# «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat vs Sahafa

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat at none against Sahafa's 4. «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). Sahafa's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 34%) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sahafa sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sahafa holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sahafa has 340 ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat's written reviews are positive against 64% of Sahafa's.

«الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat ships an update every 2 months, Sahafa every 5 months. Both last shipped on September 19, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat | Sahafa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asharqalawsat/id470905035/reviews) | **[4.5 (340 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sahafa/id1329527068/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 39 | **340** |
| Positive reviews | 34.5% of reviews | **63.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 66 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Saudi Research and Publishing Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404771495) | [Studio BabDreams](https://appshunter.io/developer/431517875) |

## What reviewers say

### «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asharqalawsat/id470905035)

Stay informed with in-depth news and analysis from a trusted pan-Arab source. Enjoy a rich digital experience with narrated articles, podcasts, live coverage, weather, and engaging puzzles.

**Highlights:** In-depth news and analysis, Narrated opinion articles, Podcast, Live news coverage, Weather reports, Sudoku and crosswords

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sahafa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sahafa/id1329527068)

Access news from over 450 publishers across 18 Arab countries. Read articles sorted by topic and language, discover local news, and receive alerts for your favorite newspapers. Offers a free version with ads and an optional premium subscription for an enhanced experience.

**Highlights:** News from 18 Arab countries, Content sorted by topic, Multi-language support (Arabic, English, French), Local news discovery, Push notifications for favorite newspapers, Searchable articles, Save articles for later

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 month | $0.99 | per month |
| 3 months | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| 6 months | $3.99 | per 6 months |
| 1 year | $5.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat free?

«الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Sahafa free?

Sahafa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat or Sahafa?

Sahafa is rated higher. «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat averages 4.2 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while Sahafa averages 4.5 from 340 ratings.

### Do «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat or Sahafa have ads?

Sahafa shows ads; «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat does not.

### Which is updated more often, «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat or Sahafa?

«الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat ships an update every 2 months, and Sahafa every 5 months. Most recently, «الشرق الأوسط» Asharqalawsat was updated on September 19, 2026 and Sahafa on September 19, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*