Comparison

Railnews vs Western Mail Newspaper

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

Head to head
About

Railnews

This publication delivers in-depth editorial and reader opinions on the rail industry. Access current and back issues, or subscribe for ongoing content. Protect your purchases by registering for an account.

Highlights
  • In-depth editorial content
  • Reader views and opinions
  • Purchase current and back issues
  • Subscription options available
  • Account registration for purchase protection
  • Cross-platform browsing of purchases
Features
Read full description

Railnews is the number one publication for the rail industry, focusing on the people and business that keep today’s railway running. Originally produced in 1963 as the house newspaper for British Rail, Railnews continues to inform and impress in the modern industry. As well as in-depth editorial, the newspaper features views and opinions from readers and industry insiders alike. ----------------------------- Paid for app downloads include one issue of the user's choice. Free app downloads do not include a free issue unless otherwise stated. The current issue, back issues and future issues can be purchased within the app. Subscriptions are also available within the application. When a recurring subscription is purchased the latest issue will become available to download immediately. Available subscriptions are: 6 months: £11.99 / US$16..99 (6 issues) 12 months: £19.99 / US$28.99 (12 issues) -The subscription will renew automatically unless cancelled more than 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for the product. -You may turn off the auto-renewal of subscriptions through your Account Settings, however you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period. -Payment will charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased. Bundles of single issues can be also be bought within the application. To use purchased credits, simply click on the issue price and select ‘use credit’. This allows you to purchase back issues at reduced prices. Users can register for/ login to a pocketmags account in-app. This will protect their issues in the case of a lost device and allow browsing of purchases on multiple platforms. Existing pocketmags users can retrieve their purchases by logging into their account. We recommend loading the app for the first time in a wi-fi area so that all issue data is retrieved. If your app will not load past the splash page after a first install or an update please click the settings cog, then click Settings then Refresh app data. If this also fails to work please delete and reinstall the app from the App Store Help and frequently asked questions be accessed in-app and on pocketmags. If you have any problems at all please do not hesitate to contact us: help@pocketmags.com -------------------- You can find our privacy policy here: http://www.pocketmags.com/privacy.aspx You can find our terms and conditions here: http://www.pocketmags.com/terms.aspx

About

Western Mail Newspaper

Access the full digital replica of the daily newspaper, featuring news, sports, opinions, and supplements from Wales. Stay updated on politics, business, and Welsh rugby with exclusive columnists and in-depth analysis.

Highlights
  • Daily eEdition replica of print paper
  • News, sports, and opinion content
  • Exclusive Welsh columnists
  • In-depth Welsh rugby analysis
  • Automatic overnight downloads
Features
Read full description

All your Western Mail news, sports, opinions and supplements on the go, daily. Each day’s paper downloaded automatically to your device overnight. Downloaded daily to your tablet, the eEdition is a full replica of the printed edition, packed with the news, sport and features that get Wales talking. As well as the daily exclusives that set Wales’ news agenda, the Western Mail is the only place to read the best Welsh columnists while having its finger on the pulse of politics, business and economic matters. It is also the only place for in-depth Welsh rugby analysis and everything you need to know about Wales’ latest football action including top-flight teams - Cardiff and Swansea. Subscribers receive every weekday edition, Monday through Friday, and the single weekend edition. You are free to cancel the auto-renewal of your subscription at any time, including during any trial period. Notes • Payment will be charged to the users account at confirmation of purchase • Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the users account settings after purchase • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period • Our privacy policy and terms of use are available at: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/privacy-notice/ • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication Transparency Statement • We are the publishing group Reach plc and this transparency statement explains how we process your data • We use third-party app analytics to keep track of the number of app downloads, however, these will not identify you • Please visit our privacy policy for more information on what we do with our customer’s data Terms & Conditions: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/terms-conditions/

Screenshots

Railnews4 screens
Western Mail Newspaper4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Western Mail Newspaper at 13% against Railnews's 0%. Western Mail Newspaper also leads on update cadence (every 6 months vs every 12 months). Railnews's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Railnews sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $15.99 per 6 months and Western Mail Newspaper sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Railnews ships an update every 12 months, Western Mail Newspaper every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
Railnews versus Western Mail Newspaper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRailnewsWestern Mail Newspaper
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews13.3% of reviews — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 6 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS10.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB20 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperJellyfish Connect LimitedReach Shared Services Limited

Customer experience

Railnews

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Western Mail Newspaper

Written reviews15 reviews
Positive13.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative80.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Railnews

Subscriptions2
  • Railnews Auto-Renewable Subscription$15.996 Months
  • Railnews Auto-Renewable Subscription$26.991 Year
One-time8
  • Railnews August 2014$2.99
  • Dec-15$2.99
  • Nov-15$2.99
Show 5 more
  • January 2016 (id:413528)$2.99
  • February 2016 (id:413530)$2.99
  • June 2016 (id:413538)$2.99
  • May 2026 (pp:1142953)$3.99
  • February 2026 (pp:1142931)$3.99
1 purchases

Western Mail Newspaper

Subscriptions1
  • Western Mail1 Month trial$9.991 Month

Questions

Is Railnews free?
Railnews is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Western Mail Newspaper free?
Western Mail Newspaper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Railnews or Western Mail Newspaper have ads?
Neither Railnews nor Western Mail Newspaper shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Railnews or Western Mail Newspaper?
Railnews ships an update every 12 months, and Western Mail Newspaper every 6 months. Most recently, Railnews was updated on November 1, 2026 and Western Mail Newspaper on November 11, 2026.

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