# The Spectrum vs Newsworthy

The clearest difference is rating: Newsworthy at 4.7 against The Spectrum's 4.2. Newsworthy also leads on ratings volume (7K vs 160) and review sentiment (80% vs 65%). The Spectrum's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Spectrum sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Newsworthy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Newsworthy holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Newsworthy has 7K ratings behind it against 160, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of The Spectrum's written reviews are positive against 80% of Newsworthy's.

The Spectrum ships an update monthly, Newsworthy every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Spectrum | Newsworthy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (160 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-spectrum/id520602256/reviews) | **[4.7 (7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsworthy/id1203926256/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 160 | **7K** |
| Positive reviews | 65.2% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 184 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) | [NewsLeap](https://appshunter.io/developer/1399156654) |

## What reviewers say

### The Spectrum

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-spectrum/id520602256)

Access in-depth local journalism, including community events, sports, and photography. Enjoy a fast, customizable reading experience with real-time notifications and offline access. Includes a digital replica of the print edition and access to other eNewspapers.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Streamlined, fast-loading experience, Real-time notifications, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading, eNewspaper replica, Access to USA TODAY and other eNewspapers

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $9.99 | per month |
| The Spectrum Digital Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| The Spectrum Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |


### Newsworthy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsworthy/id1203926256)

This news reader app delivers concise summaries of politics, entertainment, and current events from diverse sources. Enjoy fast loading, easy navigation, and optimized articles. Remove ads with a subscription.

**Highlights:** News summaries, Politics, entertainment, current events, Multiple news sources, Super fast loading, Easy navigation, Optimized news articles

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-Free Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Ad-Free Annual | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great news aggregator
- 🚀 Efficient news delivery
- 🔍 Variety of news sources
- 📰 Unbiased news coverage
- 🌐 Covers multiple perspectives

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Limited news sources
- 📢 Intrusive ads
- 🔤 Typos and grammatical errors
- 🤔 Repetitive news stories

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch
- Disappearing app icon
- Inability to remove full-page ads

**Requested features**

- Ad selection tool
- More frequent news updates
- Improved content curation
- Paid version without ads
- Windows desktop app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Spectrum free?

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

### Is Newsworthy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Spectrum or Newsworthy?

Newsworthy is rated higher. The Spectrum averages 4.2 out of 5 from 160 ratings, while Newsworthy averages 4.7 from 7K ratings.

### Do The Spectrum or Newsworthy have ads?

Both The Spectrum and Newsworthy show ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Spectrum or Newsworthy?

The Spectrum ships an update monthly, and Newsworthy every 3 months. Most recently, The Spectrum was updated on November 1, 2026 and Newsworthy on November 1, 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.*