# News Widget vs AppDates

The clearest difference is review sentiment: AppDates at 100% against News Widget's 18%. AppDates also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.6) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 8 months). News Widget's advantage is ratings volume (36 vs 4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

AppDates holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: News Widget has 36 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of News Widget's written reviews are positive against 100% of AppDates's.

News Widget ships an update every 8 months, AppDates every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | News Widget | AppDates |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/news-widget-offline-reader/id886110749/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/appdates/id6511220935/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **36** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 17.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 13 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BRIDGETECH SOLUTIONS LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/497840921) | [SamPro Holding Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1755450269) |

## 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

**In-app purchases:** none


### AppDates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/appdates/id6511220935)

This app provides unbiased and unfiltered news coverage across various categories. It features dedicated journalists and fact-checkers committed to delivering accurate, impartial information without manipulation or agenda. Stay informed with objective reporting to form your own opinions.

**Highlights:** Unbiased news coverage, Free speech focus, Dedicated journalists, Fact-checking, Multiple news categories, Objective reporting

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is News Widget free?

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

### Is AppDates free?

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

### Which has better reviews, News Widget or AppDates?

AppDates is rated higher. News Widget averages 3.6 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while AppDates averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do News Widget or AppDates have ads?

Neither News Widget nor AppDates shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, News Widget or AppDates?

News Widget ships an update every 8 months, and AppDates every 10 days. Most recently, News Widget was updated on October 9, 2026 and AppDates on September 29, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*