Comparison

9to5Mac vs TechPulse by CNET Group

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

9to5Mac

Stay informed with the latest news for Apple devices and other tech. Enjoy an ad-free reading experience with a clean layout and push notifications for breaking stories. An optional premium subscription offers enhanced features.

Highlights
  • Latest Apple news
  • Ad-free reading
  • Push notifications
  • Dark Theme
  • Optimized layout
  • Access to network sites
Features
Read full description

9to5Mac is the leading news website for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more. The 9to5Mac app offers an ad-free way to stay up to date with the latest Apple news, along with connecting you to the full network of 9to5 sites. View the latest stories from 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, Electrek, and more in a layout optimized for the iPhone and iPad with large photography. Take advantage of the Dark Theme for comfortable reading at any time of day. Get push notifications for instant alerts when a new post goes live so you can always stay up to date with the latest stories. The 9to5Mac app is a beautiful companion to the website experience. Give us your feedback and look forward to more updates coming in the future. Upgrade to the Premium Subscription to read stories in the app with an ad-free, privacy-respecting native reading experience. Premium costs $1.99 per month in the US. The subscription automatically renews — but you can cancel at any time.* 9to5Mac Premium is subject to the standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ See Privacy and Additional Terms: https://9to5mac.com/privacy/ *Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within a 24-hour prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase.

About

TechPulse by CNET Group

Stay informed with the latest tech news, expert reviews, and product recommendations. Make smarter purchasing decisions with in-depth analysis and video guides. Get breaking alerts and discover the best deals on technology.

Highlights
  • Featured tech stories
  • Latest technology news coverage
  • Product review galleries
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Extensive product reviews
  • Best product recommendations
  • Product search functionality
  • Video product reviews
Features
Read full description

TechPulse helps tech enthusiasts follow trusted industry insights with a customizable, algorithm-free feed. Welcome to the new CNET app. TechPulse gathers world-class journalism from the internet’s most respected technology and lifestyle publishers. Instead of managing multiple sources or fighting unpredictable feeds, you can customize your daily dashboard to display exactly what matters to you. Stay informed with unbiased video, analysis, news and reviews curated by human experts. Main features: • Filter the publication sources you want to appear in your unified feed for easy navigation. • Make tech buying easy with lab-tested reviews from CNET and PCMag experts. • Get the latest breaking tech news from reporters who share objective takes on what you need to know. • Stay ahead of internet innovations with trending digital culture and entertainment news from Mashable. • Streamline your daily routine and unlock practical hacks and science-based productivity tips from Lifehacker. • Track disruptive professional tech breakthroughs and emerging industry trends from ZDNET. • Get the most from your tech and gadgets with CNET’s product updates and troubleshooting guides. TechPulse is built for readers who value journalistic integrity and direct sources over cluttered news streams. Backed by decades of independent editorial experience from trusted industry names, TechPulse is built for readers who value journalistic integrity and direct sources over cluttered news streams. Your feed remains transparent, accurate and free of bias. Download TechPulse today to control your technology news and explore what matters to you. Our Privacy Policy: https://www.ziffdavis.com/ztg-privacy-policy Our Terms of Use: https://www.ziffdavis.com/terms-of-use

Screenshots

9to5Mac4 screens
TechPulse by CNET Group4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TechPulse by CNET Group at none against 9to5Mac's 1. TechPulse by CNET Group also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and device support (4 vs 2). 9to5Mac's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (41% vs 17%). On price and ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. 9to5Mac sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. TechPulse by CNET Group asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

9to5Mac holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.8K and 3.4K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of 9to5Mac's written reviews are positive against 17% of TechPulse by CNET Group's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

9to5Mac ships an update every 3 months, TechPulse by CNET Group monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
9to5Mac versus TechPulse by CNET Group: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter9to5MacTechPulse by CNET Group
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (4.8K ratings) — better4.3 (3.4K ratings)
Positive reviews40.9% of reviews — better16.9% of reviews
Number of ratings4.8K — better3.4K
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS17.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB53 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperSeth WeintraubCNET Media, Inc.

Customer experience

9to5Mac

All ratings4,844 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral2.8%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews264 reviews
Positive40.9%
Neutral18.2%
Negative40.9%

TechPulse by CNET Group

All ratings3,443 ratings
Positive83.0%
Neutral3.7%
Negative13.2%
Written reviews183 reviews
Positive16.9%
Neutral13.1%
Negative69.9%

User reviews

9to5Mac

From 4.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Informative content
  • 📱 Great app for Apple news
  • 🌓 Useful dark mode
  • 👍 Modern design

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Paywall restricts access
  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • ⏱️ Slow content loading
  • 💸 Expensive subscription
  • 🔍 Lack of search functionality

TechPulse by CNET Group

From 3.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great source for tech news and reviews
  • 👍 Reliable and trustworthy content
  • 🚀 Excellent for researching tech products

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
  • 🤔 Too many non-tech related articles
  • 🤔 Constant requests to update the app
  • 🤔 Ads make the app unusable
  • 🤔 Outdated and repeating content

Bugs and requests

9to5Mac

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Subscription issues
  • Inconsistent dark mode support
  • Unreliable push notifications
  • Crashes when opening articles
  • Broken Disqus login functionality

Requested features

7 requests
  • Dark mode icon support
  • Improved notifications
  • In-app commenting
  • Yearly subscription option
  • Faster content updates
Show 2 more
  • Accessibility improvements
  • Seamless integration with other 9to5 sites

TechPulse by CNET Group

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes and freezes frequently
  • Notifications don't lead to the correct article
  • Videos fail to load consistently
  • Login issues and account syncing problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to filter content by category
  • Improved search functionality
  • Better organization and navigation
  • Syncing of bookmarked articles across devices

In-app purchases

1 purchases

9to5Mac

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Subscription7 Days trial$1.991 Month
None

TechPulse by CNET Group

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 9to5Mac free?
9to5Mac is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TechPulse by CNET Group free?
TechPulse by CNET Group is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 9to5Mac or TechPulse by CNET Group?
9to5Mac is rated higher. 9to5Mac averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.8K ratings, while TechPulse by CNET Group averages 4.3 from 3.4K ratings.
Do 9to5Mac or TechPulse by CNET Group have ads?
TechPulse by CNET Group shows ads; 9to5Mac does not.
Which is updated more often, 9to5Mac or TechPulse by CNET Group?
9to5Mac ships an update every 3 months, and TechPulse by CNET Group monthly. Most recently, 9to5Mac was updated on November 1, 2026 and TechPulse by CNET Group on November 3, 2026.

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