# The Daily Journal vs Northside Sun

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Northside Sun at none against The Daily Journal's 4. Northside Sun also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). The Daily Journal's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 20 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Daily Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Northside Sun asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Daily Journal ships an update monthly, Northside Sun every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Daily Journal | Northside Sun |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (253 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-daily-journal/id566359405/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **253** | — |
| Positive reviews | 65.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 20 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 184 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) | [Emmerich Newspapers, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1636309161) |

## What reviewers say

### The Daily Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-daily-journal/id566359405)

Access in-depth local journalism, including community events, sports, and breaking news. Enjoy a fast, customizable reading experience with real-time notifications and offline access. Includes a digital replica of the print edition and access to other eNewspapers.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news alerts, Streamlined reading experience, Customizable settings, Offline reading, eNewspaper access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $9.99 | per month |
| The Daily Journal Digital Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| The Daily Journal Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 📰 Articles appear before print
- 🚀 Indispensable when traveling
- 👍 Love the writers
- 👍 Convenient for getting news

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sometimes hard to load
- 👎 Impossible to cancel subscription
- 👎 Password and email don't work consistently
- 👎 Never lets me sign in
- 👎 Terrible content

**Reported bugs**

- Still being charged after cancellation
- Cannot get ahold of anyone for help
- Password and email issues
- App is awful, want newspaper back

**Requested features**

- More Cumberland County news
- Easier subscription cancellation


### Northside Sun

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northside-sun/id1661908995)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Daily Journal free?

The Daily Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Northside Sun free?

Northside Sun is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do The Daily Journal or Northside Sun have ads?

The Daily Journal shows ads; Northside Sun does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Daily Journal or Northside Sun?

The Daily Journal ships an update monthly, and Northside Sun every 20 months. Most recently, The Daily Journal was updated on October 23, 2026 and Northside Sun on October 27, 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.*