# Virginian Pilot vs Star Press

Virginian Pilot and Star Press both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 43% of Star Press's written reviews are positive against 29% of Virginian Pilot's. Star Press also leads on chart position (#160 vs unranked). Virginian Pilot's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Virginian Pilot sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Star Press 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 Virginian Pilot against 4.4 for Star Press. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.3K and 1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of Virginian Pilot's written reviews are positive against 43% of Star Press's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Virginian Pilot | Star Press |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virginian-pilot/id537988905/reviews) | **[4.4 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-press/id553277333/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.3K** | 1K |
| Positive reviews | 28.7% of reviews | **42.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#160** |
| Size | 190 MB | 185 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Pilot Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/537988908) | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) |

## What reviewers say

### Virginian Pilot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virginian-pilot/id537988905)

Access essential news, sports, business, and entertainment coverage from Virginia's leading source. Receive breaking news alerts, save articles for later, and read content offline. Share stories easily via social media or email.

**Highlights:** Essential news coverage, Push notifications for breaking news, Save stories, photos, and videos, Offline reading capabilities, Easy social media sharing, Breaking news alerts

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Digital Access | $7.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Digital Access | $19.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Virginia Pilot | $199.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $199.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🇺🇸 Excellent military coverage
- 📰 Coastal Virginia information hub
- 🗞 Keeps me connected to my hometown

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Overwhelming ads
- 🔒 Subscription issues and login problems
- 📱 Buggy and crash-prone app
- 🧭 Poor navigation and user experience
- 📦 Delivery and distribution problems

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Paywall issues even for subscribers
- Inability to access full articles

**Requested features**

- Restore landscape mode for e-edition
- Improve search and filtering capabilities
- Provide access to previous day's editions
- Make puzzles and comics more accessible


### Star Press

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-press/id553277333)

**Currently charting:** #160 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

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

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news alerts, Sports coverage, 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 Star Press Digital Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| The Star Press Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to navigate
- 🚀 Fast loading
- 💡 Convenient to have local news
- 👍 Good coverage of local sports

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 💰 Too many ads
- 🔍 Lacking in local news coverage
- 🤔 Perceived political bias
- 👎 Poor app functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent sign-outs
- Inability to access content with subscription
- Slow loading and performance issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to comment on articles
- Improved subscription management
- More comprehensive local news coverage
- Faster updates and real-time news


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Virginian Pilot free?

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

### Is Star Press free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Virginian Pilot or Star Press?

Star Press is rated higher. Virginian Pilot averages 4.4 out of 5 from 2.3K ratings, while Star Press averages 4.4 from 1K ratings.

### Do Virginian Pilot or Star Press have ads?

Both Virginian Pilot and Star Press show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Virginian Pilot or Star Press?

Virginian Pilot ships an update monthly, and Star Press monthly. Most recently, Virginian Pilot was updated on November 1, 2026 and Star Press 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.*