CNN alternatives

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 106 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

1. [R3] CNN 3/5 · US Disappointed: Since purchasing a subscription, the app now freezes while reading articles requiring me to restart the app in order to read articles; jumps backward while scrolling through articles; and goes to a black screen partway through an article which sometimes can be cleared by going backwards, but not always, and then trying to scroll forward again. I expected to have at least as good of
2. [R4] CNN 1/5 · US Pay for CNN is malfunctioning: I paid the annual fee of $29.99 but I keep getting kicked off the app. Please fix it! UPDATE: 2 years later, I continue to be kicked off the app. Fix it, please. Also, fee rose to $69.99 this year!
3. [R11] CNN 5/5 · US Horrible user experience for a paid app: I travel a lot and like to listen to CNN via the paid streaming service on their app. Unfortunately it is bug filled and very difficult to use. I have a new iPhone, and I’m using the current app so I know it’s not that. It starts off streaming the audio correctly, and then any sort of notification from my phone like a text or anything like that at all pau
4. [R27] CNN 3/5 · US 1 Problem: When scrolling down to read an article in the app. The CNN app will suddenly freeze up and not allow you to read the remainder of the article or let you use the app. Please fix.
5. [R7] CNN 2/5 · US Deleting app: Every time I try to read an article newsworthy it says I reached my free limit. DELETED!!!
6. [R13] CNN 1/5 · US Pay to read: I have to pay monthly to read news that I can get from other sites and apps for free? Easy pass and delete for me.
7. [R19] CNN 1/5 · US Used to be free news reading: This app used to be free to read articles but I guess they don’t get enough ad revenue. I use to use it with Fox News to get balanced reporting, but now I’ll use Fox only (which I trust better anyway).
8. [R34] CNN 1/5 · US Reading limit.. horrible: I think it’s horrible that CNN limits the amount of stories you can view. Capitalism at it’s worse. You have sponsors and now subscribers but you still have to limit how many stories we can view. Stupid
9. [R6] CNN 3/5 · US Paid subscription still has ads????: Thought I was subscribing to not have to deal with ads, the way subscribing at the most expensive level gets you with most other streaming services. What’s the benefit??
10. [R12] CNN 3/5 · US Daily Validation??: Used to, I could sign in with my TV provider and it would keep working. Now, it makes me verify my TV subscriber every day and it will not let me do that until the 60 second free preview timer runs out. This needs to be fixed.
11. [R17] CNN 5/5 · US Still could use improvement: I’m now a subscriber and I’m satisfied with the service on my TV and devices. A few things really irk me though. The app: Having to sign in every darned day is really irritating. Streaming: I expected the same programming as you get on regular TV but apparently that’s not the case. Some of the programming is different. Why? I hate having CNN headline news shoved in th
12. [R31] CNN 1/5 · US Utterly Horrible: Doesn’t offer the actual news shows one finds on the CNN channel itself. Plays the same commercials 2, 3 or four times in a row, DURING THE VERY SAME COMMERCIAL BREAK!!! Then, continues to rotate commercials for HBO or CNN original programs six or seven times an hour. It’s as if they’re trying to sabotage HBO, because nothing makes me want to watch a show LESS than being force
13. [R8] CNN 5/5 · US Widget stopped working: I used the widget to check the breaking news and daily headlines and now I have to open the app. The widget is just a blank display now
14. [R9] CNN 3/5 · US Good App - Widgets Don’t Work: With the latest app update, I’ve noticed that any widgets I add from this app just show up as blank boxes. They never load any content. Hoping that CNN will fix this bug soon.
15. [R16] CNN 1/5 · US Widget totally broken: The widget doesn’t work at all on iOS 26.
16. [R18] CNN 3/5 · US Widget Stopped Working: Since the recent update, the cnn widget stopped working. It shows blank headlines, but if I click the widget it takes me to the main page of the CNN app. I have tried deleting and reinstalling the app, same with the widget, checked all settings, logged in to CNN from the app, but still nothing works widget wise. What’s up CNN?
