# Al Mayadeen vs Sharq شرق

The clearest difference is rating: Al Mayadeen at 4.1 against Sharq شرق's 3.6. Al Mayadeen also leads on ratings volume (138 vs 18). Sharq شرق's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 39%) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Al Mayadeen holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Al Mayadeen has 138 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 39% of Al Mayadeen's written reviews are positive against 50% of Sharq شرق's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Al Mayadeen ships an update every 5 weeks, Sharq شرق monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Al Mayadeen | Sharq شرق |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/al-mayadeen/id575575940/reviews)** | [3.6 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharq/id1276274160/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **138** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | 38.7% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 26 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mentis Plus Company S.A.R.L.](https://appshunter.io/developer/546661153) | [The Orbit Company for Software Development](https://appshunter.io/developer/1274422532) |

## What reviewers say

### Al Mayadeen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/al-mayadeen/id575575940)

Stay updated with major global events and coverage across various fields. Enjoy high-quality live streaming of news, reports, investigations, and articles from prominent writers. Get continuous, real-time updates on important issues.

**Highlights:** Live streaming (audio & video), Major event coverage, Real-time news updates, In-depth reports and articles, Diverse content

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Accurate and honest news reporting
- ✅ Truthful content without agenda
- 🌍 Best Middle East news coverage
- 👍 Professional journalism
- 💪 Reliable news source

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- ⚠️ Poor app stability after updates
- 🔌 High battery drain and overheating
- 📵 Broken video playback

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup after updates
- Blank video pages and missing audio
- Live stream not loading, only YouTube available
- App freezes with ad popups
- Notifications truncated with (...) ellipsis

**Requested features**

- Reduce or remove intrusive advertisements
- Add audio streaming background play when screen locked
- Implement notification categories (breaking news, country-specific)
- Apple TV compatibility
- English language version


### Sharq شرق

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharq/id1276274160)

Stay informed with a personalized news feed from global sources. Customize your content and receive instant push notifications for keywords you choose. Access news from newspapers, sports clubs, TV channels, and agencies.

**Highlights:** Personalized news feed, Global news sources, Customizable content, Push notifications, Keyword alerts, Multiple source types

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Al Mayadeen free?

Al Mayadeen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Sharq شرق free?

Sharq شرق is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Al Mayadeen or Sharq شرق?

Al Mayadeen is rated higher. Al Mayadeen averages 4.1 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Sharq شرق averages 3.6 from 18 ratings.

### Do Al Mayadeen or Sharq شرق have ads?

Neither Al Mayadeen nor Sharq شرق shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Al Mayadeen or Sharq شرق?

Al Mayadeen ships an update every 5 weeks, and Sharq شرق monthly. Most recently, Al Mayadeen was updated on November 1, 2026 and Sharq شرق on November 3, 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.*