# Nearpod vs NewsMaker

The clearest difference is rating: NewsMaker at 3.6 against Nearpod's 3.1. NewsMaker also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Nearpod's advantage is ratings volume (1.9K vs 14) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nearpod sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $159.99 per year and NewsMaker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

NewsMaker holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nearpod has 1.9K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of Nearpod's written reviews are positive against 33% of NewsMaker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Nearpod ships an update monthly, NewsMaker every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nearpod | NewsMaker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nearpod/id523540409/reviews) | **[3.6 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsmaker/id933686341/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | **40.4% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nearpod](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441232331) | [Teevers Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1419472174) |

## What reviewers say

### Nearpod

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nearpod/id523540409)

This app empowers K-12 teachers to create interactive, student-centered lessons that boost engagement and deepen understanding across all subjects. It offers tools for real-time assessment, flexible teaching modes, and integration with popular platforms, making instruction more effective.

**Highlights:** Interactive lesson creation, Live and student-paced modes, Polls, quizzes, and VR activities, Real-time formative assessments, Integration with Google Slides, YouTube, LMS, Library of 22,000+ lessons

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| to Nearpod Gold Edition | $159.99 | per year |
| NPP "Authors: Decimals and Fractions" | $2.99 | one-time |
| NPP "Authors: Drawing Inferences" | $4.99 | one-time |
| NPP "Authors: Energy " | $4.99 | one-time |
| NPP "Authors: What are Cells?" | $4.99 | one-time |
| NPP "Authors: The Rock Cycle" | $4.99 | one-time |
| Social Studies: Causes of the American Revolution | $4.99 | one-time |
| Authors: Subtraction with Regrouping Part 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Authors: What Makes a Tree Trunk? | $4.99 | one-time |
| Authors: Reading Maps | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Engaging and interactive
- 👍 Great for student participation
- 💡 Useful for differentiated instruction
- 🚀 Effective for virtual/hybrid learning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Limited functionality in mobile app
- 🔍 Clunky and unintuitive user interface
- 🔍 Reliability issues, especially on iPads

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to save progress and resume lessons
- Drawing/annotation tools not working as expected
- Login issues, especially with Google accounts
- Slides not syncing properly across devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to create and edit content on mobile app
- More question types beyond multiple choice
- Improved device compatibility and cross-platform support
- Enhanced student reporting and analytics


### NewsMaker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsmaker/id933686341)

Create and share your own video news with this comprehensive tool. Features include a teleprompter, voiceover capabilities, animated intros, and virtual accessories. Collaborate with friends remotely and host your videos on a personal news channel.

**Highlights:** Teleprompter for scripts, Voiceover for videos and images, Animated trailer library, Background music overlay, Virtual accessories, Remote collaboration, Personal news channel

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-Year NewsMaker Subscription | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nearpod free?

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

### Is NewsMaker free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nearpod or NewsMaker?

NewsMaker is rated higher. Nearpod averages 3.1 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while NewsMaker averages 3.6 from 14 ratings.

### Do Nearpod or NewsMaker have ads?

Neither Nearpod nor NewsMaker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nearpod or NewsMaker?

Nearpod ships an update monthly, and NewsMaker every 2 months. Most recently, Nearpod was updated on November 6, 2026 and NewsMaker 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.*