CGTN vs TaiwanPlus
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. Enjoy breaking news, in-depth stories, livestreams, and a rich archive of articles, audio, and video in five languages.
- Global news coverage
- Content in five languages
- Rich audiovisual content
- Breaking news notifications
- Search for related news
- Save and share stories
- 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.
TaiwanPlus
Access trusted English-language news, documentaries, and cultural programs from Taiwan. Explore global updates, in-depth stories, interviews, and lifestyle content. Enjoy high-quality, ad-free video streaming.
- Daily global news updates
- Award-winning documentaries
- Original TV programs
- Cultural stories
- Exclusive interviews
- Travel, lifestyle, food, and entertainment shows
- Ad-free video streaming
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TaiwanPlus is your official source for all things Taiwan – delivering trusted news, award-winning documentaries, original TV programs, and cultural stories, all in English. Key Features: ． Daily global news updates, produced in Taiwan ． In-depth documentaries and feature stories ． Exclusive interviews with thought leaders and creators ． Travel, lifestyle, food, and entertainment shows ． High-quality video streaming – ad-free From the heart of Asia to wherever you are in the world, TaiwanPlus brings Taiwan to your screen. Download now and start streaming for free.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: TaiwanPlus at 4.8 against CGTN's 4.4. TaiwanPlus also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 54%). CGTN's advantage is ratings volume (394 vs 92) and device support (5 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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.
TaiwanPlus holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 394 and 92 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of CGTN's written reviews are positive against 67% of TaiwanPlus's.
CGTN ships an update every 5 weeks, TaiwanPlus monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CGTN | TaiwanPlus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (394 ratings) | 4.8 (92 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 53.9% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 394 — better | 92 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 208 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | China Global Television Network Corp. | com.pts.ptsnews |
Customer experience
CGTN
TaiwanPlus
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
TaiwanPlus
From 92 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great content for English speakers
- 👍 Informative news on Taiwan
- 👍 User-friendly platform
- 👍 Good for expats to stay connected
- 👍 Excellent reporting from Taiwanese perspective
Room to improve
- 👎 App requires iOS 16, not compatible with older iPhones
- 👎 App is biased news source
- 👎 Lacks closed captions/subtitles
- 👎 Weather defaults to Taipei
- 👎 App not compatible with Chromecast
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
TaiwanPlus
Reported bugs
5 issues- App requires update to iOS 16 which is not possible on older iPhones
- Weather setting resets to Taipei
- App not compatible with Chromecast
- App support email is blocked
- App stays in portrait mode on iPad
Requested features
8 requests- Apple TV app
- Closed captions/subtitles
- Fix weather defaulting to Taipei
- Add videos to playlists
- Save/bookmark videos
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- iPad landscape mode for browsing
- Chromecast compatibility
- Improve app support responsiveness
In-app purchases
CGTN
No in-app purchases
TaiwanPlus
No in-app purchases
