Philstar vs Inquirer Plus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Philstar
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.
- Free access to news
- Timely and relevant stories
- Breaking news and politics
- Sports, entertainment, lifestyle, business
- Original reporting and explainers
- Multimedia features
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Over a decade, the Philstar Global app has provided free access to trusted news from the Philippines and around the world. Light, fast and easy to use, the latest version of the Philstar app connects you to the most timely and relevant stories — from breaking news and politics to sports, entertainment, lifestyle and business. Access original reporting, in-depth explainers, opinion pieces and multimedia features from Philstar.com, Interaksyon, The Philippine STAR, Pilipino Star Ngayon, The Freeman, Pang-Masa and Banat — all in one place. Stay informed with credible journalism that empowers you to make sense of what’s happening — wherever you are, whenever you need it.
Inquirer Plus
Access news and in-depth analysis from the Inquirer, with a personalized feed and adjustable reading modes. Bookmark articles for later or explore editor's picks. Includes a digital replica of the newspaper and classic puzzle games.
- Personalized newsfeed
- Expert commentary and analysis
- Dark mode and adjustable font size
- Bookmark stories for later
- Editor's Picks
- Digital newspaper replica
- Classic puzzle games
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Experience the new Inquirer Plus: Updated. Fast. Convenient. Inquirer Plus brings the stories from the Inquirer directly to your hand. Personalize your newsfeed depending on your interests. Dig deeper into stories with commentary and analysis from our experts. For a more comfortable reading experience, switch to dark mode and adjust the font size. Limited time to read in the morning? Bookmark stories to read later. Or better yet, go through our Editor's Picks to discover the most important stories that you need to know. It's not all serious. We also have games! Relax with classic puzzles like Crossword and Sudoku. The new Inquirer Plus also gives you access to a digital replica of the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper. Terms and conditions: https://services.inquirer.net/user-agreement/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Inquirer Plus at 4.7 against Philstar's 3.3. Inquirer Plus also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (254 vs 18). Philstar's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (51% vs 38%). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Inquirer Plus sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Philstar asks for nothing beyond the download.
Inquirer Plus holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Inquirer Plus has 254 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 51% of Philstar's written reviews are positive against 38% of Inquirer Plus's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Philstar | Inquirer Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (18 ratings) | 4.7 (254 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 51.4% of reviews — better | 37.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 18 | 254 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Philstar Global Corporation | Inquirer Interactive |
Customer experience
Philstar
Inquirer Plus
In-app purchases
Philstar
No in-app purchases
Inquirer Plus
- Basic - 1 Month$2.991 Month
- All Access - 1 Month$4.991 Month
- Basic - 1 Year$29.991 Year
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- All Access - 1 Year$49.991 Year
Questions
Is Philstar free?
Is Inquirer Plus free?
Which has better reviews, Philstar or Inquirer Plus?
Do Philstar or Inquirer Plus have ads?
Which is updated more often, Philstar or Inquirer Plus?
Other comparisons
