# FN E vs Main

The clearest difference is monetization model: FN E at free with in-app purchases against Main's subscription. FN E also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Main's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (50% vs 35%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FN E sells 36 in-app purchases, starting at $31.99 per month and Main sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

FN E holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Main has 22 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 35% of FN E's written reviews are positive against 50% of Main's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

FN E ships an update every 4 months, Main every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FN E | Main |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fn-e-paper/id660261029/reviews)** | [4.6 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/main-echo/id1131191097/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **22** |
| Positive reviews | 35.0% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 30 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Fränkische Nachrichten Verlags-GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/660261032) | [Verlag und Druckerei Main-Echo GmbH & Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/415877974) |

## What reviewers say

### FN E

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fn-e-paper/id660261029)

Access your daily newspaper digitally on your tablet or smartphone. Read tomorrow's edition early, enjoy regional editions, and exclusive Sunday content. Features include a comfortable reading mode, offline access, daily puzzles, podcasts, and a news ticker.

**Highlights:** Early access to tomorrow's edition, Access to all regional editions, Exclusive Sunday edition, Comfortable reading mode with adjustable font size, Offline reading after download, Daily puzzles (Wordle, crossword), Integrated podcast player, News ticker on the homepage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (36)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monatsabo | $31.99 | per month |
| Einzelausgabe | $1.99 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 12/12 2024 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 16/12 2024 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 18/12 2024 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 19/12 2024 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 17/12 2024 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 24/12 2024 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 30/12 2024 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 28/12 2024 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 31/12 2024 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 29/12 2026 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 20/12 2026 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 22/12 2026 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 19/12 2026 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 24/12 2026 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 23/12 2026 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 26/12 2026 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 31/12 2026 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 30/12 2026 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 24/12 2025 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 25/12 2025 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 26/12 2025 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 21/12 2025 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 23/12 2025 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 27/12 2025 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 31/12 2025 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 28/12 2025 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Einzelausgabe 30/12 2025 | $3.00 | one-time |
| Zeitreise - 30. März 2023 | $8.99 | one-time |
| Zeitreise - 1. Juli 2022 | $8.99 | one-time |
| Zeitreise - 24. November 2023 | $8.99 | one-time |
| Zeitreise 6. Ausgabe | $8.99 | one-time |
| Zeitreise - 4. Oktober 2024 | $8.99 | one-time |
| Zeitreise - 6. Juni 2024 | $8.99 | one-time |


### Main

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/main-echo/id1131191097)

Stay informed with local and global news, multimedia content like live blogs and videos, and personalized topic and location settings. Enjoy a free trial and convenient push notifications to never miss an update. Access premium content with a subscription.

**Highlights:** Local and world news, Push notifications, Liveblogs, photos, videos, podcasts, Personalized topics and locations, Save articles to a watchlist, Free trial available

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly subscription | $2.49 | per 7 days |
| Monthly subscription | $7.49 | per month |
| Monatsabo | $12.99 | per month |
| Subscription for 3 months | $18.49 | per 3 months |
| 3 month subscription (BF) | $18.49 | per 3 months |
| 3-Monatsabo | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly subscription | $64.99 | per year |
| 6-Monatsabo | $79.99 | per 6 months |
| Jahresabo | $149.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FN E free?

FN E is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Main free?

Main is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, FN E or Main?

FN E is rated higher. FN E averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Main averages 4.6 from 22 ratings.

### Do FN E or Main have ads?

FN E shows ads; Main does not.

### Which is updated more often, FN E or Main?

FN E ships an update every 4 months, and Main every 7 months. Most recently, FN E was updated on September 21, 2026 and Main on September 26, 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.*