17. [R1] CNN 1/5 · US Data harvesting: Don’t ask me to agree to a terms of service contract for READING THE NEWS. You are not a message board or a forum. You provide no way for user input or site interaction that would require the necessity of such information gathering. You are literally a platform to access and read articles about the news of the day…or at least, I thought you were. Deleted.
18. [R14] CNN 5/5 · US Presentation: I love the program however I am repelled by the continuous display of the most unattractive color (my opinion) of barf/goldenrod -very off putting/distracting!?!
19. [R20] CNN 4/5 · GB Audio control: Good app, however always frustrating that background music on my phone stops when I want to read an article due to the app’s audio control.
20. [R30] CNN 3/5 · GB Do you think we've lost the ability to read?: There is nothing wrong with the content of the app, but I really dislike the way that you present it to us. So much content is delivered via video. Are you pandering to the lowest common denominator? Those who find reading too taxing? The news is serious business and deserves to be presented in a serious way. Give us content that we can read, not
21. [R39] CNN 3/5 · GB Where’s my sound gone?: Content aside, the only annoying thing about this app is its tendency to hijack the audio on my phone when I use it. It’s not related to watching video content in the app, that would be obvious. But if I have music playing on the phone music app and I open the CNN app - whether viewing a text-based story or just scrolling through the headlines - the music stops playing.
22. [R51] NYTimes 1/5 · US Well curated: If you like your news well curated, the times is for you
23. [R55] NYTimes 4/5 · US Some bias but you don’t have to click on it: I’ve learned the opinion pieces are pretty liberal, but I don’t have to click on the links to read the articles. So no thanks to opinions! The news does mostly stick to the news with sometimes some micro aggressions towards Trump or conservatives. I just roll my eyes and move on. But overall I read the morning newsletter I get in my email and evening ne
24. [R61] NYTimes 5/5 · US In today’s world, the ‘only constant is change’: Constant app updates give me realtime way to know the constant changes on the political front.
25. [R69] CNBC 5/5 · US Please Add A stock market Widget For IPhone: This App Is wonderful the Benifits of knowledge is awesome I just wish it had some Widgets for I can see the updates faster thank you
26. [R74] CNBC 3/5 · US Mute the annoying music: CNBC’s programming is excellent, especially with a Prime membership, it really elevates the viewing experience. However, I do wish they would mute the music or switch to a more calming, visually appealing background when blocking commercials. It would make the experience feel much more polished and enjoyable.
27. [R76] CNBC 3/5 · US Good Investment Information: I enjoy listening to the information shared but i gave it a 3 because there are to many commercials for the high price subscription.
28. [R80] The Wall Street Journal. News 4/5 · US Sustainable business went dark: Always have appreciated the quality of reporting especially with the Sustainable Business section. Too bad they took it out.
29. [R83] The Wall Street Journal. News 5/5 · US They solved the comments issue: They finally solved seeing comments in the app. Thank goodness.
30. [R100] FOX News 5/5 · US Fox News: Love Fox News get top news everyday first thing I do at 4 am see what’s going on The crew is funny great group of people it makes my day before I have to go to work
31. [R101] FOX News 1/5 · US Excellent: Excellent non bias coverage of News
32. [R102] FOX News 5/5 · US Wonderful: Always presenting the truth just like it is and presenting both side sides of the issue as well. God bless you keep up the good
33. [R36] CNN 3/5 · GB Delivery of advertisements ruins this app: The forced delivery of advertisements, often the same ad over and over again, with a long delay involving a black screen during download, ruins this app. The news service is good, but the adverts make the app pretty much unusable.
34. [R40] CNN 1/5 · US Why download CNN: It has turned into one of the most useless news apps that I have ever downloaded. Virtually every news article is behind a paywall. It’s basically just click bait at this point.
35. [R45] CNN 3/5 · GB Great channel, horrible adverts/App: In 15 minutes I have seen 7 times the same exact 14 second advert for IHG Hotels, so I had to switch channel… Otherwise like watching CNN!