Comparison

新华社 vs Sixth Tone

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

新华社

Features
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新华社客户端是新华通讯社移动端旗舰产品,汇聚国家通讯社权威与优质内容资源,持续探索移动互联网、人工智能、AR/VR、元宇宙等技术成果在媒体领域的创新应用方式。 新华社记者在哪里,你的眼睛就可以看到哪里。我们在全球拥有180余个分支机构和超过3000名记者,24小时不间断地为你带来国内外最新资讯。此时此刻发生的新闻现场,从这里就可一键直达。 我们见证并记录着新时代,也在不断尝试用创新技术构建媒体新生态。欢迎体验~

About

Sixth Tone

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
Read full description

The Sixth Tone app brings you people-focused news, features, commentaries, and visual storytelling about contemporary China. Main features of the app: Daily Tones are daily news and highlights from across China. News are timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing from a vast range of sources, these articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context. Features are articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants. Voices & Opinion are contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are rarely heard. Multimedia are visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization. Sixth Tone × features translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. Special Projects showcase the collaborative efforts of Sixth Tone’s newsroom on diverse topics. Q & A features in-depth interviews with the minds and makers shaping today’s China. Your questions, answered. Announcements are the latest news about Sixth Tone as well as its events, projects, and other initiatives.

Screenshots

新华社4 screens
Sixth Tone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Sixth Tone at 4.9 against 新华社's 3.8. Sixth Tone also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 19) and review sentiment (82% vs 67%). 新华社's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support 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. 新华社 sells 19 one-off in-app purchases. Sixth Tone asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sixth Tone holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sixth Tone has 147 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of 新华社's written reviews are positive against 82% of Sixth Tone's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

新华社 ships an update every 5 weeks, Sixth Tone every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
新华社 versus Sixth Tone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter新华社Sixth Tone
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (24 ratings)4.9 (147 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews81.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings24147 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Ad-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size383 MB28 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperXinhua News Agency Technical Center上海东方报业有限公司

Customer experience

新华社

All ratings25 ratings
Positive72.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative24.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Sixth Tone

All ratings146 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%

In-app purchases

19 purchases

新华社

One-time19
  • 8元藏品$0.99
  • 18元藏品$2.99
  • 25元藏品$3.99
Show 16 more
  • 28元藏品$3.99
  • 30元藏品$4.99
  • 40元藏品$5.99
  • 45元藏品$6.99
  • 68元藏品$9.99
  • 78元藏品$9.99
  • 88元藏品$12.99
  • 98元藏品$14.99
  • 118元藏品$17.99
  • 128元藏品$19.99
  • 138元藏品$19.99
  • 148元藏品$19.99
  • 158元藏品$22.99
  • 168元藏品$24.99
  • 188元藏品$29.99
  • 198元藏品$29.99
None

Sixth Tone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 新华社 free?
新华社 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sixth Tone free?
Sixth Tone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 新华社 or Sixth Tone?
Sixth Tone is rated higher. 新华社 averages 3.8 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Sixth Tone averages 4.9 from 147 ratings.
Do 新华社 or Sixth Tone have ads?
Sixth Tone shows ads; 新华社 does not.
Which is updated more often, 新华社 or Sixth Tone?
新华社 ships an update every 5 weeks, and Sixth Tone every 2 months. Most recently, 新华社 was updated on October 26, 2026 and Sixth Tone on October 24, 2026.

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