# Poughkeepsie Journal vs MeriTalk

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Poughkeepsie Journal at 43% against MeriTalk's 0%. Poughkeepsie Journal also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (588 vs 8). MeriTalk's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Poughkeepsie Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. MeriTalk asks for nothing beyond the download.

MeriTalk holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Poughkeepsie Journal has 588 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of Poughkeepsie Journal's written reviews are positive against 0% of MeriTalk's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Poughkeepsie Journal ships an update monthly, MeriTalk every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Poughkeepsie Journal | MeriTalk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (588 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/poughkeepsie-journal/id493347726/reviews) | **[4.6 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meritalk/id1465555330/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **588** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **43.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#197** | — |
| Size | 189 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) | [MERITALK,LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465555329) |

## What reviewers say

### Poughkeepsie Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/poughkeepsie-journal/id493347726)

**Currently charting:** #197 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and real-time alerts. Access a digital replica of the print edition, customize your reading experience, and enjoy content from other publications.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news and alerts, Digital eNewspaper replica, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading, Access to USA TODAY

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $9.99 | per month |
| Poughkeepsie Journal Digital Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| Poughkeepsie Journal Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great communication method
- 👍 Excellent
- 👍 Improved online content
- 👍 Prefer online version over print
- 👍 Great local news source

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Formatting issues with e-newspaper
- 🐛 Frequent freezing and crashes
- 👎 Difficult to navigate
- 👎 Worse than previous app
- 👎 Lack of local sports coverage

**Reported bugs**

- E-newspaper freezes and crashes
- Login and subscription issues
- Incompatibility with older devices

**Requested features**

- Keep original e-edition app as an option
- Improve e-newspaper formatting and readability
- Enhance local sports and event coverage


### MeriTalk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meritalk/id1465555330)

This app provides government IT leaders with essential news, best practices, and insights on current Federal IT issues. Stay informed about leading technology for government, key topics, and upcoming events through news articles and alerts.

**Highlights:** Latest Federal IT news, Leading tech for government, Key IT topics and events, Breaking news alerts, Practical insights

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Poughkeepsie Journal free?

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

### Is MeriTalk free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Poughkeepsie Journal or MeriTalk?

MeriTalk is rated higher. Poughkeepsie Journal averages 4.3 out of 5 from 588 ratings, while MeriTalk averages 4.6 from 8 ratings.

### Do Poughkeepsie Journal or MeriTalk have ads?

Poughkeepsie Journal shows ads; MeriTalk does not.

### Which is updated more often, Poughkeepsie Journal or MeriTalk?

Poughkeepsie Journal ships an update monthly, and MeriTalk every 9 months. Most recently, Poughkeepsie Journal was updated on October 15, 2026 and MeriTalk on October 7, 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.*