# Google News vs phoenix

The clearest difference is rating: Google News at 4.6 against phoenix's 4.0. Google News also leads on ratings volume (226K vs 5) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). phoenix's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). 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 holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google News has 226K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 19% of Google News's written reviews are positive against 41% of phoenix's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Google News ships an update monthly, phoenix every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Google News | phoenix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (226K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-news/id459182288/reviews)** | [4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoenix/id597487921/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **226K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 18.6% of reviews | **40.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#25** | — |
| Size | 172 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) | [ZDF Digital Medienproduktion GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/597487924) |

## What reviewers say

### Google News

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

**Currently charting:** #25 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


### phoenix

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoenix/id597487921)

Watch your favorite news and talk shows on demand, anytime, anywhere. Catch up on missed episodes of popular programs and access the latest broadcasts directly through the app.

**Highlights:** On-demand video streaming, Access to latest broadcasts, Catch up on missed episodes, Available on multiple devices, Free to use

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Google News free?

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

### Is phoenix free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Google News or phoenix?

Google News is rated higher. Google News averages 4.6 out of 5 from 226K ratings, while phoenix averages 4.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Google News or phoenix have ads?

Google News shows ads; phoenix does not.

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

Google News ships an update monthly, and phoenix every 3 months. Most recently, Google News was updated on October 15, 2026 and phoenix on October 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.*