MSN vs Brainerd Dispatch
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MSN
Stay informed, productive, and entertained with a personalized feed of news, weather, stock updates, and short videos. Access quality content from trusted publishers and track your favorite stocks with real-time market data.
- Tailored content feed
- Real-time weather forecasts
- Financial news and stock tracking
- Personalized video feed
- Content from trusted publishers
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The MSN app keeps you informed, productive, and entertained with tailored content, real-time weather, stock tracking, short videos and more. Key features Your tailored feed, with you on the go. Quality content from thousands of trusted publishers. Weather report Get hourly and 10-day forecasts, air quality, UV index and more. Financial news hub See the latest on the market, trends and your favorite stocks. Your personalized video feed Scroll short clips of the latest news, trending stories and viral moments.
Brainerd Dispatch
Access the full digital edition of your local newspaper on your mobile device. Read articles with adjustable text size, search for topics, and enjoy puzzles and comics.
- Read full newspaper editions
- Adjustable text size
- Searchable articles
- Crossword puzzles and comics
- Print and share articles
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Your local Brainerd, MN news app that delivers the news that matters most to you. Get breaking news alerts, in-depth local reporting, weather updates, sports coverage, and community stories all in one place. • Read the latest local Brainerd, MN & surrounding area news • Stay up to date on Brainerd & surrounding area high school sports • Receive breaking news alerts from Brainerd, MN • Browse photo galleries and featured stories • Access trusted local Brainerd, MN journalism wherever you are Whether you're at home or on the go, stay connected to Brainerd and Crow Wing County with the Brainerd Dispatch app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: MSN at 4.6 against Brainerd Dispatch's 3.4. MSN also leads on review sentiment (38% vs 0%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Brainerd Dispatch's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support 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. MSN sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $20.00 per month. Brainerd Dispatch asks for nothing beyond the download.
MSN holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MSN has 124K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of MSN's written reviews are positive against 0% of Brainerd Dispatch's.
MSN ships an update every 2 weeks, Brainerd Dispatch every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MSN | Brainerd Dispatch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (124K ratings) — better | 3.4 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 38.2% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 124K — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #94 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 262 MB | 137 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Microsoft Corporation | Forum Communications Company |
Customer experience
MSN
Brainerd Dispatch
Bugs and requests
MSN
Reported bugs
5 issues- Inability to comment on articles
- Inconsistent behavior when clicking back button
- News articles not loading properly
- Personalization settings not saving
- Compatibility issues on older devices
Requested features
5 requests- Customizable news feed and interests
- Offline reading mode
- Dark mode option
- Improved article sharing capabilities
- Better integration with other Microsoft services
Brainerd Dispatch
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
MSN
- Microsoft Copilot Pro$20.001 Month
Brainerd Dispatch
No in-app purchases
