# The Oakland Press vs Observer & Eccentric

The Oakland Press and Observer & Eccentric both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 38% of Observer & Eccentric's written reviews are positive against 20% of The Oakland Press's. The Oakland Press's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Oakland Press sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and Observer & Eccentric sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for The Oakland Press against 4.6 for Observer & Eccentric. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 161 and 99 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 20% of The Oakland Press's written reviews are positive against 38% of Observer & Eccentric's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Oakland Press | Observer & Eccentric |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (161 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-oakland-press/id520210301/reviews) | **[4.6 (99 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/observer-and-eccentric/id900203119/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **161** | 99 |
| Positive reviews | 19.7% of reviews | **38.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 188 MB | 185 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Journal Register Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/503293224) | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) |

## What reviewers say

### The Oakland Press

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-oakland-press/id520210301)

Access personalized news, save articles for later, and enjoy a digital replica of the daily newspaper. Customize notifications, read offline, and play included games. Optimized for a faster, native experience.

**Highlights:** Personalized news recommendations, Save articles for later reading, Customizable push notifications, Digital newspaper replica (E-News), Offline reading capabilities, In-app games (Sudoku, Crossword, etc.), Swipe navigation between articles

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Oakland Press Monthly Sub | $11.99 | per month |
| Oakland Press Annual Sub | $139.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good local news coverage
- 👍 Informative content
- 👍 Community calendar feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App is terrible/horrible
- 🐛 Content is outdated/old news
- 🐛 App is slow/buggy
- 🐛 Too many ads
- 🐛 App won't register subscription

**Reported bugs**

- App won't register subscription
- E-edition not available
- Articles not opening or loading
- Login issues
- App freezes

**Requested features**

- E-edition availability
- Improve article loading
- Fix search functionality
- Add business section
- Add local sports tab


### Observer & Eccentric

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/observer-and-eccentric/id900203119)

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and engaging multimedia content. Get real-time alerts for breaking news, sports scores, and weather. Customize your reading experience and access content offline.

**Highlights:** In-depth journalism, Local news coverage, Photography and videos, Real-time notifications, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $9.99 | per month |
| O&E Digital Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Oakland Press free?

The Oakland Press is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Observer & Eccentric free?

Observer & Eccentric is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Oakland Press or Observer & Eccentric?

Observer & Eccentric is rated higher. The Oakland Press averages 4.5 out of 5 from 161 ratings, while Observer & Eccentric averages 4.6 from 99 ratings.

### Do The Oakland Press or Observer & Eccentric have ads?

Both The Oakland Press and Observer & Eccentric show ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Oakland Press or Observer & Eccentric?

The Oakland Press ships an update monthly, and Observer & Eccentric monthly. Most recently, The Oakland Press was updated on November 6, 2026 and Observer & Eccentric on November 6, 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.*