# Honolulu Star vs Volcano Updates

The clearest difference is ads: Volcano Updates at none against Honolulu Star's shown. Volcano Updates also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (13.1 vs 15.1). Honolulu Star's advantage is review sentiment (77% vs 50%) and rating (4.5 vs 4.1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Honolulu Star holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Honolulu Star has 1.6K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Honolulu Star's written reviews are positive against 50% of Volcano Updates's.

Honolulu Star ships an update every 2 months, Volcano Updates every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Honolulu Star | Volcano Updates |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/honolulu-star-advertiser/id557767262/reviews)** | [4.1 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/volcano-updates/id579718608/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **77.3% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 36 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Honolulu Star-Advertiser](https://appshunter.io/developer/419210831) | [Donivan Fox](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454172083) |

## What reviewers say

### Honolulu Star

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/honolulu-star-advertiser/id557767262)

Access breaking news, weather, and traffic updates from Hawaii. Enjoy premium local features, island food content, and multimedia. Stay informed with alerts and read the award-winning print replica edition.

**Highlights:** Breaking news alerts, Local features and island food, Weather and traffic updates, Multimedia content including video, Print replica edition, Premium content marked with Blue Star

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to keep up with news
- 🔍 Reliable, balanced news source
- 📰 Print replica available
- 🗓️ Up-to-date news and information
- 📱 Convenient mobile access

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Limited news coverage
- 💰 Paywall/subscription issues
- 🔍 Biased/partisan news coverage
- 🔍 Outdated news articles
- 🔍 Too many ads

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Login/account issues
- Unreliable content updates
- Compatibility problems with older devices

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved offline reading capabilities
- Better sharing/clipping features
- Customizable notification settings
- Improved navigation and user experience


### Volcano Updates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/volcano-updates/id579718608)

Stay informed about volcanic activity with daily news and reports from multiple sources, including USGS and GeoNet. Get alert levels, aviation color codes, and detailed information on active volcanoes worldwide.

**Highlights:** Daily volcanic activity news, USGS Volcano Hazards Program reports, GeoNet news feed for New Zealand, Smithsonian Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, Alert level and aviation color code, Information on Hawaiian and Alaska volcanoes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Honolulu Star free?

Honolulu Star is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Volcano Updates free?

Volcano Updates is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Honolulu Star or Volcano Updates?

Honolulu Star is rated higher. Honolulu Star averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Volcano Updates averages 4.1 from 9 ratings.

### Do Honolulu Star or Volcano Updates have ads?

Honolulu Star shows ads; Volcano Updates does not.

### Which is updated more often, Honolulu Star or Volcano Updates?

Honolulu Star ships an update every 2 months, and Volcano Updates every 3 months. Most recently, Honolulu Star was updated on October 29, 2026 and Volcano Updates 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.*