# eGov vs The Standard

The clearest difference is ads: eGov at none against The Standard's shown. eGov also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 18.6). The Standard's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. eGov sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and The Standard sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

eGov ships an update every 3 months, The Standard monthly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | eGov | The Standard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.4 (220 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-standard-times/id1018727716/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **220** |
| Positive reviews | — | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 24 MB | 185 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Magzter Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/406791755) | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) |

## What reviewers say

### eGov

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/egov/id731259636)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vol 14 Issue 24 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Vol 14 Issue 25 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Jan 2019 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Feb 2019 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Mar 2019 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Apr 2019 | $1.99 | one-time |
| May 2019 | $1.99 | one-time |
| June 2019 | $1.99 | one-time |
| July 2019 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Aug 2019 | $1.99 | one-time |


### The Standard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-standard-times/id1018727716)

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and real-time alerts. Access a digital replica of the print edition, customize your reading experience, and enjoy content on the go.

**Highlights:** In-depth local journalism, Breaking news alerts, Sports coverage, Streamlined reading experience, Customizable text size and night mode, Offline reading, Digital eNewspaper replica

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $14.99 | per month |
| Standard-Times Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to navigate (older reviews)
- 👍 Local news coverage
- 👍 Keeps users informed
- 👍 Good source of local news & sports
- 👍 User friendly

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 New format is terrible
- 👎 Impossible to navigate
- 👎 Annoying pop-up advertisements
- 👎 App crashes on opening
- 👎 App keeps crashing

**Reported bugs**

- Comes zoomed
- Goes to bottom of next page when turning pages
- Impossible to bring up full page view
- Only sits on half display area on iPad
- Continually locks up and frozen

**Requested features**

- Bring back old format
- Allow default to news page


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eGov free?

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

### Is The Standard free?

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

### Do eGov or The Standard have ads?

The Standard shows ads; eGov does not.

### Which is updated more often, eGov or The Standard?

eGov ships an update every 3 months, and The Standard monthly. Most recently, eGov was updated on November 1, 2026 and The Standard on November 1, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*