# CalMatters vs PublicCEO

The clearest difference is ratings volume: CalMatters at 18 against PublicCEO's 1. CalMatters also leads on chart position (#183 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). PublicCEO's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for CalMatters against 5.0 for PublicCEO. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CalMatters has 18 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

CalMatters ships an update fortnightly, PublicCEO every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CalMatters | PublicCEO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calmatters/id6475375084/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/publicceo/id6762672308/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **18** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#183** | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [CalMatters](https://appshunter.io/developer/1724098439) | [Tripepi, Smith and Associates, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1894954940) |

## What reviewers say

### CalMatters

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calmatters/id6475375084)

**Currently charting:** #183 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access in-depth, nonpartisan news and analysis focused on California's quality of life issues. Hold leaders accountable with investigative journalism covering the Golden State and its global economic impact.

**Highlights:** In-depth news analysis, Focus on quality of life issues, Investigative journalism, Accountability reporting, Covers California and its economy

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### PublicCEO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/publicceo/id6762672308)

Access timely news and insights for local government leaders in California. This app offers a clean, intuitive reading experience to keep you informed on important topics without distractions, whether you're browsing headlines or in-depth content.

**Highlights:** Timely news and insights, Focus on local government leaders, Clean and intuitive reading experience, Easy browsing of headlines, In-depth content exploration, On-the-go updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CalMatters free?

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

### Is PublicCEO free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CalMatters or PublicCEO?

CalMatters and PublicCEO are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 18 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do CalMatters or PublicCEO have ads?

Neither CalMatters nor PublicCEO shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CalMatters or PublicCEO?

CalMatters ships an update fortnightly, and PublicCEO every 3 weeks. Most recently, CalMatters was updated on October 12, 2026 and PublicCEO on October 2, 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.*