Comparison

azcentral vs Cronkite+

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

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.

Highlights
  • Student journalism coverage
  • Global, national, local news
  • Sports, weather, entertainment
  • Investigative journalism projects
  • Bilingual reporting
  • Multimedia reporting
Features
Read full description

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

azcentral4 screens
Cronkite+3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
azcentral versus Cronkite+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterazcentralCronkite+
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (6.6K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings6.6K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 10 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#47 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS18.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size188 MB45 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperUSA TODAY Co., Inc.Cronkite News

Customer experience

azcentral

All ratings6,616 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews213 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral8.0%
Negative46.5%

Cronkite+

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

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

Cronkite+

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is azcentral free?
azcentral is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cronkite+ free?
Cronkite+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, azcentral or Cronkite+?
Cronkite+ is rated higher. azcentral averages 4.3 out of 5 from 6.6K ratings, while Cronkite+ averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do azcentral or Cronkite+ have ads?
azcentral shows ads; Cronkite+ does not.
Which is updated more often, azcentral or Cronkite+?
azcentral ships an update every 4 weeks, and Cronkite+ every 10 months. Most recently, azcentral was updated on October 14, 2026 and Cronkite+ on October 1, 2026.

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