CGTN vs NewsOnAir
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CGTN
Access global news from a unique perspective with diverse, balanced, and objective content. This app offers breaking news, in-depth stories, and livestreams in five languages, along with a rich archive of articles, audio, and video.
- Global news coverage
- Content in 5 languages
- Breaking news notifications
- Rich audiovisual content
- In-depth stories and features
- AI and AR products
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CGTN is committed to providing worldwide audience with a wide range of global news from a different perspective. The app prioritizes user experience with intricate details. It brings diverse, balanced and objective content for global users, and presents a true image of China and world from multiple perspectives. The latest version of the CGTN app supports five languages: English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian. It features a wide array of original content, including breaking news, in-depth stories and livestreams. The app also hosts a comprehensive archive of original articles, audio, video, and TV shows covering topics across politics, business, technology, science, sports, nature, culture and others. It gives you access to all the trusted information you need on the go. Features: – Exclusive coverage of China and world news, original TV shows and feature stories, continuous updates about worldwide events – Content in five languages: English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian – Rich audiovisual content, including videos, podcasts, livestreams and TV shows – Enhanced reading experience – Notifications to ensure you never miss breaking news and exciting features – Search for related and hot news to deepen understanding – Like, save and share your favorite stories on social media – AI and AR products – No ads. No in-app purchases. Download the CGTN app to join millions of our subscribers and enjoy personalized, hassle-free news and audiovisual content.
NewsOnAir
Access news stories, podcasts, and live broadcasts from India's public service broadcaster. Enjoy regional news bulletins, special programs, and content in over 25 languages. Stream All India Radio live and watch Doordarshan programs.
- Latest news and current affairs
- Regional news bulletins in audio
- Live broadcast of All India Radio
- Watch Doordarshan programs
- Stories in text and podcast format
- Content in over 25 languages
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This App is the first step by Prasar Bharati towards creating a truly global digital platform. the official app brings you stories (both in text as well as podcast) from Prasar Bharati News network in India. - Get the latest news and current affairs - international, national as well as regional, from Prasar Bharati, India's Public Service Broadcaster. - The official app also brings you India’s regional news bulletins in audio form along with special news and current affairs based programs for an enriching news experience. - Also, listen live broadcast of multiple channels of All India Radio, - Watch all the latest programs from Doordarshan channels across the country. - More than 25 language services to choose from.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: CGTN at 4.4 against NewsOnAir's 3.7. CGTN also leads on device support (5 vs 3) and ratings volume (394 vs 128). NewsOnAir's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
CGTN holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 394 and 128 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of CGTN's written reviews are positive against 56% of NewsOnAir's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
CGTN ships an update every 5 weeks, NewsOnAir monthly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | CGTN | NewsOnAir |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (394 ratings) — better | 3.7 (128 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 54.2% of reviews | 55.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 394 — better | 128 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 137 MB | 40 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | China Global Television Network Corp. | All India Radio |
Customer experience
CGTN
NewsOnAir
User reviews
CGTN
From 394 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Balanced and unbiased news coverage
- 🌐 Comprehensive global news perspective
- 🎥 High-quality video and documentary content
- 💯 Reliable and trustworthy news source
- 🌍 Diverse range of international topics covered
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Limited search and navigation functionality
- 📱 Suboptimal user experience on tablets
- 🔊 Audio and video playback problems
- 🌐 Lack of offline content access
NewsOnAir
From 128 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent app to listen to AIR stations globally
- 👍 Nostalgic and connects to roots
- 👍 Flawless streaming and stable connections
- 👍 Comprehensive app with news, music, and entertainment
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🐛 Playback stops when screen is locked or app is minimized
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with latest iOS versions
- 🐛 Clumsy interface and navigation
Bugs and requests
CGTN
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes when opening certain articles
- Live TV channel playback not working
- Russian text not displaying correctly
- Landscape mode not supported on iPad
- Notifications not working as expected
Requested features
5 requests- Add dark mode option
- Improve search and filtering capabilities
- Optimize app for tablet devices
- Implement offline content download feature
- Allow customization of notification settings
NewsOnAir
Reported bugs
4 issues- Radio stations not listing properly
- App crashes when scrolling through stations
- Playback issues and frequent buffering
- Compatibility problems with iOS 15 and newer versions
Requested features
5 requests- Add favorite/shortcut feature for frequently used stations
- Categorize stations by language in addition to state
- Introduce search functionality to find stations easily
- Add sleep timer and other user-friendly features
- Integrate with smart home devices for seamless listening
In-app purchases
CGTN
No in-app purchases
NewsOnAir
No in-app purchases
