# CGTN vs TaiwanPlus

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | CGTN | TaiwanPlus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (394 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cgtn/id922456579/reviews) | **[4.8 (92 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taiwanplus/id1561888712/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **394** | 92 |
| Positive reviews | 53.9% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 208 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [China Global Television Network Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1568444017) | [com.pts.ptsnews](https://appshunter.io/developer/464017846) |

## What reviewers say

### CGTN

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cgtn/id922456579)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taiwanplus/id1561888712)

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.

**Highlights:** Daily global news updates, Award-winning documentaries, Original TV programs, Cultural stories, Exclusive interviews, Travel, lifestyle, food, and entertainment shows, Ad-free video streaming

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great content for English speakers
- 👍 Informative news on Taiwan
- 👍 User-friendly platform
- 👍 Good for expats to stay connected
- 👍 Excellent reporting from Taiwanese perspective

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Apple TV app
- Closed captions/subtitles
- Fix weather defaulting to Taipei
- Add videos to playlists
- Save/bookmark videos


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CGTN free?

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

### Is TaiwanPlus free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CGTN or TaiwanPlus?

TaiwanPlus is rated higher. CGTN averages 4.4 out of 5 from 394 ratings, while TaiwanPlus averages 4.8 from 92 ratings.

### Do CGTN or TaiwanPlus have ads?

Neither CGTN nor TaiwanPlus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CGTN or TaiwanPlus?

CGTN ships an update every 5 weeks, and TaiwanPlus monthly. Most recently, CGTN was updated on November 6, 2026 and TaiwanPlus on November 3, 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.*