# AL.com vs The Cullman Tribune

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Cullman Tribune at 100% against AL.com's 23%. The Cullman Tribune also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). AL.com's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 22 months) and ratings volume (16K vs 51). On price 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. The Cullman Tribune asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Cullman Tribune holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AL.com has 16K ratings behind it against 51, 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 100% of The Cullman Tribune's.

AL.com ships an update every 3 weeks, The Cullman Tribune every 22 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AL.com | The Cullman Tribune |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alcom/id419876008/reviews) | **[4.9 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-cullman-tribune/id888179213/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 51 |
| Positive reviews | 23.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 22 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#94** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [al.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/419876011) | [CullmanSense](https://appshunter.io/developer/441146720) |

## What reviewers say

### AL.com

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

**Currently charting:** #94 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 Cullman Tribune

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-cullman-tribune/id888179213)

Stay informed about local news and events in Cullman, Alabama. Receive breaking news alerts, view digital editions of the print publication, and submit your own news tips.

**Highlights:** Breaking news push notifications, Digital print publication issues, Website browsing, Submit news tips and media, Local event coverage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AL.com free?

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

### Is The Cullman Tribune free?

The Cullman Tribune is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AL.com or The Cullman Tribune?

The Cullman Tribune is rated higher. AL.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while The Cullman Tribune averages 4.9 from 51 ratings.

### Do AL.com or The Cullman Tribune have ads?

AL.com shows ads; The Cullman Tribune does not.

### Which is updated more often, AL.com or The Cullman Tribune?

AL.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and The Cullman Tribune every 22 months. Most recently, AL.com was updated on October 18, 2026 and The Cullman Tribune on October 6, 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.*