# Valley Christian Schools vs Newsela Student

The clearest difference is rating: Newsela Student at 4.7 against Valley Christian Schools's 2.9. Newsela Student also leads on ratings volume (29K vs 19). Valley Christian Schools's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 76%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Newsela Student holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Newsela Student has 29K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Valley Christian Schools's written reviews are positive against 76% of Newsela Student's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Valley Christian Schools ships an update every 3 months, Newsela Student every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Valley Christian Schools | Newsela Student |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.9 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/valley-christian-schools/id738465142/reviews) | **[4.7 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsela-student/id966371321/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **29K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 75.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 123 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Valley Christian Schools](https://appshunter.io/developer/738465145) | [Newsela](https://appshunter.io/developer/966370935) |

## What reviewers say

### Valley Christian Schools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/valley-christian-schools/id738465142)

Stay connected with campus news, events, and important updates from Valley Christian Schools. Access school resources like the library catalog, publications, and multimedia content. Explore campus maps and learn about admissions and alumni activities.

**Highlights:** Campus News & Events, Library Catalog Access, School Publications, Multimedia Content, Campus Maps, Admissions Information, Alumni Updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Newsela Student

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsela-student/id966371321)

This app offers engaging articles on diverse topics, each presented at five different reading levels. It includes activities and quizzes to deepen understanding, automatically adjusting difficulty to keep learners challenged and motivated. Students can track their progress and practice vocabulary.

**Highlights:** Leveled articles on any topic, Adjustable reading levels, Integrated activities and quizzes, Offline annotation and submission, Real-time progress tracking, Vocabulary practice (Power Words), Curated and custom learning sets

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good app for different reading levels
- 📚 Variety of informative articles
- 🎓 Useful for education and learning
- 🤓 Helps improve reading and vocabulary
- 🙌 Great resource for teachers and students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🔍 Lack of specific search options
- 💤 Boring or one-sided content
- 🤔 Grading system needs improvement
- 📱 Mobile app issues (login, navigation)

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues on iOS 12
- Binder page frequently freezes or glitches
- Inability to see all available article sets
- Replying and submitting work takes too long

**Requested features**

- Add word definitions or translations
- Implement auto-save for writing assignments
- Introduce a teacher-specific version of the app
- Expand content to include more global news
- Improve multitasking and split-screen support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Valley Christian Schools free?

Valley Christian Schools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Newsela Student free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Valley Christian Schools or Newsela Student?

Newsela Student is rated higher. Valley Christian Schools averages 2.9 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Newsela Student averages 4.7 from 29K ratings.

### Do Valley Christian Schools or Newsela Student have ads?

Neither Valley Christian Schools nor Newsela Student shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Valley Christian Schools or Newsela Student?

Valley Christian Schools ships an update every 3 months, and Newsela Student every 2 months. Most recently, Valley Christian Schools was updated on November 1, 2026 and Newsela Student on November 9, 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.*