Comparison

Courier Journal vs Student News Source

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

Head to head
About

Courier Journal

Access local news, in-depth journalism, and a digital replica of the print edition. Get breaking news alerts, sports scores, and weather updates. Customize your reading experience with offline access and adjustable text size.

Highlights
  • In-depth local journalism
  • Breaking news and alerts
  • Digital eNewspaper replica
  • Customizable reading experience
  • Offline reading
  • Sports coverage
Features
Read full description

From critically acclaimed storytelling to powerful photography to engaging videos — the Courier Journal 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.courier-journal.com/privacy/ • Terms of Service: https://cm.courier-journal.com/terms/ • Help Center: https://help.courier-journal.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

Student News Source

Access student journalism from top scholastic programs nationwide. Follow your favorite outlets, receive news alerts, and save stories for offline reading. Engage with content through comments and social sharing.

Highlights
  • News alerts for new stories
  • Save stories for offline access
  • View photos and videos
  • Staff profiles
  • Story commenting
  • Social sharing
Features
Read full description

The Student News Source app is the hub of student journalism around the country. The Source features stories, photos, and video being produced by some of the nation’s top scholastic journalism programs. Follow one or more of your favorite student media programs and subscribe to notifications to be alerted when new stories are published. Features: News alerts: Get notified when a new story is published by an outlet you follow. Tailor those alerts to specific categories of interest. Saved stories: Save stories for reading later and offline access. Multimedia: View photos and videos related to the story. Staff profiles: Access a list of all of the content produced by your favorite student journalists. Story commenting: Interact with other readers. Social sharing: Share stories on your social media accounts and through messaging apps.

Screenshots

Courier Journal4 screens
Student News Source4 screens

Verdict

The call

Courier Journal and Student News Source both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 50% of Courier Journal's written reviews are positive against 0% of Student News Source's. Courier Journal also leads on ratings volume (3.2K vs 7) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months). Student News Source's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.6). On price, rating, ads 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. Courier Journal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Student News Source asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Courier Journal against 4.3 for Student News Source. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Courier Journal has 3.2K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Courier Journal's written reviews are positive against 0% of Student News Source's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Courier Journal ships an update every 4 weeks, Student News Source every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Courier Journal versus Student News Source: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCourier JournalStudent News Source
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (3.2K ratings) — better4.3 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3.2K — better7
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#109 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size189 MB45 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperUSA TODAY Co., Inc.SNO Sites

Customer experience

Courier Journal

All ratings3,215 ratings
Positive83.5%
Neutral8.2%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews136 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral8.1%
Negative41.9%

Student News Source

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral14.3%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral66.7%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

Courier Journal

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues
  • Subscription problems
  • Printing and viewing issues
  • Unreliable updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Bring back old app
  • Improve layout and readability
  • Add more local news coverage
  • Improve login and account management
  • Provide print-friendly version

Student News Source

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Courier Journal

Subscriptions5
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$19.991 Year
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$24.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • The Courier-Journal Digital Subscription1 Month trial$24.991 Month
  • The Courier-Journal Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$69.991 Year
None

Student News Source

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Courier Journal free?
Courier Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Student News Source free?
Student News Source is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Courier Journal or Student News Source?
Courier Journal is rated higher. Courier Journal averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3.2K ratings, while Student News Source averages 4.3 from 7 ratings.
Do Courier Journal or Student News Source have ads?
Both Courier Journal and Student News Source show ads.
Which is updated more often, Courier Journal or Student News Source?
Courier Journal ships an update every 4 weeks, and Student News Source every 2 months. Most recently, Courier Journal was updated on October 29, 2026 and Student News Source on October 24, 2026.

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