azcentral vs Cronkite+
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Real-time breaking news alerts
- Personalized news feed
- Digital replica eNewspaper
- Investigative reporting
- Local sports coverage
- Election coverage
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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
Cronkite+
Explore student-produced journalism covering global, national, and local news, including sports, business, and community issues. Features in-depth investigative projects and bilingual reporting from a top-ranked journalism school.
- Student journalism coverage
- Global, national, local news
- Sports, weather, entertainment
- Investigative journalism projects
- Bilingual reporting
- Multimedia reporting
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The Cronkite+ app highlights the best in student journalism, featuring coverage of global, national, and local news—including sports, weather, entertainment, business, economics, and community issues. Content is produced by: • Cronkite News: A capstone program offering students an immersive experience in news, sports, business, entertainment, and community multimedia reporting. • Carnegie-Knight News21: A national initiative where top students produce in-depth, multimedia investigative projects. • The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism: Supported by the Scripps Howard Foundation, this center partners students with veteran journalists to publish powerful, accountability-driven stories. • The Reynolds Center for Business Journalism: Trains students in high-quality media coverage of business and the economy. • Cronkite Noticias: Offers bilingual students real-world experience reporting in Spanish-language media, with a focus on Latino and border communities. The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University (ASU) is one of the nation’s top journalism programs. Known for its innovative “teaching hospital” model, the Cronkite School offers hands-on training in real-world news environments. Students are prepared for impactful careers in broadcast journalism, digital media, podcasting, public affairs, radio, graphic design, and emerging media. Launch Your Media Career at the Cronkite School Join the nation’s top-ranked mass communication school and gain access to: • Award-winning faculty and immersive, real-world learning experiences • Hands-on training in cutting-edge newsrooms and production studios • Global reporting projects and internships with top media organizations • A powerful alumni and professional network through #CronkiteNation Media employers across journalism, PR, sports, and marketing turn to the Cronkite School for talent. Learn more at: https://cronkite.asu.edu Experience Cronkite+ Available on iOS, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV. Explore more at: https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Cronkite+ at 5.0 against azcentral's 4.3. Cronkite+ also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). azcentral's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (6.6K vs 1). On price 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
Both are free to download. azcentral sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Cronkite+ asks for nothing beyond the download.
Cronkite+ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: azcentral has 6.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
azcentral ships an update every 4 weeks, Cronkite+ every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | azcentral | Cronkite+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (6.6K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 45.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6.6K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #47 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 188 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | USA TODAY Co., Inc. | Cronkite News |
Customer experience
azcentral
Cronkite+
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
Cronkite+
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
azcentral
- Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$19.991 Month
- Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$19.991 Year
- Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$24.991 Month
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- azcentral Digital Subscription1 Month trial$24.991 Month
- Monthly Digital Subscription$24.991 Month
- azcentral Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$69.991 Year
Cronkite+
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is azcentral free?
Is Cronkite+ free?
Which has better reviews, azcentral or Cronkite+?
Do azcentral or Cronkite+ have ads?
Which is updated more often, azcentral or Cronkite+?
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