Comparison

Des Moines Register vs Elect Connect

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

Elect Connect

Stay informed about your elected officials and their activities. Access unbiased news tailored to your interests, connect with representatives, and get essential voting information. Future updates will include candidate livestreams and live fact-checking.

Highlights
  • Unbiased, tailored news
  • Political lean analysis
  • View local representatives
  • Legislator activity tracking
  • Ask questions to representatives
  • Voting eligibility and registration
Features
Read full description

ElectConnect: Your Voice Matters Jacob Percy - Saurish Tripathi - Gautam Annamalai ElectConnect helps you stay informed and connected to the people who represent you. View Unbiased News: • Tailored to your interests • Automatic political lean analysis • Improved article selection • Favorite articles to save for later Connect with Legislators: • See your representatives based on your location • View detailed information about your legislators and their activity • Ask questions • View others' questions Congressional View: • Stay up to date on the latest activity in Congress • See Bills, Laws, Treaties, and current Congressional Members • View detailed information about congressional events and legislation Voting Information: • Eligibility requirements • Registration instructions • Upcoming election information • Polling Places: Find where and when to vote on a map Coming Soon: • Candidate Livestreams: Watch candidates speak live • Live Fact-Checking: See real-time verification of major claims • Direct Senator and Congressional Monitoring: See bills and orders passed right away ElectConnect - simple, clear, and built to help you take part in democracy.

Screenshots

Des Moines Register4 screens
Elect Connect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Elect Connect at 83% against Des Moines Register's 39%. Elect Connect also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). Des Moines Register's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (2.9K vs 15). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Elect Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Elect Connect holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Des Moines Register has 2.9K ratings behind it against 15, 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 83% of Elect Connect's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Des Moines Register ships an update every 4 weeks, Elect Connect every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Des Moines Register versus Elect Connect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDes Moines RegisterElect Connect
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (2.9K ratings)4.7 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews39.3% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.9K — better15
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#97 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.618.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size190 MB2 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperUSA TODAY Co., Inc.Aaron Percy

Customer experience

Des Moines Register

All ratings2,916 ratings
Positive82.0%
Neutral7.2%
Negative10.7%
Written reviews168 reviews
Positive39.3%
Neutral11.3%
Negative49.4%

Elect Connect

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

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

Elect Connect

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

Elect Connect

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Des Moines Register free?
Des Moines Register is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Elect Connect free?
Elect Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Des Moines Register or Elect Connect?
Elect Connect is rated higher. Des Moines Register averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while Elect Connect averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.
Do Des Moines Register or Elect Connect have ads?
Des Moines Register shows ads; Elect Connect does not.
Which is updated more often, Des Moines Register or Elect Connect?
Des Moines Register ships an update every 4 weeks, and Elect Connect every 5 months. Most recently, Des Moines Register was updated on November 1, 2026 and Elect Connect on October 30, 2026.

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