Comparison

azcentral vs This is Tucson

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

azcentral

Access breaking news and in-depth local journalism from Arizona's largest newsroom. Stay informed with real-time alerts, personalized feeds, and a digital replica of the print newspaper, including national and local eNewspapers.

Highlights
  • Real-time breaking news alerts
  • Personalized news feed
  • Digital replica eNewspaper
  • Investigative reporting
  • Local sports coverage
  • Election coverage
Features
Read full description

We're working to make the place we call home, better. As the largest newsroom in Arizona, and a Pulitzer Prize winner, we have an obligation to our community, to tell all the stories that need to be told. Whether it’s economic news, sports news or one of the many other subjects we cover, we believe that local journalism is valuable – it has the power to keep Phoenicians connected, to hold leaders accountable, to unite our city in celebration and spur us towards common goals. We’re Phoenix’s trusted storytellers. We’re here for it. WHAT WE’RE ALL ABOUT: • Investigative reporting that holds people, companies, politicians and the government accountable in Arizona. • In-depth coverage of the Valley’s real estate market • Sports coverage for locals, by locals: the Sun Devils, Suns, Cardinals, Diamondbacks and Arizona High Schools • Arizona’s election coverage, including the 2024 Presidential Election and local races for the U.S. Senate and House. • Voices, experts and personalities on the left and right side of politics APP FEATURES: • Real-time breaking news alerts • A personalized feed on the all-new For You page • The eNewspaper, a digital replica of our print newspaper + USA TODAY and 200+ local eNewspapers. Subscription Information: • The AZ Central app is free to download and all users can access a sampling of free articles every month. • Subscriptions are charged to your account at confirmation of purchase and automatically renew each month or year, unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information.  MORE INFORMATION: • Privacy Policy: https://static.azcentral.com/privacy/ • Terms of Service: https://static.azcentral.com/terms/ • Help Center: https://help.azcentral.com

About

This is Tucson

Discover local activities and dining options for families in Tucson and surrounding areas. Find hidden gems, family-friendly spots, and exclusive tips for exploring your hometown.

Highlights
  • Things to do and food recommendations
  • Best-of lists and local life
  • Save stories for later
  • Exclusive tips
  • Information for all parts of Tucson and Pima County
Features
Read full description

We are your Tucson BFF — making sure you and your family don't miss out on the best things to do or best things to eat all over town. We get all the details right: where the best bathrooms are for changing a toddler, how to have fun when your flip-flops melt to the sidewalk, where to get a snack before someone gets hungry, where to pick up the best local iced coffee. Let us help you find a surprise in your hometown. FEATURES • Things to do, food, best-of lists and Tucson life • Save stories to read later • Everything you need to know in one, convenient place. • Exclusive tips • Info for all parts of town: Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, Vail, Sahuarita and Pima County

Screenshots

azcentral4 screens
This is Tucson3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: This is Tucson at 4.9 against azcentral's 4.4. This is Tucson also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). azcentral's advantage is chart position (#51 vs unranked) and ratings volume (6.6K vs 781). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. azcentral sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. This is Tucson asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

This is Tucson holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: azcentral has 6.6K ratings behind it against 781, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of azcentral's written reviews are positive against 73% of This is Tucson's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

azcentral ships an update monthly, This is Tucson every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
azcentral versus This is Tucson: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterazcentralThis is Tucson
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (6.6K ratings)4.9 (781 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.8% of reviews72.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.6K — better781
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#51 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.618.6
Further details — not scored
Size190 MB10 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperUSA TODAY Co., Inc.Star Publishing Company

Customer experience

azcentral

All ratings6,630 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative9.0%
Written reviews214 reviews
Positive45.8%
Neutral7.9%
Negative46.3%

This is Tucson

All ratings781 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.9%
Negative0.8%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive72.7%
Neutral9.1%
Negative18.2%

Bugs and requests

azcentral

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezes and crashes frequently
  • Subscription issues and login problems
  • Inconsistent formatting and display issues
  • Inability to print or save articles

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improve app stability and performance
  • Enhance reading experience with better layout and navigation
  • Provide more local and community-focused content
  • Offer better integration with other news sources

This is Tucson

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

azcentral

Subscriptions6
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$19.991 Year
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$24.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • azcentral Digital Subscription1 Month trial$24.991 Month
  • Monthly Digital Subscription$24.991 Month
  • azcentral Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$69.991 Year
None

This is Tucson

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is azcentral free?
azcentral is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is This is Tucson free?
This is Tucson is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, azcentral or This is Tucson?
This is Tucson is rated higher. azcentral averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6.6K ratings, while This is Tucson averages 4.9 from 781 ratings.
Do azcentral or This is Tucson have ads?
azcentral shows ads; This is Tucson does not.
Which is updated more often, azcentral or This is Tucson?
azcentral ships an update monthly, and This is Tucson every 3 weeks. Most recently, azcentral was updated on November 11, 2026 and This is Tucson on November 2, 2026.

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