# MassLive.com vs News

The clearest difference is monetization model: News at free with in-app purchases against MassLive.com's subscription. News also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 19%). MassLive.com's advantage is ratings volume (6.1K vs 417). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MassLive.com sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and News sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MassLive.com holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MassLive.com has 6.1K ratings behind it against 417, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 19% of MassLive.com's written reviews are positive against 51% of News's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

MassLive.com ships an update every 3 weeks, News monthly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | MassLive.com | News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masslivecom/id419879721/reviews)** | [4.3 (417 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/news-leader/id520202089/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 417 |
| Positive reviews | 18.8% of reviews | **50.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#116** | #196 |
| Size | 34 MB | 190 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [MassLive.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/419879724) | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) |

## What reviewers say

### MassLive.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masslivecom/id419879721)

**Currently charting:** #116 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

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

**Highlights:** Local news reporting, Sports coverage, Weather updates, Community-focused journalism, Premium content access

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

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Digital Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Digital Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Digital Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access with Discount | $10.00 | per month |
| Monthly Access | $11.99 | per month |
| All Access to MassLive | $15.00 | per month |
| All Access to MassLive.com | $75.00 | per year |
| Annual Access | $99.99 | per year |
| Digital Access | $99.99 | per year |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Access with Discount | $100.00 | per year |
| Annual Access | $119.99 | per year |
| All Access to MassLive | $150.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💯 Great coverage of important news
- 📰 Excellent local and state news
- 🏆 Best news and sports outlet for Massachusetts

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Slow and glitchy performance
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 📢 Too many ads even with subscription
- 🗞️ Biased and sensationalist reporting
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find content

**Reported bugs**

- Login and account issues after updates
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Broken comment and sharing functionality

**Requested features**

- Separate sports and news sections
- Improved search and filtering options
- Ability to customize content feed
- Offline reading mode


### News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/news-leader/id520202089)

**Currently charting:** #196 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access local news, in-depth journalism, and engaging multimedia content. Get real-time notifications for breaking news, sports, and weather. Customize your reading experience and enjoy a digital replica of the print edition.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news notifications, Sports coverage, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading, eNewspaper replica, Access to USA TODAY

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $14.99 | per month |
| The News-Leader Digital Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| The News-Leader Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Excellent local and state news coverage
- 📱 Easy navigation and user-friendly interface
- 🔔 Helpful breaking news notifications
- ✍️ High-quality journalism and reporting
- 🌍 Good accessibility for remote readers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing issues
- 🔐 Persistent login and authentication problems
- 📄 E-newspaper difficult to navigate and access
- 🔤 Small text size on tablets and devices
- 📰 News content outdated or delayed (2-3 days behind)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when changing page size
- Text falls off pages during reading
- Login requires repeated re-authentication after 5 stories
- E-newspaper section inaccessible or only shows USA Today
- App freezes during ad transitions

**Requested features**

- Restore newspaper-style full-page layout view
- Implement search functionality
- Add ability to read and post comments
- Improve e-newspaper section navigation
- Better subheading formatting within articles


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MassLive.com free?

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

### Is News free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MassLive.com or News?

MassLive.com is rated higher. MassLive.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while News averages 4.3 from 417 ratings.

### Do MassLive.com or News have ads?

Both MassLive.com and News show ads.

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

MassLive.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and News monthly. Most recently, MassLive.com was updated on November 1, 2026 and News on November 1, 2026.

### Which is more popular, MassLive.com or News?

MassLive.com currently peaks at #116 in the App Store charts, and News at #196. 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.*