Comparison

Observer & Eccentric vs State News

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

Head to head
About

Observer & Eccentric

Stay informed with local news, in-depth journalism, and engaging multimedia content. Get real-time alerts for breaking news, sports scores, and weather. Customize your reading experience and access content offline.

Highlights
  • In-depth journalism
  • Local news coverage
  • Photography and videos
  • Real-time notifications
  • Customizable reading experience
  • Offline reading
Features
Read full description

From critically acclaimed storytelling to powerful photography to engaging videos — the Observer & Eccentric app delivers the local news that matters most to your community. APP FEATURES: • Access all of our in-depth journalism, including things to do around town, sports coverage from high school to the pros, and much more. • Enjoy a streamlined, fast-loading experience that makes it easy to view the stories, photos, and videos that matter to you. • Get breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts with real-time notifications tailored to your interests. • Customize your experience by saving your favorite stories, adjusting text size, using night mode, or reading offline. MORE INFORMATION: • Privacy Policy: https://cm.hometownlife.com/privacy/ • Terms of Service: https://cm.hometownlife.com/terms/ • Help Center: https://help.hometownlife.com • 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. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information.

About

State News

Get the latest news and in-depth reporting from Michigan State University and the Lansing area. Stay updated on campus events, sports, arts, and student-led journalism delivered through breaking news and a daily e-newsletter.

Highlights
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Campus news and investigations
  • Daily e-newsletter
  • Opinion and editorial content
  • Live sports coverage
  • Arts and entertainment updates
  • Multimedia content
Features
Read full description

Stay connected to the heartbeat of MSU and the greater Lansing community with The State News - Michigan State University’s official independent student voice since 1909. - Breaking News - Campus news, in-depth reporting and investigations - Daily e-newsletter delivered straight to your inbox - Opinion and editorial content - Live sports coverage - Arts and entertainment across campus and East Lansing - Multimedia content including photos, videos, and interactive stories As one of the last independent nonprofit student-run media organizations in the country, The State News delivers trusted, ethical, and balanced journalism produced entirely by currently enrolled MSU students. Support student journalism while staying informed about everything happening at Michigan State University and beyond. Download The State News app today!

Screenshots

Observer & Eccentric4 screens
State News4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: State News at 100% against Observer & Eccentric's 38%. State News also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). Observer & Eccentric's advantage is ratings volume (99 vs 3). On price 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. Observer & Eccentric sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. State News asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

State News holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Observer & Eccentric has 99 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Observer & Eccentric's written reviews are positive against 100% of State News's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Observer & Eccentric ships an update monthly, State News fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Observer & Eccentric versus State News: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterObserver & EccentricState News
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (99 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews38.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings99 — better3
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.614.0.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size184 MB52 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperUSA TODAY Co., Inc.State News

Customer experience

Observer & Eccentric

All ratings99 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral6.1%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive38.1%
Neutral4.8%
Negative57.1%

State News

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Observer & Eccentric

Subscriptions4
  • Ad-Free Monthly6 Months trial$1.991 Month
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • O&E Digital Subscription1 Month trial$16.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$69.991 Year
None

State News

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Observer & Eccentric free?
Observer & Eccentric is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is State News free?
State News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Observer & Eccentric or State News?
State News is rated higher. Observer & Eccentric averages 4.6 out of 5 from 99 ratings, while State News averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Observer & Eccentric or State News have ads?
Observer & Eccentric shows ads; State News does not.
Which is updated more often, Observer & Eccentric or State News?
Observer & Eccentric ships an update monthly, and State News fortnightly. Most recently, Observer & Eccentric was updated on October 20, 2026 and State News on October 8, 2026.

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