# The Weekly Packet vs Columbian

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Columbian at none against The Weekly Packet's 10. The Weekly Packet's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 21 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Weekly Packet sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Columbian asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Weekly Packet ships an update every 4 months, Columbian every 21 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Weekly Packet | Columbian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-weekly-packet/id765560884/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 21 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Magzter Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/406791755) | [Emmerich Newspapers, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1636309161) |

## What reviewers say

### The Weekly Packet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-weekly-packet/id765560884)

This app delivers local news and stories from the Blue Hill Peninsula in Maine, covering traditions, industries, and community decisions. It offers convenient digital access to the newspaper's content.

**Highlights:** Local news coverage, Community stories, Industry and tradition reporting, Municipal and educational news, Digital newspaper access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Weekly Packet Blue Hill Fair Handbook | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Weekly Packet | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Weekly Packet Dec 3 2020 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Weekly Packet Dec 10 2020 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Weekly Packet Dec 17 2020 | $1.99 | one-time |


### Columbian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/columbian-progress/id6443842696)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Weekly Packet free?

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

### Is Columbian free?

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

### Do The Weekly Packet or Columbian have ads?

Neither The Weekly Packet nor Columbian shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Weekly Packet or Columbian?

The Weekly Packet ships an update every 4 months, and Columbian every 21 months. Most recently, The Weekly Packet was updated on October 8, 2026 and Columbian on October 4, 2026.

---

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