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AL.com has 16K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of AL.com's written reviews are positive against 20% of WAKA News's.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | AL.com | WAKA News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alcom/id419876008/reviews)** | [4.3 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waka-news/id797799656/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **23.4% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#110** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 103 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) | [Alabama News Network](https://appshunter.io/developer/797799659) |

## What reviewers say

### AL.com

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

**Currently charting:** #110 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


### WAKA News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waka-news/id797799656)

Get instant, live updates on local news, weather, and sports from Central, West, and South Alabama. Stay informed with real-time information delivered directly to your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Live local news updates, Weather forecasts, Sports scores, Mobile access, Instant notifications

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AL.com free?

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

### Is WAKA News free?

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

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

AL.com is rated higher. AL.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while WAKA News averages 4.3 from 9 ratings.

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

Both AL.com and WAKA News show ads.

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

AL.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and WAKA News every 3 months. Most recently, AL.com was updated on October 19, 2026 and WAKA News on October 3, 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.*