# MassLive.com vs Greenfield Recorder

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Greenfield Recorder at none against MassLive.com's 16. Greenfield Recorder also leads on review sentiment (45% vs 19%). MassLive.com's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (6.1K vs 367). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MassLive.com sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Greenfield Recorder asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for MassLive.com against 4.4 for Greenfield Recorder. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MassLive.com has 6.1K ratings behind it against 367, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 19% of MassLive.com's written reviews are positive against 45% of Greenfield Recorder's.

MassLive.com ships an update every 3 weeks, Greenfield Recorder every 10 months. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | MassLive.com | Greenfield Recorder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masslivecom/id419879721/reviews)** | [4.4 (367 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/greenfield-recorder/id813790156/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 367 |
| Positive reviews | 18.8% of reviews | **44.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#165** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [MassLive.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/419879724) | [Newspapers of New England, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1466145147) |

## What reviewers say

### MassLive.com

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

**Currently charting:** #165 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


### Greenfield Recorder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/greenfield-recorder/id813790156)

Access live news updated throughout the day and a digital replica of the print edition. Receive breaking news alerts and share stories easily. Enjoy intuitive navigation with multi-touch gestures for a paper-like reading experience on your device.

**Highlights:** Live news updates, Print edition replica, Breaking news alerts, Story sharing, Multi-touch gestures, Paper-like reading experience

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Access local news
- 👍 Clear photos
- 👍 Get updates during the day
- 👍 No delivery delays

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 New format not compatible with iPad
- 😞 Harder to read articles
- 😞 Cannot choose specific articles to print/share
- 😞 App not usable on older iPads
- 😞 Clunky user interface

**Reported bugs**

- New format is not compatible for my iPad
- It’s harder to read an article all the way through
- When I want to print one, or share it, I can’t choose just that article
- It won’t work anymore on our older iPad
- I can’t download the latest version nor use the version I currently have due to my iPad’s age

**Requested features**

- Buy a newer version to read Recorder
- Have the classic, or legacy view return
- Make legacy option available
- Return to traditional turn the page technology
- Return to the old format


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MassLive.com free?

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

### Is Greenfield Recorder free?

Greenfield Recorder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, MassLive.com or Greenfield Recorder?

MassLive.com is rated higher. MassLive.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while Greenfield Recorder averages 4.4 from 367 ratings.

### Do MassLive.com or Greenfield Recorder have ads?

Both MassLive.com and Greenfield Recorder show ads.

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

MassLive.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and Greenfield Recorder every 10 months. Most recently, MassLive.com was updated on October 23, 2026 and Greenfield Recorder on October 23, 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.*