# The Town Talk vs The Weekly Packet

The clearest difference is rating: The Weekly Packet at 5.0 against The Town Talk's 4.2. The Weekly Packet also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.6). The Town Talk's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (132 vs 4). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Town Talk sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and The Weekly Packet sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Weekly Packet holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Town Talk has 132 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

The Town Talk ships an update monthly, The Weekly Packet every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Town Talk | The Weekly Packet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (132 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-town-talk/id528046166/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-weekly-packet/id765560884/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **132** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 185 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) | [Magzter Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/406791755) |

## What reviewers say

### The Town Talk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-town-talk/id528046166)

Access in-depth local journalism, including news, sports, and community events. Enjoy a fast-loading experience with real-time notifications, customizable reading options, and an eNewspaper replica. Stay informed with breaking news and weather alerts.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news and weather alerts, Real-time notifications, Customizable reading experience, Offline reading, eNewspaper access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $14.99 | per month |
| The Town Talk Digital Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| The Town Talk Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |


### The Weekly Packet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-weekly-packet/id765560884)

This app delivers local news and stories from the Blue Hill Peninsula in Maine, covering traditions, industries, and community decisions. It offers convenient digital access to the newspaper's content.

**Highlights:** Local news coverage, Community stories, Industry and tradition reporting, Municipal and educational news, Digital newspaper access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Weekly Packet Blue Hill Fair Handbook | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Weekly Packet | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Weekly Packet Dec 3 2020 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Weekly Packet Dec 10 2020 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Weekly Packet Dec 17 2020 | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Town Talk free?

The Town Talk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Weekly Packet free?

The Weekly Packet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Town Talk or The Weekly Packet?

The Weekly Packet is rated higher. The Town Talk averages 4.2 out of 5 from 132 ratings, while The Weekly Packet averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do The Town Talk or The Weekly Packet have ads?

The Town Talk shows ads; The Weekly Packet does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Town Talk or The Weekly Packet?

The Town Talk ships an update monthly, and The Weekly Packet every 4 months. Most recently, The Town Talk was updated on November 1, 2026 and The Weekly Packet on October 23, 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.*