Comparison

Globe Gazette vs Des Moines Register

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Globe Gazette

Access local news, sports, and community stories with in-depth reporting, exclusive commentary, and multimedia content. Personalize your feed, receive breaking news alerts, and enjoy features like audio playback and customizable text sizes. An optional premium subscription offers an ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • Personalized news topics
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Audio playback for articles
  • Customizable text size
  • Hourly and 10-day weather forecasts
  • E-edition reading mode
Read full description

Your story lives in the Globe Gazette. From reporting on all of your favorite teams to the news that matters most in the community, we cover it all. Get in-depth stories from the Mason City area and beyond – including news, sports, opinion, obituaries, entertainment, and politics. Easily access the very latest news in an app built for you. Read, see, and hear exclusive commentary, stunning photography, video updates, and binge-worthy podcasts. Plus, subscribers have the ability to upgrade to News+, our premium ad-free experience! That means faster-loading pages and an uninterrupted reading experience. Our app features: * Your Stories – personalize your experience by selecting the local news topics that matter most to you * Get notified – stay in the loop by selecting alerts for news, sports, weather, and more * Easy navigation – see all the latest local stories by simply swiping up/down, and left/right. * Read stories your way – either in the News Feed or via the E-edition * Breaking news updates – top banners let you know what’s happening right now * Follow author – get notifications whenever your favorite writers post a story * Bookmark for later – save stories to enjoy at your leisure * Listen to articles – press the play button to listen instead * Customize your text size – make the content bigger or smaller in your profile settings * Weather where you are – hourly, 10-day forecasts, and frequent video updates Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. https://globegazette.com/terms

About

Des Moines Register

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and breaking alerts. Access a digital replica of the print edition, customize your reading experience, and enjoy content on the go.

Highlights
  • In-depth local journalism
  • Breaking news and alerts
  • Digital eNewspaper replica
  • Customizable reading experience
  • Offline reading
  • Sports and events coverage
Features
Read full description

From critically acclaimed storytelling to powerful photography to engaging videos — the Des Moines Register app delivers the local news that matters most to your community. APP FEATURES: • Access all of our in-depth journalism, including things to do around town, sports coverage from high school to the pros, and much more. • Enjoy a streamlined, fast-loading experience that makes it easy to view the stories, photos, and videos that matter to you. • Get breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts with real-time notifications tailored to your interests. • Customize your experience by saving your favorite stories, adjusting text size, using night mode, or reading offline. • eNewspaper: Just like our print edition but accessible on your mobile devices. And access to USA TODAY and 200+ local eNewspapers. MORE INFORMATION: • Privacy Policy: https://cm.desmoinesregister.com/privacy/ • Terms of Service: https://cm.desmoinesregister.com/terms/ • Help Center: https://help.desmoinesregister.com • Subscriptions are charged to your account at confirmation of purchase and automatically renew each month or year, unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information.

Screenshots

Globe Gazette4 screens
Des Moines Register4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Des Moines Register at 4.3 against Globe Gazette's 2.6. Des Moines Register also leads on ratings volume (2.9K vs 41) and review sentiment (39% vs 17%). Globe Gazette's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Globe Gazette sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $25.99 per month and Des Moines Register sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Des Moines Register holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Des Moines Register has 2.9K ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Globe Gazette's written reviews are positive against 39% of Des Moines Register's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Globe Gazette ships an update every 2 months, Des Moines Register every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Globe Gazette versus Des Moines Register: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGlobe GazetteDes Moines Register
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (41 ratings)4.3 (2.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.7% of reviews39.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings412.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#95 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB190 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperLee EnterprisesUSA TODAY Co., Inc.

Customer experience

Globe Gazette

All ratings41 ratings
Positive26.8%
Neutral29.3%
Negative43.9%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative75.0%

Des Moines Register

All ratings2,916 ratings
Positive82.0%
Neutral7.2%
Negative10.7%
Written reviews168 reviews
Positive39.3%
Neutral11.3%
Negative49.4%

Bugs and requests

Globe Gazette

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Des Moines Register

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices
  • Page crashes when video is embedded in article
  • Can't sign in
  • Keeps asking for renewal though I have done that
Show 1 more
  • Frequently asking to log in again when already signed in

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard
  • Search function
  • Ability to pause subscription
  • Option to turn off sports news

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Globe Gazette

Subscriptions7
  • Subscriptions$25.991 Month
  • Subscriptions$38.991 Month
  • Subscriptions$42.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Subscriptions$50.001 Year
  • Subscriptions$249.991 Year
  • Subscriptions$314.991 Year
  • Subscriptions$349.991 Year
3 purchases

Des Moines Register

Subscriptions3
  • Des Moines Register Digital Subscription1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$24.991 Month
  • Des Moines Register Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Globe Gazette free?
Globe Gazette is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Des Moines Register free?
Des Moines Register is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Globe Gazette or Des Moines Register?
Des Moines Register is rated higher. Globe Gazette averages 2.6 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while Des Moines Register averages 4.3 from 2.9K ratings.
Do Globe Gazette or Des Moines Register have ads?
Both Globe Gazette and Des Moines Register show ads.
Which is updated more often, Globe Gazette or Des Moines Register?
Globe Gazette ships an update every 2 months, and Des Moines Register every 4 weeks. Most recently, Globe Gazette was updated on November 1, 2026 and Des Moines Register on November 10, 2026.

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