# Al vs Sarmad

The clearest difference is rating: Sarmad at 5.0 against Al's 2.4. Sarmad also leads on iOS requirement (9.1 vs 18.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Sarmad holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 3 respectively.

Al ships an update every 9 months, Sarmad every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Al | Sarmad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/al-sharq/id904945194/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sarmad/id962377828/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 22 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **9.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [DAR AL SHARQ](https://appshunter.io/developer/1488902061) | [Sarmad Network](https://appshunter.io/developer/898102190) |

## What reviewers say

### Al

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/al-sharq/id904945194)

Stay informed with local and international news, including updates from Qatar and the Gulf. This app offers a clear reading experience with breaking news alerts and the ability to save favorite articles for later.

**Highlights:** Local and international news, Breaking news alerts, Save favorite articles, Clear, readable font, News from Qatar and Gulf

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sarmad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sarmad/id962377828)

Stay updated with local Kuwaiti and Gulf news, as well as major Arab and international headlines. This official platform allows you to contribute by submitting news with photos or videos, and offers features like video viewing, article saving, and customizable notifications.

**Highlights:** Local and regional news coverage, User-submitted news with media, Video content from network and TV, Social media sharing, News archive search, Save articles to favorites, Customizable notification settings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Al free?

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

### Is Sarmad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Al or Sarmad?

Sarmad is rated higher. Al averages 2.4 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Sarmad averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Al or Sarmad have ads?

Neither Al nor Sarmad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Al or Sarmad?

Al ships an update every 9 months, and Sarmad every 5 months. Most recently, Al was updated on October 22, 2026 and Sarmad on November 1, 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.*