# Patch vs Asbury Park Press

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Patch at none against Asbury Park Press's 5. Patch also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 35%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Asbury Park Press's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Asbury Park Press sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Patch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Patch holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Patch has 27K ratings behind it against 2.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Patch's written reviews are positive against 35% of Asbury Park Press's.

Patch ships an update every 2 months, Asbury Park Press every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Patch | Asbury Park Press |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (27K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patch-everything-local/id430049632/reviews)** | [4.4 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asbury-park-press/id514649656/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **27K** | 2.4K |
| Positive reviews | **59.2% of reviews** | 34.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #167 | **#84** |
| Size | 66 MB | 189 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Patch Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/1088403234) | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) |

## What reviewers say

### Patch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patch-everything-local/id430049632)

**Currently charting:** #167 Top Free · News (US App Store)

Stay informed about your local community with real-time news, events, and weather updates. Discover schools, homes for sale, jobs, and announcements in a single, easy-to-scroll feed. Receive breaking news alerts and share stories with friends.

**Highlights:** Local news and events for 1,200+ towns, Breaking news push notifications, Local weather forecasts and alerts, Find local jobs and announcements, One-scroll feed for town happenings, Bookmark articles for later reading, Support for following multiple towns

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🗞️ Informative local news
- 📰 Comprehensive coverage of community events
- 🔍 Useful for staying up-to-date on local happenings
- 🗓️ Timely and relevant information
- 💻 Convenient online/mobile access to local news

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔌 App stability and performance issues
- 🔍 Limited ability to customize content and notifications
- 📢 Concerns about removal of reader comments
- 🗺️ Lack of location-specific focus in some areas
- 💲 Paid subscription model for full access

**Reported bugs**

- Articles failing to load or open properly
- Notification issues, including duplicate or missing alerts
- Inconsistent app behavior after updates
- Difficulty clearing unread article indicators

**Requested features**

- Allow users to select specific news categories of interest
- Improve notification system to be more reliable and customizable
- Restore reader comment functionality
- Enhance location-based targeting and content curation
- Offer more affordable or free access options


### Asbury Park Press

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asbury-park-press/id514649656)

**Currently charting:** #84 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #122 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Access local news, in-depth journalism, and powerful photography. Stay informed with breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts. Customize your reading experience with features like offline reading and adjustable text size.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news and alerts, Sports coverage, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading, eNewspaper access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual Digital Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Asbury Park Press Digital Subscription | $24.99 | per month |
| Asbury Park Press Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Enjoy reading local news everyday
- 📚 Comprehensive coverage of front page, obits, and sports
- ⏰ Convenient to read on the go
- 🏠 Helps stay connected with hometown news
- 🤓 Informative and educational content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Difficult to navigate and use
- 🔍 Poor zooming and sizing functionality
- 🐛 Frequent freezing and crashing issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription cost
- 📢 Intrusive ads and pop-ups

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent content updates
- Unreliable app performance
- Subscription issues and lack of support
- Compatibility problems with newer devices
- Broken search and navigation features

**Requested features**

- Bring back the old, user-friendly app
- Improve page layout and readability
- Add ability to print crossword puzzles
- Simplify login and account management
- Provide offline reading mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Patch free?

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

### Is Asbury Park Press free?

Asbury Park Press is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Patch or Asbury Park Press?

Patch is rated higher. Patch averages 4.7 out of 5 from 27K ratings, while Asbury Park Press averages 4.4 from 2.4K ratings.

### Do Patch or Asbury Park Press have ads?

Both Patch and Asbury Park Press show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Patch or Asbury Park Press?

Patch ships an update every 2 months, and Asbury Park Press every 4 weeks. Most recently, Patch was updated on November 2, 2026 and Asbury Park Press on November 1, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Patch or Asbury Park Press?

Patch currently peaks at #167 in the App Store charts, and Asbury Park Press at #84. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*