# Herald Star vs PGe

The clearest difference is rating: PGe at 4.2 against Herald Star's 2.7. PGe also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 31 months) and ratings volume (3.6K vs 6). Herald Star's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PGe sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Herald Star asks for nothing beyond the download.

PGe holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PGe has 3.6K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Herald Star's written reviews are positive against 28% of PGe's.

Herald Star ships an update every 31 months, PGe monthly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Herald Star | PGe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/herald-star/id561964905/reviews) | **[4.2 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pge/id1287223857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **3.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews | **28.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 31 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 37 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Ogden Newspapers, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/490515349) | [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette](https://appshunter.io/developer/342115595) |

## What reviewers say

### Herald Star

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/herald-star/id561964905)

Access local opinions, editorials, and the latest news, sports, and features for Steubenville, Jefferson, and Harrison counties. Stay informed with breaking news alerts and search for full articles. Find local garage sales and directions.

**Highlights:** Breaking News Alerts, Local News Coverage, Local Sports Updates, Full Article Search, Garage Sale Listings, Directions

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### PGe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pge/id1287223857)

Access complete news coverage from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, presented in a traditional newspaper layout. Enjoy daily editions, interactive puzzles, and access to past issues.

**Highlights:** Traditional newspaper layout, Seven-day-a-week coverage, Interactive puzzles, 30-day past editions archive

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Post-Gazette Monthly Plan | $11.99 | per month |
| Post-Gazette Annual Plan | $129.99 | per year |
| Post-Gazette Day Pass | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth navigation
- 👍 Aesthetically pleasing
- 🚀 Convenient access to news
- 👍 Well-written and grammatically correct articles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Outdated and delayed content
- 👎 Limited selection of articles
- 👎 Forced landscape mode on iPad
- 👎 Unreliable loading and downloading of editions

**Reported bugs**

- Blank screens when trying to open articles
- Jumping back to previous day's edition when using back button
- Inconsistent behavior when downloading new editions
- Puzzles and crosswords not working properly

**Requested features**

- Portrait mode option for iPad
- Ability to quickly browse and overview articles
- Automatic deletion of old editions to save storage
- Restore previous app features like toggling linked headlines


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Herald Star free?

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

### Is PGe free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Herald Star or PGe?

PGe is rated higher. Herald Star averages 2.7 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while PGe averages 4.2 from 3.6K ratings.

### Do Herald Star or PGe have ads?

Neither Herald Star nor PGe shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Herald Star or PGe?

Herald Star ships an update every 31 months, and PGe monthly. Most recently, Herald Star was updated on November 6, 2026 and PGe on November 6, 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.*