# Long Beach Press vs CalMatters

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CalMatters at none against Long Beach Press's 2. CalMatters also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Long Beach Press's advantage is ratings volume (108 vs 18). On price, chart position, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Long Beach Press sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. CalMatters asks for nothing beyond the download.

CalMatters holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Long Beach Press has 108 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of Long Beach Press's written reviews are positive against 50% of CalMatters's.

Long Beach Press ships an update monthly, CalMatters every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Long Beach Press | CalMatters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (108 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/long-beach-press-telegram/id502958939/reviews) | **[5.0 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calmatters/id6475375084/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **108** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | 27.7% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | #192 | **#84** |
| Size | 188 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [MediaNews Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/364357227) | [CalMatters](https://appshunter.io/developer/1724098439) |

## What reviewers say

### Long Beach Press

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/long-beach-press-telegram/id502958939)

**Currently charting:** #192 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Access personalized news recommendations and save articles for later. Customize notifications and enjoy offline reading. The app offers a digital replica of the daily newspaper and intuitive navigation.

**Highlights:** Personalized news recommendations, Save articles for later, Customizable push notifications, Digital newspaper replica (E-News), Offline reading, Swipe navigation between articles, Follow/unfollow topics

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LBPT Monthly Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| LBPT Annual Subscription | $174.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fair and complete news representation
- 👍 Organized sections that flow
- 👍 No commercial interruptions
- 👍 Local school coverage brings smiles
- 🚀 Runs smooth

**What reviewers complain about**

-  outdated information
- 🐛 Same articles day after day
- 🐛 Takes too long to load
- 🐛 Can't search
- 🐛 Only has a few articles

**Reported bugs**

- Takes too long to load
- Crashes a lot
- Keeps closing
- Can't read articles since update
- Kicks out of article after sign-in attempt

**Requested features**

- Bring back landscape view
- Add LBSU sports section
- Improve search functionality
- Include lottery results
- Allow choice of Facebook page for sharing


### CalMatters

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calmatters/id6475375084)

**Currently charting:** #84 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

This app provides in-depth, nonpartisan news coverage focused on California's quality of life issues. It aims to hold leaders accountable and explore solutions through investigative journalism.

**Highlights:** In-depth news coverage, Focus on quality of life issues, Accountability journalism, Solutions-oriented reporting, Covers California and its economy

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Long Beach Press free?

Long Beach Press is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CalMatters free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Long Beach Press or CalMatters?

CalMatters is rated higher. Long Beach Press averages 4.7 out of 5 from 108 ratings, while CalMatters averages 5.0 from 18 ratings.

### Do Long Beach Press or CalMatters have ads?

Long Beach Press shows ads; CalMatters does not.

### Which is updated more often, Long Beach Press or CalMatters?

Long Beach Press ships an update monthly, and CalMatters every 2 weeks. Most recently, Long Beach Press was updated on November 1, 2026 and CalMatters on November 4, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Long Beach Press or CalMatters?

Long Beach Press currently peaks at #192 in the App Store charts, and CalMatters at #84. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*