# Al Mayadeen vs Ashams الشمس

Al Mayadeen and Ashams الشمس both sit at 4.1 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of Ashams الشمس's written reviews are positive against 39% of Al Mayadeen's. Ashams الشمس also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 weeks). Al Mayadeen's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, rating, 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.

Al Mayadeen holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Al Mayadeen has 138 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 39% of Al Mayadeen's written reviews are positive against 86% of Ashams الشمس'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, Ashams الشمس every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Al Mayadeen | Ashams الشمس |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/al-mayadeen/id575575940/reviews)** | [3.9 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ashams/id719527767/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **138** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | 38.7% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 26 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Mentis Plus Company S.A.R.L.](https://appshunter.io/developer/546661153) | [Ashams group](https://appshunter.io/developer/992503883) |

## 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


### Ashams الشمس

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ashams/id719527767)

Listen to live radio, explore podcasts on various topics, and stay updated with local and international news. Interact with the station by voting for songs and suggesting playlists.

**Highlights:** Live radio streaming, Podcast library, Latest news updates, Interactive song voting, Music playlist suggestions, Radio program listening

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Al Mayadeen free?

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

### Is Ashams الشمس free?

Ashams الشمس is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Al Mayadeen or Ashams الشمس?

Al Mayadeen is rated higher. Al Mayadeen averages 4.1 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Ashams الشمس averages 3.9 from 19 ratings.

### Do Al Mayadeen or Ashams الشمس have ads?

Ashams الشمس shows ads; Al Mayadeen does not.

### Which is updated more often, Al Mayadeen or Ashams الشمس?

Al Mayadeen ships an update every 5 weeks, and Ashams الشمس every 5 days. Most recently, Al Mayadeen was updated on October 22, 2026 and Ashams الشمس 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.*