Comparison

The Globe and Mail vs Alberta Fire Bans

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

The Globe and Mail

Access award-winning news, commentary, and analysis from Canada and around the world. Customize your news feed, enjoy audio articles, and save content for offline reading. Subscribers gain access to exclusive features and can gift articles.

Highlights
  • Customized news feed
  • Audio articles
  • Offline reading
  • Stock Watchlist
  • Article commenting
  • Newsletter subscriptions
  • Gift articles
Features
Read full description

Stay informed around-the-clock with world-class, award-winning news, commentary and analysis from The Globe and Mail. Featuring: • Sign up and receive The Globe's newsletters in the app. • 'For You' section featuring customized news feed, crossword puzzles, and horoscopes. • Globe subscribers can gift up to three articles a month to family and friends. • Improved stock profile pages with graphs and more news. • Watchlist: Create and edit custom Watchlists of key stocks directly in the app with all changes synced seamlessly to the website • Commenting: Join the conversation by commenting and discussing articles • Saved articles: Bookmark your favourite articles to read later • Audio articles: Listen to select articles via the dedicated audio player • All Globe and Mail articles and sections, including subscriber-only features with a digital subscription • Latest news and top stories • Alerts: Opt-in to be notified about breaking news • Offline reading: Save articles to read when you’re offline • In-app purchase: Purchase a digital subscription to unlock subscriber-only content Subscribe today to access all Globe and Mail content on all platforms. App Store Policy: • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase By subscribing to The Globe and Mail, you agree to our Terms and Conditions: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/appview/privacy-terms/terms-and-conditions/ and Privacy Policy: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/appview/privacy-terms/privacy-policy/ We hope you enjoy using the new Globe iOS app. If you have any questions or comments, tweet @GlobeHelp or visit http://support.globeandmail.com.

About

Alberta Fire Bans

Access the latest and most reliable information on active fire advisories, restrictions, and bans across Alberta. The app provides real-time updates and offline access to critical safety information.

Highlights
  • Real-time fire advisories and bans
  • Offline map and alert access
  • Searchable by location
  • Color-coded alert display
  • Location services
  • Notification alerts
Read full description

Stay up to date with the Alberta Fire Bans mobile application! Regardless of where you are in Alberta, the Alberta Fire Bans application will help you find the most current and reliable information on all active fire advisories, fire restrictions, fire bans, and OHV restrictions in Alberta. FEATURES - Offline mode: once the map and alerts have been downloaded through a network connection (wifi, phone data, etc.), you will be able to view all alerts and relevant information when out of cell coverage - Helpful tutorial to navigate through the application - Robust search bar to help you quickly find any town, city, municipal district, or forested area within Alberta - Colour-coded display bar allows you to conveniently view all active alerts on the map - Standard and satellite views to suit your viewing preference - Location services to find your current location - Sign up for notifications so you know when an area’s alert status changes Alberta Fire Bans is a partnership with fire agencies and municipalities across the province to ensure the most accurate and reliable information is always publicly available. DISCLAIMER Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented on this application. However, the Government of Alberta does not take responsibility for outdated or incorrect information. This includes the accuracy of boundaries on the application. Every individual is responsible for knowing and following the legislation and bylaws of the area they are in at any given time. If you have questions about a jurisdiction’s boundaries, please contact the appropriate agency or municipality.

Screenshots

The Globe and Mail4 screens
Alberta Fire Bans4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Alberta Fire Bans at none against The Globe and Mail's 2. Alberta Fire Bans also leads on ads (none vs shown). The Globe and Mail's advantage is review sentiment (45% vs 10%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. The Globe and Mail sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. Alberta Fire Bans asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Globe and Mail ships an update fortnightly, Alberta Fire Bans every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
The Globe and Mail versus Alberta Fire Bans: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Globe and MailAlberta Fire Bans
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews44.9% of reviews — better10.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3K — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#80 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB25 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperThe Globe and Mail Inc.The Government of Alberta

Customer experience

The Globe and Mail

All ratings3,023 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews321 reviews
Positive44.9%
Neutral13.1%
Negative42.1%

Alberta Fire Bans

Written reviews10 reviews
Positive10.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative90.0%

Bugs and requests

The Globe and Mail

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Articles not loading properly or requiring internet connection
  • Notifications not working as expected
  • Syncing issues between app and website versions
  • Frequent login problems and account management difficulties

Requested features

5 requests
  • Automatic dark mode option
  • Improved offline reading capabilities
  • Better integration with user's portfolio and watchlists
  • Easier access to comments and ability to participate
  • More personalized news recommendations and content curation

Alberta Fire Bans

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

The Globe and Mail

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$24.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription1 Month trial$229.991 Year
None

Alberta Fire Bans

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Globe and Mail free?
The Globe and Mail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Alberta Fire Bans free?
Alberta Fire Bans is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do The Globe and Mail or Alberta Fire Bans have ads?
The Globe and Mail shows ads; Alberta Fire Bans does not.
Which is updated more often, The Globe and Mail or Alberta Fire Bans?
The Globe and Mail ships an update fortnightly, and Alberta Fire Bans every 5 months. Most recently, The Globe and Mail was updated on November 10, 2026 and Alberta Fire Bans on November 2, 2026.

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