# Hourly News vs ExpressReader

The clearest difference is rating: Hourly News at 4.3 against ExpressReader's 1.0. Hourly News also leads on ratings volume (553 vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). ExpressReader's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hourly News sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and ExpressReader sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hourly News holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hourly News has 553 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Hourly News ships an update every 5 weeks, ExpressReader fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hourly News | ExpressReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourly-news/id493859859/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expressreader/id1288447285/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **553** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 70.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Urban Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/285538315) | [chinafocus ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1451030792) |

## What reviewers say

### Hourly News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourly-news/id493859859)

This app automatically plays the latest news updates from various sources when opened. It functions like a podcast app, offering access to numerous news feeds and allowing users to add their own custom sources. Enjoy background playback and seamless navigation through news segments.

**Highlights:** Plays most recent news summaries, Automatically plays when opened, Plays in background, Add custom podcast sources, Reorder, enable/disable news feeds, Sync settings via iCloud

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hourly News Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly (Launch Offer) | $4.99 | per month |
| Hourly News Premium | $44.99 | per year |
| Yearly (Launch Offer) | $44.99 | per year |
| Add Custom Sources | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Dependable and reliable
- 🌍 Provides diverse news perspectives
- 🕰️ Convenient hourly news updates
- 🎧 Easy to use while multitasking
- 📚 Helpful for staying informed

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes or stops working
- 🔊 Volume issues with certain sources
- 🔒 Lack of customization options
- 💰 Paid features that were previously free
- 🕰️ Spontaneous playback at inconvenient times

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch or during use
- Issues with specific news sources (DW News, BBC, etc.)
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
- Playback not working when phone is locked

**Requested features**

- Add more news sources, especially international
- Improve playback controls (skip forward/back, scrubbing)
- Implement background playback and lock screen controls
- Provide push notifications for news updates
- Sync custom sources across devices


### ExpressReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expressreader/id1288447285)

Access comprehensive and authentic news about China from authoritative sources. This app provides real-time updates from major newspapers and magazines, allowing users to understand China precisely and effortlessly. Organize favorite channels and enjoy enhanced reading with photos and videos.

**Highlights:** Access to authentic Chinese news, Real-time news feeds, Content from authoritative outlets, User-customizable homepage, Photo and video enhancements, Magazine article page design

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 养生大世界 | $0.99 | per month |
| 汽车之友 | $0.99 | per month |
| 越玩越野 | $0.99 | per month |
| 21世纪商业评论 | $0.99 | per month |
| 文物天地 | $0.99 | per month |
| 新财富 | $0.99 | per month |
| 美食 | $0.99 | per month |
| 民生周刊 | $0.99 | per month |
| 环球首映 | $0.99 | per month |
| 中华瑰宝 | $0.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hourly News free?

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

### Is ExpressReader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hourly News or ExpressReader?

Hourly News is rated higher. Hourly News averages 4.3 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while ExpressReader averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Hourly News or ExpressReader have ads?

Neither Hourly News nor ExpressReader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hourly News or ExpressReader?

Hourly News ships an update every 5 weeks, and ExpressReader fortnightly. Most recently, Hourly News was updated on October 16, 2026 and ExpressReader on October 9, 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.*