# CGTN vs Raqeb

The clearest difference is device support: CGTN at 5 against Raqeb's 2. 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.

CGTN ships an update every 5 weeks, Raqeb every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CGTN | Raqeb |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (395 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cgtn/id922456579/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **395** | — |
| Positive reviews | 54.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 137 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [China Global Television Network Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1568444017) | [Omar M Abu sharifa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1754272665) |

## 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. This app offers breaking news, in-depth stories, and livestreams in five languages, along with a rich archive of articles, audio, and video.

**Highlights:** Global news coverage, Content in 5 languages, Breaking news notifications, Rich audiovisual content, In-depth stories and features, 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


### Raqeb

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raqeb/id6751294389)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CGTN free?

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

### Is Raqeb free?

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

### Do CGTN or Raqeb have ads?

Neither CGTN nor Raqeb shows ads.

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

CGTN ships an update every 5 weeks, and Raqeb every 3 weeks. Most recently, CGTN was updated on October 12, 2026 and Raqeb on October 6, 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.*