# NM Bluebird vs The Star WI

The clearest difference is rating: NM Bluebird at 4.5 against The Star WI's 3.7. NM Bluebird also leads on ratings volume (234 vs 6). 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.

NM Bluebird holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NM Bluebird has 234 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.

NM Bluebird ships an update every 6 months, The Star WI every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | NM Bluebird | The Star WI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (234 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nm-bluebird/id873112729/reviews)** | [3.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-star-wi/id6446313232/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **234** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 88.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 42 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tecnavia](https://appshunter.io/developer/366664051) | [APG Media of Wisconsin LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1483017328) |

## What reviewers say

### NM Bluebird

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nm-bluebird/id873112729)

Enhance your reading experience on iOS devices with this app. Navigate publications using intuitive gestures, zoom into pages, or switch to article mode for adjustable text. Access the latest and past editions for online or offline reading.

**Highlights:** iOS multi-gestures navigation, Swipe to browse pages/sections, Tap to zoom page image, Article mode with adjustable font size, Full text search, Online and offline reading, Access to back issues

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Authentic newspaper reading experience with page-turning interface
- 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-navigate design
- 🔍 Flexible zoom and text sizing options
- 📥 Ability to download editions for offline reading
- ⚡ Quick access to recent editions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent technical issues and crashes
- 🐛 Page-turning swipe sensitivity too high
- 🐛 Random logout and session interruptions
- 🐛 Occasional blank pages and content rendering failures
- 🐛 Download failures and incomplete loading

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after recent iOS updates
- Page turning swipe too sensitive causing accidental navigation
- Random logout and authentication failures
- Blank pages and content rendering issues
- Download hangs at 75% completion

**Requested features**

- Add New York Times to app
- Add Financial Times to app
- Add Barron's to app
- Add more newspaper publications
- Full-screen text reading mode


### The Star WI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-star-wi/id6446313232)

Access local news for Sun Prairie, DeForest, and Windsor, Wisconsin. This digital edition provides up-to-date information for Dane County, published twice weekly.

**Highlights:** Local news coverage, Digital e-edition, Dane County focus, Published Tuesday and Friday

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NM Bluebird free?

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

### Is The Star WI free?

The Star WI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NM Bluebird or The Star WI?

NM Bluebird is rated higher. NM Bluebird averages 4.5 out of 5 from 234 ratings, while The Star WI averages 3.7 from 6 ratings.

### Do NM Bluebird or The Star WI have ads?

Both NM Bluebird and The Star WI show ads.

### Which is updated more often, NM Bluebird or The Star WI?

NM Bluebird ships an update every 6 months, and The Star WI every 4 months. Most recently, NM Bluebird was updated on October 24, 2026 and The Star WI on October 24, 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.*