# Patch vs JC Now

The clearest difference is review sentiment: JC Now at 100% against Patch's 58%. JC Now also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Patch's advantage is ratings volume (26K vs 4) and chart position (#157 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

JC Now holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Patch has 26K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Patch's written reviews are positive against 100% of JC Now's.

Patch ships an update every 2 months, JC Now every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Patch | JC Now |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patch-everything-local/id430049632/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jc-now/id909965379/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **26K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 58.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#157** | — |
| Size | 66 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patch Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/1088403234) | [City of Johns Creek](https://appshunter.io/developer/909965382) |

## What reviewers say

### Patch

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

**Currently charting:** #157 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


### JC Now

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jc-now/id909965379)

This official city app allows residents to easily report issues, request inspections, and access important city information like events, projects, and news. Users can track the status of reported issues and receive notifications upon resolution. Anonymous reporting is also supported.

**Highlights:** Report city issues, Request building inspections, Access event information, View major project updates, Read city news, Track issue resolution, Anonymous reporting

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Patch free?

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

### Is JC Now free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Patch or JC Now?

JC Now is rated higher. Patch averages 4.7 out of 5 from 26K ratings, while JC Now averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Patch or JC Now have ads?

Patch shows ads; JC Now does not.

### Which is updated more often, Patch or JC Now?

Patch ships an update every 2 months, and JC Now every 5 weeks. Most recently, Patch was updated on October 13, 2026 and JC Now on October 8, 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.*