Comparison

Des Moines Register vs theBeat.hr

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Des Moines Register

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
Read full description

From critically acclaimed storytelling to powerful photography to engaging videos — the Des Moines Register app delivers the local news that matters most to your community. APP FEATURES: • Access all of our in-depth journalism, including things to do around town, sports coverage from high school to the pros, and much more. • Enjoy a streamlined, fast-loading experience that makes it easy to view the stories, photos, and videos that matter to you. • Get breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts with real-time notifications tailored to your interests. • Customize your experience by saving your favorite stories, adjusting text size, using night mode, or reading offline. • eNewspaper: Just like our print edition but accessible on your mobile devices. And access to USA TODAY and 200+ local eNewspapers. MORE INFORMATION: • Privacy Policy: https://cm.desmoinesregister.com/privacy/ • Terms of Service: https://cm.desmoinesregister.com/terms/ • Help Center: https://help.desmoinesregister.com • Subscriptions are charged to your account at confirmation of purchase and automatically renew each month or year, unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information.

About

theBeat.hr

Features
Read full description

The one and only events app for Croatia, covering the whole of Croatia. Want to know what's happening around you today, tomorrow, next week or later, wherever you are in Croatia? We got you covered. We'll use your location to show events around you, but you can also select any of the provided cities to see what's going on there, just as if you were really there. You can modify your viewing area and even turn event categories on or off, so you don't see events that don't interest you. You can search for events using keywords, filter on a specific event category or select a particular date or a date range. You'll be able to see an event description, images, directions on how to get there and more.

Screenshots

Des Moines Register4 screens
theBeat.hr4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: theBeat.hr at none against Des Moines Register's 3. theBeat.hr also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 18.6). Des Moines Register's advantage is chart position (#86 vs unranked). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Des Moines Register sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. theBeat.hr asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Des Moines Register ships an update every 4 weeks, theBeat.hr fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Des Moines Register versus theBeat.hr: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDes Moines RegistertheBeat.hr
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (2.9K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews39.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.9K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#86 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.68.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size190 MB98 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperUSA TODAY Co., Inc.Marijan Geric

Bugs and requests

Des Moines Register

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Frequently asking to log in again when already signed in

Requested features

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

theBeat.hr

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Des Moines Register

Subscriptions3
  • Des Moines Register Digital Subscription1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$24.991 Month
  • Des Moines Register Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$69.991 Year
None

theBeat.hr

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Des Moines Register free?
Des Moines Register is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is theBeat.hr free?
theBeat.hr is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Des Moines Register or theBeat.hr have ads?
Des Moines Register shows ads; theBeat.hr does not.
Which is updated more often, Des Moines Register or theBeat.hr?
Des Moines Register ships an update every 4 weeks, and theBeat.hr fortnightly. Most recently, Des Moines Register was updated on October 29, 2026 and theBeat.hr on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons