# MSN vs Abbey

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Abbey at 100% against MSN's 38%. Abbey also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). MSN's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (124K vs 4). On price 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. Abbey asks for nothing beyond the download.

Abbey holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MSN has 124K ratings behind it against 4, 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 100% of Abbey's.

MSN ships an update every 2 weeks, Abbey every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MSN | Abbey |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (124K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/msn/id945416273/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abbey/id6480379565/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **124K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 38.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#83** | — |
| Size | 262 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [The Abbey](https://appshunter.io/developer/1736719242) |

## What reviewers say

### MSN

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

**Currently charting:** #83 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


### Abbey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abbey/id6480379565)

This social app focuses solely on credible news, offering a distraction-free experience. It provides a social interface for users to access established news sources without the clutter of traditional social media posts.

**Highlights:** Credible news focus, Social interface, Eliminates traditional posts, Uninterrupted news consumption, Established news sources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MSN free?

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

### Is Abbey free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MSN or Abbey?

Abbey is rated higher. MSN averages 4.6 out of 5 from 124K ratings, while Abbey averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do MSN or Abbey have ads?

MSN shows ads; Abbey does not.

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

MSN ships an update every 2 weeks, and Abbey every 3 months. Most recently, MSN was updated on October 3, 2026 and Abbey on September 28, 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.*