# 9to5Mac vs Please Explain

The clearest difference is update cadence: Please Explain at every 2 days against 9to5Mac's every 3 months. Please Explain also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 9to5Mac sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month and Please Explain sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

9to5Mac ships an update every 3 months, Please Explain every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 9to5Mac | Please Explain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/9to5mac-breaking-tech-news/id955138289/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4.8K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 34 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Seth Weintraub](https://appshunter.io/developer/955138288) | [One Trick Pony NYC LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1860135545) |

## What reviewers say

### 9to5Mac

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/9to5mac-breaking-tech-news/id955138289)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Subscription | $1.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Dark mode icon support
- Improved notifications
- In-app commenting
- Yearly subscription option
- Faster content updates


### Please Explain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/please-explain/id6759809040)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Bi-Annual Subscription | $29.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual Subscription | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 9to5Mac free?

9to5Mac is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Please Explain free?

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

### Do 9to5Mac or Please Explain have ads?

Neither 9to5Mac nor Please Explain shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 9to5Mac or Please Explain?

9to5Mac ships an update every 3 months, and Please Explain every 2 days. Most recently, 9to5Mac was updated on October 22, 2026 and Please Explain on October 13, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*