# VOA vs 澎湃新闻

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: VOA at none against 澎湃新闻's 11. VOA also leads on ads (none vs shown). 澎湃新闻's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (2.6K vs 732). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 澎湃新闻 sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. VOA asks for nothing beyond the download.

澎湃新闻 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 732 and 2.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of VOA's written reviews are positive against 79% of 澎湃新闻's.

VOA ships an update every 2 months, 澎湃新闻 monthly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | VOA | 澎湃新闻 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (732 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voa/id632618796/reviews) | **[4.7 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id878962716/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 732 | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | **79.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 77 MB | 200 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Voice of America](https://appshunter.io/developer/383845348) | [上海东方报业有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/878962721) |

## What reviewers say

### VOA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voa/id632618796)

Access global news from one of the world's largest international media networks. Enjoy diverse content formats, including photos, videos, audio, and text. Download stories for offline access and share news easily.

**Highlights:** Photos, video, audio, and text content, On-demand podcasts and newscasts, Offline downloading of stories and media, Customizable interface, Multimedia streaming, Social media sharing

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent news coverage
- 🌍 Wide range of international news
- 🔍 Unbiased and factual reporting
- 📱 Simple and easy-to-use app
- 🎶 Good music selection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔊 Poor audio quality
- 🌙 Lack of dark mode
- 📢 Push notifications not working
- 🤔 Perceived political bias in some reporting

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when switching languages
- Live streaming not working
- Incompatibility with certain devices
- Unable to access content after update

**Requested features**

- Adjust playback speed
- Ability to comment on articles
- Improved sharing options
- More language support
- Customizable home screen


### 澎湃新闻

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id878962716)

This app offers in-depth news coverage focused on politics and thought leadership. It provides original investigative journalism, diverse perspectives, and expert discussions. Users can engage with content through Q&A sessions and community forums.

**Highlights:** 时政要闻, 原创深度调查, 思想观点交流, 视频新闻报道, 专家问答互动, 质量报告与权益保障

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 订阅澎湃城市报告连续包月 | $3.99 | per month |
| 赞赏支持6元 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 6币 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 赞赏支持12元 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 赞赏支持18元 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 30币 | $4.99 | one-time |
| 订阅澎湃城市报告一个月 | $5.99 | one-time |
| 88币 | $12.99 | one-time |
| 198币 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 388币 | $59.99 | one-time |
| 648币 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🗞️ High-quality, in-depth news content
- 📰 Focused on serious journalism, not clickbait
- 🧭 Objective, balanced reporting
- 🧠 Thought-provoking analysis and commentary
- 🚀 Fast and efficient app performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🗣️ Strict censorship and limited user comments
- 🤖 Allegations of being a government mouthpiece
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 📱 Layout and UI not fully optimized for larger screens

**Reported bugs**

- Connection timeouts and loading issues
- Compatibility problems on newer iOS devices

**Requested features**

- Allow users to share and discuss articles
- Implement a personalized news feed
- Add support for offline reading


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VOA free?

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

### Is 澎湃新闻 free?

澎湃新闻 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, VOA or 澎湃新闻?

澎湃新闻 is rated higher. VOA averages 4.3 out of 5 from 732 ratings, while 澎湃新闻 averages 4.7 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do VOA or 澎湃新闻 have ads?

澎湃新闻 shows ads; VOA does not.

### Which is updated more often, VOA or 澎湃新闻?

VOA ships an update every 2 months, and 澎湃新闻 monthly. Most recently, VOA was updated on November 1, 2026 and 澎湃新闻 on November 1, 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.*