# Ithaca Journal vs CNY Central News

The clearest difference is rating: CNY Central News at 4.8 against Ithaca Journal's 3.9. CNY Central News also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (16.3 vs 18.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ithaca Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. CNY Central News asks for nothing beyond the download.

CNY Central News holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 158 and 263 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of Ithaca Journal's written reviews are positive against 22% of CNY Central News's.

Ithaca Journal ships an update monthly, CNY Central News fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ithaca Journal | CNY Central News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (158 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ithaca-journal/id520501616/reviews) | **[4.8 (263 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cny-central-news/id524184909/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 158 | **263** |
| Positive reviews | 20.7% of reviews | **22.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 184 MB | 150 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **16.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) | [Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/631472300) |

## What reviewers say

### Ithaca Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ithaca-journal/id520501616)

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and breaking alerts. Access a digital replica of the print edition, along with national news, and customize your reading experience with offline access and personalized notifications.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news alerts, Sports coverage, Streamlined reading experience, Offline reading, eNewspaper access, Customizable notifications

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $9.99 | per month |
| Ithaca Journal | $16.99 | per month |
| Ithaca Journal Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |


### CNY Central News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cny-central-news/id524184909)

Stay informed with instant news, weather, and sports updates. Watch live newscasts, get real-time local and national information, and receive breaking news alerts. This redesigned app offers faster performance and an easier user experience.

**Highlights:** Breaking news alerts, Live newscasts, Hourly and daily weather forecasts, Live weather radar, Traffic information, Real-time updates

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good quick info and weather
- 👍 Good mix of local and national news
- 👍 Brief, often all that's needed
- 👍 Love the local news articles
- 👍 Love the push notifications

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Auth0 error preventing login
- 🐛 Excessive notifications
- 🐛 App not opening/crashing
- 🐛 Live stream requires turning off captions
- 🐛 App only works in one orientation

**Reported bugs**

- Auth0 error preventing login
- App crashes on launch
- App freezes when opening articles
- Notifications lead to main feed instead of story
- Live stream requires disabling captions

**Requested features**

- Fix Auth0 login error
- Reduce notification frequency
- Allow orientation change
- Add dark mode option
- Fix overlay issue preventing content view


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ithaca Journal free?

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

### Is CNY Central News free?

CNY Central News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ithaca Journal or CNY Central News?

CNY Central News is rated higher. Ithaca Journal averages 3.9 out of 5 from 158 ratings, while CNY Central News averages 4.8 from 263 ratings.

### Do Ithaca Journal or CNY Central News have ads?

Both Ithaca Journal and CNY Central News show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ithaca Journal or CNY Central News?

Ithaca Journal ships an update monthly, and CNY Central News fortnightly. Most recently, Ithaca Journal was updated on October 23, 2026 and CNY Central News on October 21, 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.*