# The Star vs Courier

The clearest difference is ads: The Star at none against Courier's shown. The Star also leads on chart position (#196 vs unranked) and ratings volume (2.8K vs 618). Courier's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Star sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $24.99 per month and Courier sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for The Star against 4.4 for Courier. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.8K and 618 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of The Star's written reviews are positive against 44% of Courier's.

The Star ships an update every 5 months, Courier monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Star | Courier |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-star-ledger/id530250550/reviews)** | [4.4 (618 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/courier-post/id566331284/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.8K** | 618 |
| Positive reviews | **48.6% of reviews** | 43.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#196** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 189 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [The Star-Ledger LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/530250553) | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) |

## What reviewers say

### The Star

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-star-ledger/id530250550)

**Currently charting:** #196 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access New Jersey's largest newspaper on your mobile device. Enjoy award-winning local news, sports, entertainment, and more with an enhanced reading experience. Subscribers get full access.

**Highlights:** Award-winning local news, Daily features and sports updates, Entertainment highlights, Bonus magazines and supplements, Interactive puzzles and games, Easy article sharing

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Auto-Renewing subscription to The Star-Ledger | $24.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to read digital format
- 👍 Convenient access to news
- 💡 Ability to email/share articles
- 🚀 Responsive app performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs in new app version
- 👎 Difficult to navigate and read on mobile
- 👎 Removal of useful features like printing
- 👎 Inconsistent service and access issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes
- Unable to download or access certain issues
- Login and account issues
- Formatting problems on mobile devices

**Requested features**

- Bring back ability to print puzzles and articles
- Improve app usability and navigation
- Provide more local news coverage
- Offer a more affordable digital-only subscription


### Courier

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/courier-post/id566331284)

Access local news, in-depth journalism, and engaging multimedia content. Stay informed with breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts. Enjoy a customizable reading experience with offline access and a digital replica of the print edition.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news and alerts, Sports coverage, Streamlined reading experience, Offline reading, eNewspaper replica, Customizable text size and night mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Subscription | $24.99 | per month |
| Courier-Post Digital Subscription | $24.99 | per month |
| Courier-Post Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Provides good local news
- 🚀 Easy to read from anywhere
- 🚀 Accurate news

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Constantly crashes or freezes
- 🐛 Navigation issues
- 🐛 Ads and prompts disrupt reading
- 🔒 Subscription issues and overcharging
- 🔋 App performance issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes frequently
- Login and password issues
- Compatibility problems with older devices
- Inconsistent content delivery

**Requested features**

- Bring back crossword puzzles
- Improve screen layout and full-screen mode
- Streamline navigation between newspapers
- Provide better customer service and account management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Star free?

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

### Is Courier free?

Courier is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Star or Courier?

The Star is rated higher. The Star averages 4.4 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Courier averages 4.4 from 618 ratings.

### Do The Star or Courier have ads?

Courier shows ads; The Star does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Star or Courier?

The Star ships an update every 5 months, and Courier monthly. Most recently, The Star was updated on October 29, 2026 and Courier on November 1, 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.*