# SZapp vs The Mercury

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SZapp at none against The Mercury's 3. On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SZapp ships an update every 3 weeks, The Mercury fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | SZapp | The Mercury |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[2.2 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-mercury/id1104197339/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **24** |
| Positive reviews | 4.1% of reviews | **10.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 33 MB | 163 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Schoolzine Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/877468257) | [News Digital Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/369849699) |

## What reviewers say

### SZapp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/szapp/id982105479)

Stay connected with your school community. Access newsletters, documents, and receive live notifications directly from your school.

**Highlights:** Access school newsletters, View school documents, Receive live notifications, Stay connected with school community

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 New interface praised
- 🚀 Fast and easy to use (rarely mentioned)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App won't load/open
- 🐛 Constant login issues
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Notifications not working
- 🐛 Incompatible with latest iOS

**Reported bugs**

- App does not load after latest updates
- App remains on cover/home screen
- App fails to display/load content
- Absentee form is not received
- User is logged out after quitting the app

**Requested features**

- Fix app compatibility with latest iOS
- Improve login stability
- Ensure absentee forms are received
- Fix notification issues
- Allow users to stay logged in


### The Mercury

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-mercury/id1104197339)

Stay informed with breaking news and in-depth stories from award-winning journalists. Personalize your news feed, receive custom alerts, and access the digital replica of today's newspaper. Explore podcasts and enjoy trusted local perspectives.

**Highlights:** Breaking news alerts, Personalized news feed, Digital newspaper replica, Journalist and topic following, Podcast discovery, Customizable notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Access to news while travelling
- 👍 Can read paper before delivery
- 👍 Good access to Australian news
- 👍 Works better than other News Limited apps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Latest updates cause issues
- 🐛 Pop-up ads are intrusive
- 🐛 Cannot get rid of ads
- 🐛 Poor coverage of world/national issues

**Reported bugs**

- Zoom not functional
- App not in touch with other apps
- Cannot comment or respond
- Latest update displays unremovable ads
- App has over 7GB of documents and data

**Requested features**

- Fix zoom functionality
- Sync app usage between devices
- Improve coverage of world/national issues
- Get rid of intrusive ads
- Allow commenting and responding


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SZapp free?

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

### Is The Mercury free?

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

### Do SZapp or The Mercury have ads?

Neither SZapp nor The Mercury shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SZapp or The Mercury?

SZapp ships an update every 3 weeks, and The Mercury fortnightly. Most recently, SZapp was updated on November 1, 2026 and The Mercury on November 1, 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.*