# MLive.com vs Lansing State Journal

The clearest difference is monetization model: Lansing State Journal at free with in-app purchases against MLive.com's subscription. Lansing State Journal also leads on review sentiment (33% vs 12%). MLive.com's advantage is ratings volume (16K vs 1.4K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MLive.com sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Lansing State Journal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 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 — 4.4 for MLive.com against 4.3 for Lansing State Journal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MLive.com has 16K ratings behind it against 1.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 12% of MLive.com's written reviews are positive against 33% of Lansing State Journal's.

MLive.com ships an update every 3 weeks, Lansing State Journal monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MLive.com | Lansing State Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mlivecom/id419886579/reviews)** | [4.3 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lansing-state-journal/id515305181/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 1.4K |
| Positive reviews | 11.9% of reviews | **32.5% 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 | **#75** | #102 |
| Size | 33 MB | 188 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [MLive.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/419886587) | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) |

## What reviewers say

### MLive.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mlivecom/id419886579)

**Currently charting:** #75 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Stay informed with local news, sports, and weather that directly impacts your community. Access timely and reliable reporting from trusted journalists who live and work in your area. Coverage spans news, politics, business, culture, and more, ensuring you're always aware of what's happening in your backyard.

**Highlights:** Local news reporting, Sports coverage, Weather updates, Politics and business news, Culture and community events, Unlimited premium content access

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

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wolverine Confidential. | $7.99 | per month |
| 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 | $10.00 | per month |
| All Access to MLive.com | $11.99 | per month |
| All Access to MLive | $15.00 | per month |
| All Access to MLive.com | $75.00 | per year |
| Wolverine Confidential. | $79.99 | per year |
| All access to MLive.com | $99.99 | per year |
| Digital Access | $99.99 | per year |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $99.99 | per year |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Access | $100.00 | per year |
| All access to MLive.com | $119.99 | per year |
| All Access to MLive | $150.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick, accurate, and well-written news
- 👍 Good coverage of Michigan news
- 🌐 Broad spectrum news coverage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paywalled content, too many articles behind subscription
- 🐛 Buggy, crashes, freezes, and loading issues
- 💤 Outdated, repetitive, and lacking in real reporting
- 🔍 Poor search functionality and content organization
- 📢 Excessive ads and intrusive advertising

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and inconsistent subscription handling
- Notifications not working as expected
- Scrolling and navigation problems

**Requested features**

- Ability to filter and customize content
- Improved local news coverage and focus
- Removal of paywall for breaking news and essential content


### Lansing State Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lansing-state-journal/id515305181)

**Currently charting:** #102 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #146 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and real-time alerts. Access a digital replica of the print edition, customize your reading experience, and enjoy content on the go.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news and alerts, Digital eNewspaper replica, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading, Sports coverage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $14.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Subscription | $24.99 | per month |
| Lansing State Journal Digital Subscription | $24.99 | per month |
| Lansing State Journal Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Good local and state news coverage
- 🗞️ Familiar newspaper-like format
- 💻 Convenient digital access

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find content
- 💤 Outdated and stale news
- 📢 Excessive ads and pop-ups
- 🔒 Unreliable account and subscription management

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes
- Login and access issues
- Rendering and display problems

**Requested features**

- Improve page navigation and layout
- Enhance content freshness and timeliness
- Reduce disruptive ads and pop-ups
- Streamline account and subscription management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MLive.com free?

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

### Is Lansing State Journal free?

Lansing State Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, MLive.com or Lansing State Journal?

MLive.com is rated higher. MLive.com averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while Lansing State Journal averages 4.3 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do MLive.com or Lansing State Journal have ads?

Both MLive.com and Lansing State Journal show ads.

### Which is updated more often, MLive.com or Lansing State Journal?

MLive.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and Lansing State Journal monthly. Most recently, MLive.com was updated on October 15, 2026 and Lansing State Journal on October 14, 2026.

### Which is more popular, MLive.com or Lansing State Journal?

MLive.com currently peaks at #75 in the App Store charts, and Lansing State Journal at #102. 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.*