# The Star Malaysia vs PaperFIRST

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PaperFIRST at none against The Star Malaysia's 4. The Star Malaysia's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Star Malaysia sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. PaperFIRST asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Star Malaysia ships an update fortnightly, PaperFIRST every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Star Malaysia | PaperFIRST |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.5 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-star-malaysia/id428184176/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **16** | — |
| Positive reviews | 8.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 92 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Star Media Group Berhad](https://appshunter.io/developer/392881086) | [EDITIONS NICOLAS PELLETIER](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480807579) |

## What reviewers say

### The Star Malaysia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-star-malaysia/id428184176)

Access verified news from Malaysia's most trusted source. Enjoy features like offline reading, audio summaries, and customizable navigation. Stay informed with breaking news alerts.

**Highlights:** Verified news from official sources, Offline reading capability, News-in-audio summaries, Customizable navigation menu, Dark mode option, Breaking news alerts

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Weekly Package | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Standard Package (Upgraded) | $2.49 | per month |
| Premium Monthly Package | $3.49 | per month |
| Premium Yearly Package | $19.99 | per year |


### PaperFIRST

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperfirst/id1056544404)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Star Malaysia free?

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

### Is PaperFIRST free?

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

### Do The Star Malaysia or PaperFIRST have ads?

Both The Star Malaysia and PaperFIRST show ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Star Malaysia or PaperFIRST?

The Star Malaysia ships an update fortnightly, and PaperFIRST every 6 months. Most recently, The Star Malaysia was updated on November 2, 2026 and PaperFIRST on October 29, 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.*