# Patch vs Crime News

The clearest difference is rating: Patch at 4.7 against Crime News's 3.0. Patch also leads on ratings volume (26K vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). Crime News's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 58%) and ads (none vs shown). On price, 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.

Patch holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Patch has 26K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of Patch's written reviews are positive against 100% of Crime News's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Patch ships an update every 2 months, Crime News every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and June 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Patch | Crime News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patch-everything-local/id430049632/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crime-news/id971403351/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **26K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 58.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#166** | — |
| Size | 66 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Patch Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/1088403234) | [James Hartley](https://appshunter.io/developer/969746926) |

## What reviewers say

### Patch

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

**Currently charting:** #166 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


### Crime News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crime-news/id971403351)

Access crime news and landmark legal cases with this free RSS feeder. Ideal for students and enthusiasts interested in criminal justice, criminology, and U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

**Highlights:** Free crime news RSS feeder, Landmark case reference tool, Access U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Information on judicially established rights, Regularly updated landmark cases

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Patch free?

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

### Is Crime News free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Patch or Crime News?

Patch is rated higher. Patch averages 4.7 out of 5 from 26K ratings, while Crime News averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Patch or Crime News have ads?

Patch shows ads; Crime News does not.

### Which is updated more often, Patch or Crime News?

Patch ships an update every 2 months, and Crime News every 8 months. Most recently, Patch was updated on September 29, 2026 and Crime News on June 6, 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.*