Comparison

AppleInsider vs 9to5Mac

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

Head to head
About

AppleInsider

Stay informed with the latest Apple news, rumors, and expert commentary on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Get breaking news alerts, access video reviews, and listen to podcasts. Subscribers enjoy an ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • Breaking news push notifications
  • AI YouTube video library
  • Weekly podcasts
  • Live Apple event coverage
  • Ad-free subscription option
  • Optimized for iPhone and iPad
  • Apple Watch experience
Features
Read full description

The official AppleInsider app for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch serves as the most up-to-date and reliable source for all things Apple. Since 1997, AppleInsider has been the best destination for Apple-related news, rumors, reviews, expert commentary and more. And with the AppleInsider app, you can take all those news, tips, commentary, and reviews with you on the go, staying a step ahead of your friends with breaking news alerts and finger-tip access to the latest Apple news and rumors.   Features: - Be the first to know about breaking news and major announcements with push notifications sent directly to your device as they happen. - Access the AI YouTube video library to view product reviews, tutorials and more. - Listen to weekly podcasts and keep current with live Apple event coverage. - Subscribers can enjoy an ad-free viewing experience for $29.99 per year with an auto-renewable, annual subscription, or $2.99 a month. - Optimized for both iPhone and iPad. - Refreshed Apple Watch experience.   AppleInsider Pro subscription available: Besides one year of ad-free content for $29.99, a one-month subscription is available for $2.99. Both subscription tiers will automatically renew until canceled.   AppleInsider Pro Automatic-Renewal Feature: Your AppleInsider Pro digital subscription will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of your current period. Your iTunes account will automatically be charged at the same price for renewal, $29.99 per year, within 24 hours prior to the end of your current period.   Current subscriptions may not be canceled during the active subscription period, but you can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renewal by visiting your iTunes Account Settings after purchase.   For complete terms and conditions, please see our Terms of Use (http://www.appleinsider.com/terms-of-use) and Privacy Policy (http://www.appleinsider.com/privacy).

About

9to5Mac

Stay informed with the latest news for Apple devices and other tech. Enjoy an ad-free reading experience with a clean layout and push notifications for breaking stories. An optional premium subscription offers enhanced features.

Highlights
  • Latest Apple news
  • Ad-free reading
  • Push notifications
  • Dark Theme
  • Optimized layout
  • Access to network sites
Features
Read full description

9to5Mac is the leading news website for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more. The 9to5Mac app offers an ad-free way to stay up to date with the latest Apple news, along with connecting you to the full network of 9to5 sites. View the latest stories from 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, Electrek, and more in a layout optimized for the iPhone and iPad with large photography. Take advantage of the Dark Theme for comfortable reading at any time of day. Get push notifications for instant alerts when a new post goes live so you can always stay up to date with the latest stories. The 9to5Mac app is a beautiful companion to the website experience. Give us your feedback and look forward to more updates coming in the future. Upgrade to the Premium Subscription to read stories in the app with an ad-free, privacy-respecting native reading experience. Premium costs $1.99 per month in the US. The subscription automatically renews — but you can cancel at any time.* 9to5Mac Premium is subject to the standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ See Privacy and Additional Terms: https://9to5mac.com/privacy/ *Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within a 24-hour prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase.

Screenshots

AppleInsider3 screens
9to5Mac4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: 9to5Mac at 4.7 against AppleInsider's 3.3. 9to5Mac also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). AppleInsider's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.7 vs 17.6). On price and in-app purchases 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. AppleInsider sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and 9to5Mac sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

9to5Mac holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 9to5Mac has 4.8K ratings behind it against 49, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of AppleInsider's written reviews are positive against 41% of 9to5Mac's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AppleInsider ships an update every 8 months, 9to5Mac every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
AppleInsider versus 9to5Mac: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAppleInsider9to5Mac
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (49 ratings)4.7 (4.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.6% of reviews40.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings494.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.7 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCraftedSeth Weintraub

Customer experience

AppleInsider

All ratings49 ratings
Positive46.9%
Neutral12.2%
Negative40.8%
Written reviews216 reviews
Positive29.6%
Neutral13.4%
Negative56.9%

9to5Mac

All ratings4,844 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral2.8%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews264 reviews
Positive40.9%
Neutral18.2%
Negative40.9%

User reviews

AppleInsider

From 49 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Wide range of topics
  • 👍 Informative and educational
  • 👍 Excellent podcast
  • 👍 Number one source for Apple news

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Cluttered and unintuitive UI
  • 🐛 Crashes and loading issues
  • 🔍 Ineffective search functionality
  • 💰 Excessive price increase for subscription
  • 🔍 New layout hides latest news

9to5Mac

From 4.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Informative content
  • 📱 Great app for Apple news
  • 🌓 Useful dark mode
  • 👍 Modern design

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Paywall restricts access
  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • ⏱️ Slow content loading
  • 💸 Expensive subscription
  • 🔍 Lack of search functionality

Bugs and requests

AppleInsider

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes on iOS 14 and newer
  • Articles not loading properly
  • Widget functionality broken
  • Subscription issues and lack of cancellation options

Requested features

6 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Customizable notification settings
  • Ability to mark articles as read
  • App badge to show unread articles
  • iPad-optimized layout
Show 1 more
  • Landscape mode support for videos

9to5Mac

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Subscription issues
  • Inconsistent dark mode support
  • Unreliable push notifications
  • Crashes when opening articles
  • Broken Disqus login functionality

Requested features

7 requests
  • Dark mode icon support
  • Improved notifications
  • In-app commenting
  • Yearly subscription option
  • Faster content updates
Show 2 more
  • Accessibility improvements
  • Seamless integration with other 9to5 sites

In-app purchases

6 purchases

AppleInsider

Subscriptions2
  • Pro$2.991 Month
  • Pro$29.991 Year
One-time4
  • AppleInsider Subscription (1 Month)$0.99
  • AppleInsider Subscription (3 Months)$2.99
  • AppleInsider Subscription (6 Months)$4.99
Show 1 more
  • AppleInsider Subscription (1 Year)$8.99
1 purchases

9to5Mac

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Subscription7 Days trial$1.991 Month

Questions

Is AppleInsider free?
AppleInsider is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 9to5Mac free?
9to5Mac is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AppleInsider or 9to5Mac?
9to5Mac is rated higher. AppleInsider averages 3.3 out of 5 from 49 ratings, while 9to5Mac averages 4.7 from 4.8K ratings.
Do AppleInsider or 9to5Mac have ads?
AppleInsider shows ads; 9to5Mac does not.
Which is updated more often, AppleInsider or 9to5Mac?
AppleInsider ships an update every 8 months, and 9to5Mac every 3 months. Most recently, AppleInsider was updated on September 21, 2026 and 9to5Mac on September 23, 2026.

Other comparisons