# MSN vs WestCentralOnline

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WestCentralOnline at none against MSN's 1. WestCentralOnline also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). MSN's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 9 months) and chart position (#90 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MSN sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $20.00 per month. WestCentralOnline asks for nothing beyond the download.

MSN ships an update every 2 weeks, WestCentralOnline every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MSN | WestCentralOnline |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (124K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/msn/id945416273/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **124K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 38.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Best chart rank | **#90** | — |
| Size | 260 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Golden West Broadcasting, Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/585838524) |

## What reviewers say

### MSN

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/msn/id945416273)

**Currently charting:** #90 Top Free · News (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Tailored content feed, Real-time weather forecasts, Financial news and stock tracking, Personalized video feed, Content from trusted publishers

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft Copilot Pro | $20.00 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 📰 Comprehensive news coverage
- 🌐 Customizable news sources
- 🔍 Useful search functionality
- 🕰️ Timely updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Inconsistent search and navigation
- 📢 Excessive ads and sponsored content
- 🤖 Biased or inaccurate news curation
- 🔄 Inability to save reading progress

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Customizable news feed and interests
- Offline reading mode
- Dark mode option
- Improved article sharing capabilities
- Better integration with other Microsoft services


### WestCentralOnline

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/westcentralonline/id1586373596)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MSN free?

MSN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is WestCentralOnline free?

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

### Do MSN or WestCentralOnline have ads?

Both MSN and WestCentralOnline show ads.

### Which is updated more often, MSN or WestCentralOnline?

MSN ships an update every 2 weeks, and WestCentralOnline every 9 months. Most recently, MSN was updated on October 26, 2026 and WestCentralOnline on October 25, 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.*