Comparison

The Mining Journal vs Observer & Eccentric

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

The Mining Journal

Access local and national news, sports, and features from the Marquette area and the North-Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Stay informed with breaking news alerts, full article search, and local classifieds like garage sales.

Highlights
  • Breaking News Alerts
  • Local News
  • Local Sports
  • Polls
  • Full Article Search
  • Garage Sales & Directions
Features
Read full description

Local News and National News from The Mining Journal, the best source for local and national news, sports, and features in the Marquette area. The Mining Journal serves the city of Marquette and the North-Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan. - Breaking News Alerts - Local News - Local Sports - Polls - Full Article Search - Local Garage Sales and Directions

About

Observer & Eccentric

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and engaging multimedia content. Get real-time alerts for breaking news, sports scores, and weather. Customize your reading experience and access content offline.

Highlights
  • In-depth journalism
  • Local news coverage
  • Photography and videos
  • Real-time notifications
  • Customizable reading experience
  • Offline reading
Features
Read full description

From critically acclaimed storytelling to powerful photography to engaging videos — the Observer & Eccentric app delivers the local news that matters most to your community. APP FEATURES: • Access all of our in-depth journalism, including things to do around town, sports coverage from high school to the pros, and much more. • Enjoy a streamlined, fast-loading experience that makes it easy to view the stories, photos, and videos that matter to you. • Get breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts with real-time notifications tailored to your interests. • Customize your experience by saving your favorite stories, adjusting text size, using night mode, or reading offline. MORE INFORMATION: • Privacy Policy: https://cm.hometownlife.com/privacy/ • Terms of Service: https://cm.hometownlife.com/terms/ • Help Center: https://help.hometownlife.com • Subscriptions are charged to your account at confirmation of purchase and automatically renew each month or year, unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information.

Screenshots

The Mining Journal4 screens
Observer & Eccentric4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Observer & Eccentric at 4.6 against The Mining Journal's 1.0. Observer & Eccentric also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 31 months) and ratings volume (99 vs 2). The Mining Journal's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Observer & Eccentric sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. The Mining Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Observer & Eccentric holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Observer & Eccentric has 99 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of The Mining Journal's written reviews are positive against 38% of Observer & Eccentric's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Mining Journal ships an update every 31 months, Observer & Eccentric monthly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
The Mining Journal versus Observer & Eccentric: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Mining JournalObserver & Eccentric
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (2 ratings)4.6 (99 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better38.1% of reviews
Number of ratings299 — better
Update frequencyEvery 31 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB185 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperOgden Newspapers, Inc.USA TODAY Co., Inc.

Customer experience

The Mining Journal

Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Observer & Eccentric

All ratings99 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral6.1%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive38.1%
Neutral4.8%
Negative57.1%

In-app purchases

None

The Mining Journal

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Observer & Eccentric

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • O&E Digital Subscription1 Month trial$16.991 Month
  • Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is The Mining Journal free?
The Mining Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Observer & Eccentric free?
Observer & Eccentric is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Mining Journal or Observer & Eccentric?
Observer & Eccentric is rated higher. The Mining Journal averages 1.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Observer & Eccentric averages 4.6 from 99 ratings.
Do The Mining Journal or Observer & Eccentric have ads?
Observer & Eccentric shows ads; The Mining Journal does not.
Which is updated more often, The Mining Journal or Observer & Eccentric?
The Mining Journal ships an update every 31 months, and Observer & Eccentric monthly. Most recently, The Mining Journal was updated on November 6, 2026 and Observer & Eccentric on November 6, 2026.

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