Comparison

The Northern Echo vs Bylines

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

Head to head
About

The Northern Echo

Stay informed with local news, sports, and cultural features from the North East. Enjoy ad-free reading, digital newspapers, and interactive puzzles. Listen to articles on the go with the audio player.

Highlights
  • Live news and sport updates
  • Ad-free reading experience
  • Daily digital newspapers
  • Interactive puzzles (crosswords, sudoku)
  • Article audio player
  • Coverage of local teams
Features
Read full description

The Northern Echo has been reporting on local people and their stories, as well as sports, business and more, since our Newspaper's first publication back in 1870. To this day, you can find the same passion and dedication in our reporting. We’re committed to delivering quality journalism and driving community engagement. The Northern Echo also celebrates the region's cultural vibrancy with features on arts, entertainment and leisure activities, alongside dedicated coverage of Newcastle United, Middlesbrough FC and Sunderland AFC The Northern Echo app is the best way to keep up to date with all the breaking news, sports and events in Darlington, County Durham, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, Bishop Auckland and Tyne & Wear and gives you the following great features… • Live Updates: Get the latest news, events and sport as it happens • Ad-Free Reading: No ads, no pop-ups, no distractions • Daily Digital Newspapers: Read the paper in full, cover to cover • Interactive Puzzles: Play new crosswords, sudoku and more every day • Article Audio Player: Listen to articles and create content playlists All subscriptions are auto-renewing. Payment for this subscription will be charged to your Apple account upon purchase. The subscription will auto-renew within 24 hours of the current subscription expiring, at the same rate as the initial purchase. 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. Privacy Policy - https://www.newsquest.co.uk/our-policies/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Bylines

Access all content from the Byline Network, including regional publications, TV videos, and articles. This app serves as a central hub for citizen journalism, allowing users to read, share, and stay updated on the latest news.

Highlights
  • Access Byline Network content
  • Read regional publications
  • Watch Byline TV videos
  • Browse Byline Times articles
  • Share articles
  • Refresh for new content
Features
Read full description

The Bylines app pulls together all the up-to-date streams from everything Byline(s). That means all the publications of the Bylines Network of regional publications, plus Byline TV videos and Byline Times articles. It’s your one-stop-shop for exploring the Byline universe! Read the latest Bylines publication for your region, or browse all Byline channels. Share articles, visit the home site for any of the streams for more in-depth reading, and pull-down to refresh at any time to check for new articles. Stay up to date with the latest in citizen journalism.

Screenshots

The Northern Echo4 screens
Bylines4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bylines at 87% against The Northern Echo's 39%. Bylines also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. The Northern Echo sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Bylines asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Northern Echo ships an update every 5 months, Bylines every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
The Northern Echo versus Bylines: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Northern EchoBylines
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews39.1% of reviews86.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size147 MB5 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperNewsquestCliff Mitchell

Customer experience

The Northern Echo

Written reviews23 reviews
Positive39.1%
Neutral4.3%
Negative56.5%

Bylines

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive86.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.3%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

The Northern Echo

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Quarterly Subscription$13.993 Months
  • 6 Month Subscription$29.996 Months
Show 1 more
  • Annual Subscription$49.991 Year
None

Bylines

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Northern Echo free?
The Northern Echo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bylines free?
Bylines is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do The Northern Echo or Bylines have ads?
Neither The Northern Echo nor Bylines shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Northern Echo or Bylines?
The Northern Echo ships an update every 5 months, and Bylines every 3 months. Most recently, The Northern Echo was updated on November 6, 2026 and Bylines on November 3, 2026.

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