# Google News vs Alpicat

The clearest difference is ads: Alpicat at none against Google News's shown. Alpicat also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Google News's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 59 months) and chart position (#27 vs unranked). 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.

Google News ships an update monthly, Alpicat every 59 months. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Google News | Alpicat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (226K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-news/id459182288/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **226K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 28.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 59 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#27** | — |
| Size | 172 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) | [Ajuntament dAlpicat](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542233695) |

## What reviewers say

### Google News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-news/id459182288)

**Currently charting:** #27 Top Free · News (US App Store)

This app aggregates and highlights global and local news stories tailored to your interests. It provides personalized briefings, in-depth coverage from multiple sources, and allows you to follow specific topics and news outlets. Stay informed on the go or on your desktop.

**Highlights:** Personalized news briefings, Local news from your area, Full coverage with multiple perspectives, Customizable topics and sources, Cross-device access

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Comprehensive news coverage
- 📰 Wide range of news sources
- 🔍 Customizable news feed
- 👍 Sleek and modern interface
- 🌐 Global news perspective

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔄 Annoying auto-refresh issues
- 💤 Slow article loading times
- 📢 Excessive ads and paywalls
- 🤖 Unreliable personalization algorithms

**Reported bugs**

- Articles not loading properly
- Sudden app crashes and freezes
- Inability to return to previous position in feed
- Incorrect or outdated news content
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved article bookmarking/saving
- Better control over news sources
- Smoother scrolling and navigation
- Faster updates and real-time news


### Alpicat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alpicat/id1542233693)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Google News free?

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

### Is Alpicat free?

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

### Do Google News or Alpicat have ads?

Google News shows ads; Alpicat does not.

### Which is updated more often, Google News or Alpicat?

Google News ships an update monthly, and Alpicat every 59 months. Most recently, Google News was updated on November 12, 2026 and Alpicat on November 11, 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.*