Comparison

The Freeman vs Inquirer Plus

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

The Freeman

Features
Read full description

Founded in 1919, The Freeman is the oldest newspaper of Cebu, the Queen City of Southern Philippines. Owned by the Gullas family of Cebu in partnership with the Philippine STAR, The Freeman chronicles news, events, and happenings in and around Cebu, a bustling city and center of commerce in the South. The Freeman prides itself on being a newspaper for Cebuanos and by Cebuanos, carrying close to a century of journalism heritage. The Freeman is a daily newspaper. The Freeman provides availability to all editions of the publication by incorporating subscriptions allowing the purchase of a 7 day, one month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months and a yearly subscription to the paper. The 7 day, monthly and yearly subscriptions are auto-renewing subscriptions. Prices for the subscriptions are $1.99 for 7 days, $6.99 for one month, $12.99 for two months, $18.99 for three months, $29.99 for 6 months and $59.99 for a year. Payment for this subscription will be charged to your iTunes account upon purchase. The subscription will auto-renew within 24 hours of the current subscription expiring. Auto-renewing subscriptions can be managed via Account Settings allowing them to be turned off. No cancellations of the current subscription are allowed during the active subscription period. For any further information see http://subscriber.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/file/Website_Privacy_statement.doc Terms: https://www.philstar.com/member-agreement Privacy Policy: https://www.philstar.com/privacy-policy

About

Inquirer Plus

Access news and in-depth analysis from the Inquirer, with a personalized feed and adjustable reading modes. Bookmark articles for later or explore editor's picks. Includes a digital replica of the newspaper and classic puzzle games.

Highlights
  • Personalized newsfeed
  • Expert commentary and analysis
  • Dark mode and adjustable font size
  • Bookmark stories for later
  • Editor's Picks
  • Digital newspaper replica
  • Classic puzzle games
Features
Read full description

Experience the new Inquirer Plus: Updated. Fast. Convenient. Inquirer Plus brings the stories from the Inquirer directly to your hand. Personalize your newsfeed depending on your interests. Dig deeper into stories with commentary and analysis from our experts. For a more comfortable reading experience, switch to dark mode and adjust the font size. Limited time to read in the morning? Bookmark stories to read later. Or better yet, go through our Editor's Picks to discover the most important stories that you need to know. It's not all serious. We also have games! Relax with classic puzzles like Crossword and Sudoku. The new Inquirer Plus also gives you access to a digital replica of the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper. Terms and conditions: https://services.inquirer.net/user-agreement/

Screenshots

The Freeman4 screens
Inquirer Plus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Inquirer Plus at every 5 weeks against The Freeman's every 17 months. The Freeman's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. The Freeman sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Inquirer Plus sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Freeman ships an update every 17 months, Inquirer Plus every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
The Freeman versus Inquirer Plus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe FreemanInquirer Plus
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (268 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—37.5% of reviews
Number of ratings—268 — better
Update frequencyEvery 17 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size126 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPhilstar Daily Inc.Inquirer Interactive

In-app purchases

6 purchases

The Freeman

Subscriptions6
  • The Freeman - Cebu$1.997 Days
  • The Freeman - Cebu$6.991 Month
  • The Freeman - Cebu$12.992 Months
Show 3 more
  • The Freeman - Cebu$18.993 Months
  • The Freeman - Cebu$29.996 Months
  • The Freeman - Cebu$59.991 Year
4 purchases

Inquirer Plus

Subscriptions4
  • Basic - 1 Month$2.991 Month
  • All Access - 1 Month$4.991 Month
  • Basic - 1 Year$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • All Access - 1 Year$49.991 Year

Questions

Is The Freeman free?
The Freeman is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Inquirer Plus free?
Inquirer Plus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do The Freeman or Inquirer Plus have ads?
Neither The Freeman nor Inquirer Plus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Freeman or Inquirer Plus?
The Freeman ships an update every 17 months, and Inquirer Plus every 5 weeks. Most recently, The Freeman was updated on October 12, 2026 and Inquirer Plus on October 26, 2026.

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