# The Mercury News vs Safe & Informed

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Mercury News at none against Safe & Informed's 7. The Mercury News also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.4). Safe & Informed's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Safe & Informed sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. The Mercury News asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Mercury News ships an update every 2 months, Safe & Informed every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Mercury News | Safe & Informed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (904 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-mercury-news/id429774201/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **904** | — |
| Positive reviews | 30.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 127 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [MediaNews Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/364357227) | [Safe and Informed S.R.L.](https://appshunter.io/developer/6807479710) |

## What reviewers say

### The Mercury News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-mercury-news/id429774201)

Access every article, comic, and puzzle from your favorite newspaper with a streamlined interface. Enjoy in-depth local coverage, entertainment news, and a comprehensive sports section. Read content exactly as it appears in print, with easy navigation and zoom features.

**Highlights:** Digital newspaper replica, Full content access, Local news coverage, Entertainment and sports sections, Print-like viewing, Streamlined navigation, 30-day archive access

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy navigation
- 👍 Newspaper-like reading experience
- 🔒 Offline reading option
- ⭐ Great local news coverage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 📱 Poor optimization for mobile devices
- 🔍 Difficult to search and find articles
- 💤 Slow loading times
- 🔀 Inconsistent page layout and navigation

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Blurry text and images
- Inconsistent behavior when rotating device
- Login issues and lost progress

**Requested features**

- Improve article search and discovery
- Add support for tablet and larger screen devices
- Provide more customization options
- Enhance offline reading capabilities


### Safe & Informed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safe-and-informed/id6807479708)

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $2.99 | per month |
| Pro | $12.99 | per month |
| Pro Annual | $119.99 | per year |
| 50 AI Voice Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| 120 AI Voice Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| 250 AI Voice Credits | $18.99 | one-time |
| 600 AI Voice Credits | $41.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Mercury News free?

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

### Is Safe & Informed free?

Safe & Informed is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do The Mercury News or Safe & Informed have ads?

Both The Mercury News and Safe & Informed show ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Mercury News or Safe & Informed?

The Mercury News ships an update every 2 months, and Safe & Informed every 2 days. Most recently, The Mercury News was updated on October 26, 2026 and Safe & Informed on October 24, 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.*