# Guidebook vs CNS News

The clearest difference is update cadence: Guidebook at every 2 weeks against CNS News's every 14 months. Guidebook also leads on ratings volume (3.7K vs 2) and chart position (#205 vs unranked). CNS News's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

CNS News holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Guidebook has 3.7K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Guidebook ships an update every 2 weeks, CNS News every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Guidebook | CNS News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guidebook/id428713847/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cns-news/id6467756318/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.7K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 52.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 14 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#205** | — |
| Size | 57 MB | 454 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Guidebook Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/428713850) | [Media Minds, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/428078092) |

## What reviewers say

### Guidebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guidebook/id428713847)

**Currently charting:** #205 Top Free · Business (US App Store)

This application serves as a comprehensive guide for events, conferences, and campuses. Users can build personalized schedules, access detailed information about speakers and sponsors, and navigate venues with interactive maps. It also facilitates attendee engagement through messaging and a social feed.

**Highlights:** Personalized schedule and to-do lists, Speaker and sponsor information, Venue and local area maps, In-app search functionality, Attendee messaging and engagement, Interactive social feed

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Stable and easy to navigate
- 📚 Helpful for planning schedules and events
- 🗺️ Provides maps and venue information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔆 Lack of dark mode option
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Confusing search functionality
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🗓️ Difficulty managing old event data

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to view event details
- Inability to add custom events to schedule
- Incorrect location pinpointing on maps
- Notification issues and unwanted alerts

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to sync schedule across devices
- More customization options for user profile
- Better event filtering and search capabilities
- Integration with calendar apps


### CNS News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cns-news/id6467756318)

This app provides award-winning news coverage of issues important to Maryland residents, produced by students from the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism. It has been delivering impactful reporting since 1990.

**Highlights:** Award-winning news coverage, Student-powered journalism, Focus on Maryland issues, Established news organization since 1990

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Guidebook free?

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

### Is CNS News free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Guidebook or CNS News?

CNS News is rated higher. Guidebook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while CNS News averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Guidebook or CNS News have ads?

Neither Guidebook nor CNS News shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Guidebook or CNS News?

Guidebook ships an update every 2 weeks, and CNS News every 14 months. Most recently, Guidebook was updated on October 26, 2026 and CNS News on October 21, 2026.

---

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