# Sun.Star E vs Philstar

The clearest difference is rating: Sun.Star E at 5.0 against Philstar's 3.3. Sun.Star E also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16). Philstar's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 13 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sun.Star E sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Philstar asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sun.Star E holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Philstar has 18 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Sun.Star E's written reviews are positive against 51% of Philstar's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Sun.Star E ships an update every 13 months, Philstar every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sun.Star E | Philstar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunstar-e-paper/id524244834/reviews)** | [3.3 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philstar/id532930273/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **18** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **51.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 52 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [PressReader Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/313904714) | [Philstar Global Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1377548247) |

## What reviewers say

### Sun.Star E

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunstar-e-paper/id524244834)

Access the Sun.Star newspaper in its original digital format. Subscribe to daily editions and enjoy reading news as it's printed. Manage your subscriptions easily through account settings.

**Highlights:** Read newspaper in original format, Monthly subscription options, Manage subscriptions and auto-renewal, Access Sun.Star Cebu and SuperBalita Cebu, View news as printed

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sun.Star Cebu Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| SuperBalita Cebu monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| SunStar Cebu Monthly | $5.99 | per month |


### Philstar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philstar/id532930273)

Access trusted news from the Philippines and around the world with this fast and easy-to-use application. Stay informed on breaking news, politics, sports, entertainment, and more through original reporting and multimedia features.

**Highlights:** Free access to news, Timely and relevant stories, Breaking news and politics, Sports, entertainment, lifestyle, business, Original reporting and explainers, Multimedia features

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sun.Star E free?

Sun.Star E is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Philstar free?

Philstar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Sun.Star E or Philstar?

Sun.Star E is rated higher. Sun.Star E averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Philstar averages 3.3 from 18 ratings.

### Do Sun.Star E or Philstar have ads?

Both Sun.Star E and Philstar show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sun.Star E or Philstar?

Sun.Star E ships an update every 13 months, and Philstar every 5 weeks. Most recently, Sun.Star E was updated on September 17, 2026 and Philstar on September 27, 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.*