# News Widget vs Sixth Tone

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sixth Tone at 82% against News Widget's 18%. Sixth Tone also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.6) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). News Widget's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Sixth Tone holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 36 and 147 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of News Widget's written reviews are positive against 82% of Sixth Tone's.

News Widget ships an update every 9 months, Sixth Tone every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | News Widget | Sixth Tone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/news-widget-offline-reader/id886110749/reviews) | **[4.9 (147 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sixth-tone/id1462612037/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 36 | **147** |
| Positive reviews | 17.9% of reviews | **81.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 16 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [BRIDGETECH SOLUTIONS LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/497840921) | [上海东方报业有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/878962721) |

## What reviewers say

### News Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/news-widget-offline-reader/id886110749)

Access news from hundreds of sources directly on your home screen, even offline. This app intelligently downloads the latest headlines and can read them aloud to you using text-to-speech technology.

**Highlights:** Home screen widget, Offline access, Hundreds of news sources, Custom RSS/Atom feeds, Text-to-speech functionality, Smart news downloading

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sixth Tone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sixth-tone/id1462612037)

Access in-depth news, features, and visual storytelling about contemporary China. Explore diverse perspectives, expert opinions, and multimedia content. Stay informed with daily highlights and special projects.

**Highlights:** Daily news highlights, In-depth features, Commentaries and opinions, Visual storytelling, Interviews with key figures, Collaborative projects

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is News Widget free?

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

### Is Sixth Tone free?

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

### Which has better reviews, News Widget or Sixth Tone?

Sixth Tone is rated higher. News Widget averages 3.6 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while Sixth Tone averages 4.9 from 147 ratings.

### Do News Widget or Sixth Tone have ads?

Sixth Tone shows ads; News Widget does not.

### Which is updated more often, News Widget or Sixth Tone?

News Widget ships an update every 9 months, and Sixth Tone every 2 months. Most recently, News Widget was updated on October 29, 2026 and Sixth Tone on October 26, 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.*