# Des Moines Register vs QCOnline

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Des Moines Register at 39% against QCOnline's 0%. Des Moines Register also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (2.9K vs 22). QCOnline's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Des Moines Register sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and QCOnline sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $27.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Des Moines Register holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Des Moines Register has 2.9K ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Des Moines Register's written reviews are positive against 0% of QCOnline's.

Des Moines Register ships an update every 4 weeks, QCOnline every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Des Moines Register | QCOnline |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/des-moines-register/id524153305/reviews)** | [3.8 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qconline/id1439877431/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.9K** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | **39.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#75** | — |
| Size | 190 MB | 101 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) | [Lee Enterprises](https://appshunter.io/developer/366562520) |

## What reviewers say

### Des Moines Register

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/des-moines-register/id524153305)

**Currently charting:** #75 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #106 Top Grossing · News, #149 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and breaking alerts. Access a digital replica of the print edition, customize your reading experience, and enjoy content on the go.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news and alerts, Digital eNewspaper replica, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading, Sports and events coverage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Des Moines Register Digital Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $24.99 | per month |
| Des Moines Register Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Best local news
- 📰 Like reading the paper
- 🗞️ Excellent newspaper
- 🔍 Great source for up-to-date local and state news
- 📰 Excellent news

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Doesn't work well for paid subscribers
- 🚫 Useless
- 🚫 Every Article Needs a Subscription
- 🚫 Terrible app that replaced Print Edition app
- 🚫 Hard to enlarge and read

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Page crashes when video is embedded in article
- Can't sign in
- Keeps asking for renewal though I have done that

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Search function
- Ability to pause subscription
- Option to turn off sports news


### QCOnline

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qconline/id1439877431)

Access local news, sports, and opinion from the Illinois Quad-Cities region. Features personalized content, breaking news alerts, and multimedia updates including podcasts and videos. Offers an optional ad-free premium experience for subscribers.

**Highlights:** Personalized news topics, Breaking news alerts, Exclusive commentary and photography, Video updates and podcasts, Bookmark articles, Listen to articles, Customizable text size

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscriptions | $27.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $40.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $44.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $50.00 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $269.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $329.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $364.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Des Moines Register free?

Des Moines Register is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is QCOnline free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Des Moines Register or QCOnline?

Des Moines Register is rated higher. Des Moines Register averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while QCOnline averages 3.8 from 22 ratings.

### Do Des Moines Register or QCOnline have ads?

Both Des Moines Register and QCOnline show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Des Moines Register or QCOnline?

Des Moines Register ships an update every 4 weeks, and QCOnline every 2 months. Most recently, Des Moines Register was updated on November 1, 2026 and QCOnline on November 2, 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.*