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Best Independent Media Apps

246+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.4 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated September 2026

If you already know National Media Group, this is the deeper bench. 246+ independent media apps for iPhone, all reviewed and ranked by user rating, recency, and download trend as of September 2026.

Compare top Independent Media Apps (September 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1National Media GroupNational Media GroupFree—YesNoSep 2026
2The Independent: Breaking NewsThe Independent: Breaking NewsFree4.6★ (600)NoYesOct 2026
3Marin Independent Journal NewsMarin Independent Journal NewsFree4.6★ (214)YesYesSep 2026
4AP NewsAP NewsFree4.6★ (359K)YesNoOct 2026
5Marin Independent JournalMarin Independent JournalFree4.5★ (197)NoNoAug 2026
6Tousi TV+Tousi TV+Free4.8★ (120)NoYesOct 2026
7Grand Island IndependentGrand Island IndependentFree4.5★ (203)YesYesAug 2026
8Raw StoryRaw StoryFree4.8★ (4.5K)NoYesOct 2026

Top Picks for Independent Media

Marin Independent Journal News#3

Marin Independent Journal News by MediaNews Group

Worth Considering
📡 News
4.6😞(214 ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
Marin Independent Journal News screenshot 1
Marin Independent Journal News screenshot 2
Marin Independent Journal News screenshot 3
Marin Independent Journal News screenshot 4
Marin Independent Journal News screenshot 5
Marin Independent Journal News screenshot 6

Access personalized news recommendations, save articles for later, and receive custom push notifications. Enjoy the digital replica of the daily newspaper and play included games. Offline reading is also available.

What We Love

  • 👍 Great local coverage
  • 👍 Comprehensive access to IJ
  • 👍 Vast improvement in navigation (newer reviews)
  • 👍 Good source of local news
  • 👍 Reliable with few bugs

Room to Improve

  • 👎 Forced and useless updates
  • 👎 Too many ads, distracting
  • 👎 App is awful, frustrating
  • 👎 Cannot log in with paid ID
  • 👎 Privacy concerns, opt-out impossible
  • 👎 App is useless, crashes often
  • 👎 Content not updated frequently
  • 👎 Paid access required, not free
  • 👎 Poor content quality
  • 👎 Interface is unsophisticated and clumsy
  • 👎 App is broken, non-inviting, boring
  • 👎 Stories are old, don't catch up
  • 👎 Cannot read in landscape view
  • 👎 Cannot see older stories
  • 👎 New update is a disaster
  • 👎 Major step backwards (no comments)
  • 👎 Old version much better
  • 👎 New app flops, doesn't auto-rotate
  • 👎 Glorified police blotter/high school newspaper
  • 👎 Slow, intrusive, full of mistakes
  • 👎 Janky app, stories don't load
  • 👎 Weak app, needs improvement
  • 👎 Annoying advertising ticker
  • 👎 Search function missing
  • 👎 Buggy and cumbersome to navigate
  • 👎 App won't open
  • 👎 Not working at all
  • 👎 Text size cannot be increased

More Independent Media apps to explore

FAQ about Independent Media

Are there free independent media apps for iPhone?
Yes — 20 of the top independent media apps we rank are free to download, including National Media Group and The Independent: Breaking News.
National Media Group shows ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of September 2026.
We track 246+ independent media apps on the iOS App Store as of September 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.