IOL News vs Daily Dispatch E
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
IOL News
Stay informed with breaking local and international news 24/7. Access quality reporting from over 20 trusted South African newspaper brands, all in one place.
- Breaking local news
- International breaking news
- 24/7 news updates
- In-depth quality reporting
- Access to 20+ newspaper brands
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The OFFICIAL IOL app at your fingertips. Access is FREE on all iOS devices, with access to a wide variety of local and international breaking news, 24/7. The IOL app represents the very best in traditional and digital journalism, with breaking news from South Africa and the rest of world and in-depth quality reporting from over 20 of the most trusted newspaper brands across South Africa.
Daily Dispatch E
Access an award-winning investigative newspaper focused on the Eastern Cape. Read local news, politics, arts, and national/international stories. Connect with the region through a digital replica of the printed edition.
- Investigative journalism
- Local Eastern Cape content
- National and international news
- Digital replica of print edition
- Breaking news alerts
- Award-winning reporting
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Daily Dispatch is the only investigative newspaper based in East London, Eastern Cape. The newspaper has won multiple national and international awards. Started in 1872, Daily Dispatch is a highly influential voice for the people of the Eastern Cape from the cities of East London and Mthatha to the far-flung rural parts of the province. It is produced six days a week with a core focus on local content - from boxing to politics, homegrown entrepreneurs to the arts - while also providing engaging top national and international stories. No matter where you are in South Africa, this press reader app will distinctly connect you with the Eastern Cape. It allows Daily Dispatch subscribers to read DispatchLIVE breaking news content (an exact replica of the printed newspaper, sold at R6.99). Monthly online and print subscriptions are available on DispatchLIVE.co.za
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: IOL News at none against Daily Dispatch E's 1. IOL News also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 24 months) and ratings volume (104 vs 5). On price, rating, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Daily Dispatch E sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. IOL News asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for IOL News against 4.4 for Daily Dispatch E. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IOL News has 104 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.
IOL News ships an update every 2 months, Daily Dispatch E every 24 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | IOL News | Daily Dispatch E |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (104 ratings) — better | 4.4 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 27.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 104 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 24 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | IOL | BDFM Publishers |
Customer experience
IOL News
Daily Dispatch E
In-app purchases
IOL News
No in-app purchases
Daily Dispatch E
- Daily Dispatch$0.99
Questions
Is IOL News free?
Is Daily Dispatch E free?
Which has better reviews, IOL News or Daily Dispatch E?
Do IOL News or Daily Dispatch E have ads?
Which is updated more often, IOL News or Daily Dispatch E?
Other comparisons
