# SILive.com vs The Patriot

The clearest difference is monetization model: The Patriot at free with in-app purchases against SILive.com's subscription. The Patriot also leads on ads (none vs shown). SILive.com's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and review sentiment (44% vs 27%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and chart position there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SILive.com sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and The Patriot sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $24.99 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 — 4.6 for SILive.com against 4.5 for The Patriot. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SILive.com has 6.9K ratings behind it against 510, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 44% of SILive.com's written reviews are positive against 27% of The Patriot's.

SILive.com ships an update every 3 weeks, The Patriot every 6 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | SILive.com | The Patriot |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/silivecom/id421906731/reviews)** | [4.5 (510 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-patriot-news/id489242523/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 510 |
| Positive reviews | **44.1% of reviews** | 26.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#158** | #190 |
| Size | 35 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [SILive.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/421906734) | [The Patriot-News Co](https://appshunter.io/developer/489242526) |

## What reviewers say

### SILive.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/silivecom/id421906731)

**Currently charting:** #158 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

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

**Highlights:** Local news reporting, Sports coverage, Weather updates, Community events, Politics and business news, Dining and culture

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $1.99 | per month |
| Digital Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $9.99 | per month |
| Subscriber Exclusive Content | $9.99 | per month |
| All Access to SILive.com | $11.99 | per month |
| All Access to Staten Island Live | $15.00 | per month |
| All Access to SILive.com | $75.00 | per year |
| All Access to SILive.com | $99.99 | per year |
| All Access to SILive.com | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent source of local news and information
- 🚀 Timely updates and notifications
- 💡 Good coverage of Staten Island community

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 💰 Excessive ads and paywalls
- 🤔 Perceived political bias in reporting
- 🔍 Poor search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes when opening certain articles
- Notification links often lead to wrong stories
- Inconsistent performance across devices

**Requested features**

- Improved article navigation and scrolling
- Ability to customize font size and layout
- Restore classic app version with better functionality


### The Patriot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-patriot-news/id489242523)

**Currently charting:** #190 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access award-winning local news, sports, entertainment, and more from your favorite newspaper. Enjoy an enhanced reading experience with online-only content, puzzles, and easy sharing. Subscribers get full access.

**Highlights:** Award-winning local news, Daily features and sports updates, Entertainment highlights, Online-only perks, Interactive puzzles and games, Easy article sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Patriot-News Subscription | $24.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Quality journalism
- 👍 Outstanding local sports coverage
- 👍 Easy to navigate (for some)
- 👍 Love the e-paper format
- 👍 Good Ravens coverage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Online version missing content
- 🐛 Login and password problems
- 🐛 Difficult to navigate
- 🐛 Confusing new format
- 🐛 Hard to use on iPhone

**Reported bugs**

- Online version missing parts of sentences and paragraphs
- Cannot log in to tablet version
- Password not accepted
- App updates are poorly applied
- Cannot get into app directly

**Requested features**

- Include coupons and weekly store flyers
- More impartial view in political articles
- Include something nice about republican endeavors
- Design a layout built for tablets
- Add dark mode option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SILive.com free?

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

### Is The Patriot free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SILive.com or The Patriot?

SILive.com is rated higher. SILive.com averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while The Patriot averages 4.5 from 510 ratings.

### Do SILive.com or The Patriot have ads?

SILive.com shows ads; The Patriot does not.

### Which is updated more often, SILive.com or The Patriot?

SILive.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and The Patriot every 6 months. Most recently, SILive.com was updated on November 6, 2026 and The Patriot on November 6, 2026.

### Which is more popular, SILive.com or The Patriot?

SILive.com currently peaks at #158 in the App Store charts, and The Patriot at #190. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*