# Observer & Eccentric vs Southside Sentinel

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Southside Sentinel at 100% against Observer & Eccentric's 38%. Southside Sentinel also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). Observer & Eccentric's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (99 vs 14). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Observer & Eccentric sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Southside Sentinel asks for nothing beyond the download.

Southside Sentinel holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Observer & Eccentric has 99 ratings behind it against 14, 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 Southside Sentinel's.

Observer & Eccentric ships an update monthly, Southside Sentinel every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Observer & Eccentric | Southside Sentinel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (99 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/observer-and-eccentric/id900203119/reviews) | **[4.9 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/southside-sentinel/id909055486/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **99** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | 38.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 184 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) | [Rappahannock Record Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557697582) |

## What reviewers say

### Observer & Eccentric

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/observer-and-eccentric/id900203119)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-Free Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $9.99 | per month |
| O&E Digital Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |


### Southside Sentinel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/southside-sentinel/id909055486)

Access the digital edition of the Southside Sentinel newspaper. Stay informed with local news and articles delivered directly to your device.

**Highlights:** Digital newspaper access, Local news delivery, E-edition format, Mobile and tablet compatible

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Observer & Eccentric free?

Observer & Eccentric is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Southside Sentinel free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Observer & Eccentric or Southside Sentinel?

Southside Sentinel is rated higher. Observer & Eccentric averages 4.6 out of 5 from 99 ratings, while Southside Sentinel averages 4.9 from 14 ratings.

### Do Observer & Eccentric or Southside Sentinel have ads?

Both Observer & Eccentric and Southside Sentinel show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Observer & Eccentric or Southside Sentinel?

Observer & Eccentric ships an update monthly, and Southside Sentinel every 6 months. Most recently, Observer & Eccentric was updated on October 20, 2026 and Southside Sentinel on October 5, 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.*