# Melbourne Storm vs Essendon Official App

The clearest difference is ads: Essendon Official App at none against Melbourne Storm's shown. Melbourne Storm's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 64%) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.5). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Melbourne Storm | Essendon Official App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.6 (94 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essendon-official-app/id510341909/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **94** |
| Positive reviews | **74.6% of reviews** | 63.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 59 MB | 183 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [National Rugby League Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/436086507) | [Telstra Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/327529523) |

## What reviewers say

### Melbourne Storm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melbourne-storm/id431201775)

Stay connected with your favorite rugby league team. Get breaking news, live scores, in-depth stats, and exclusive video highlights. This app provides comprehensive game day information and team updates, ensuring you never miss a moment.

**Highlights:** Breaking news updates, Live scores and stats, Match highlights, Full team lists, Pre, live, and post-match coverage, Player highlights

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for fans
- 👍 Well laid out and easy to use
- 👍 Keeps fans updated
- 👍 Contains all necessary information
- 👍 Useful for news and stats

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App stopped working after upgrade
- 🐛 Fails to connect to live feed
- 🐛 Unusable at the moment
- 🐛 Pathetic new app
- 🐛 Size doesn't fit phone

**Reported bugs**

- Stopped working with upgrade
- Failing to connect to live feed
- Unusable at the moment
- Size doesn't fit phone size
- Unable to press buttons for pages

**Requested features**

- Make app for iPad
- Make app for other teams
- Allow wallpaper downloads
- Videos to rotate to full screen on iPhoneXR
- Improve merchandise store access and player feedback


### Essendon Official App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essendon-official-app/id510341909)

Stay connected with your favorite team through exclusive content, live scores, and instant alerts. Plan your game day, manage tickets, and access in-depth player and team statistics all in one place.

**Highlights:** Game day planning, Ticket management, Exclusive video content, Instant alerts, Live scores and stats, Player profiles, Team news and reports

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great visuals and news
- 👍 Informative and up-to-date
- 👍 Good merch access
- 👍 User-friendly navigation
- 👍 Helpful stats

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccessible membership tickets
- 🐛 App not working on older devices
- 🐛 Removed widgets
- 🐛 Difficult to navigate
- 🐛 Clunky interface

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot see membership card (iOS 17+ only)
- App no longer works on iPhone 8
- Widgets removed in latest version
- Cannot access app on older phones
- Cannot access mobile membership barcode

**Requested features**

- Bring back widgets
- More video content
- Separate WAFL from AFL teams
- More behind-the-scenes content
- Article on lucky member


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Melbourne Storm free?

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

### Is Essendon Official App free?

Essendon Official App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Melbourne Storm or Essendon Official App have ads?

Melbourne Storm shows ads; Essendon Official App does not.

### Which is updated more often, Melbourne Storm or Essendon Official App?

Melbourne Storm ships an update every 5 weeks, and Essendon Official App every 5 weeks. Most recently, Melbourne Storm was updated on October 21, 2026 and Essendon Official App on October 23, 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.*