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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

The Wall Street Journal. News vs CNBC

The Wall Street Journal. News 4.7★ · Free + IAP 75
Winner The Wall Street Journal. News
CNBC 4.7★ · Free to download 55

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) app offers superior journalism and a cleaner reading experience, while CNBC struggles with app stability, especially for live streaming and video content.

Full reviews: The Wall Street Journal. News · CNBC

The Wall Street Journal app is praised for its high-quality, balanced journalism and a generally good reading experience, despite some recent bugs and feature removals. CNBC, while valued for its financial news, faces significant issues with app stability, live streaming, video playback, and an increasing amount of ads and political bias.

Head to head

Content Quality & Bias edge: The Wall Street Journal. NewsR12R17R20R30
The Wall Street Journal. News The Wall Street Journal is highly regarded for its strong, detailed, and comprehensive journalism, with users appreciating its commitment to reporting truth over partisanship and clearly distinguishing opinion pieces R17R20. Some long-term subscribers, however, note a perceived decline in quality and an increase in political bias, making it challenging to differentiate news from opinion R12R30.
CNBC CNBC's content is valued for financial news and market data, with some users finding it informative and excellent . However, a significant number of users criticize the app for biased articles, political slant, and a perceived shift towards propaganda, especially regarding political commentary instead of financial news .
App Stability & Performance edge: The Wall Street Journal. NewsR7R9R18R21
The Wall Street Journal. News The WSJ app is frequently reported to be buggy, slow, and prone to freezing, with updates often breaking existing features R7R21. Users experience issues with articles not loading offline, the app draining battery, and overheating phones R9R18.
CNBC CNBC's app suffers from significant stability issues, with videos freezing frequently, live streams not loading or stopping after commercial breaks, and general unresponsiveness R66R73. Some users also report login problems, especially with iPad Pro and TV providers .
Features & User Experience edge: The Wall Street Journal. NewsR3R4R6R9
The Wall Street Journal. News WSJ users appreciate features like the 'Define' function and a clean, readable interface R21. However, many lament the removal or malfunction of key features such as gift links, the crossword puzzle, full offline download capability, and the ability to view/leave comments R3R4R6R9. There are also requests for audio playback speed control and widgets R14R41R57.
CNBC CNBC users value the app for tracking portfolios and getting market data , but many are frustrated by missing data points like 52-week highs and lows . Issues include awkward placement of saved articles, non-functional CarPlay audio, and disorganized video content . The Picture-in-Picture feature was removed and then reinstated, which was appreciated .
Ads & Monetization edge: The Wall Street Journal. NewsR28R33R34R35
The Wall Street Journal. News WSJ subscribers express significant frustration with ads appearing even in the paid app, including banner ads and gambling ads, which they feel degrade the experience R33R34R36. Some also report issues with subscriptions and being prompted to pay more despite an active subscription R28.
CNBC CNBC users frequently complain about an overload of ads, even for paid subscribers, and feel pushed towards 'Pro' or 'Club' memberships R75. The high subscription price of $29.99 a month is noted, with users expecting more features for the cost R117.
Pick The Wall Street Journal. News if

You prioritize high-quality, in-depth journalism and a generally clean reading experience, and are willing to tolerate occasional app bugs and the absence of some community features like comments R17R20.

Pick CNBC if

You primarily need real-time financial news and market data, and are willing to contend with significant app stability issues, frequent ads, and a perceived political bias in some content R73R76.

Evidence note: Both apps have a high lifetime rating, but recent reviews for both show a significant number of complaints, particularly regarding app functionality and user experience. CNBC's free-to-download model means some negativity might stem from free-tier limitations, but many paid users also report issues.

Frequently asked

Does the WSJ app allow comments on articles?
No, many users report that the WSJ app does not allow them to view or leave comments on articles, a feature they wish was available R6R11R15R39.
Can I listen to articles on the WSJ app?
Yes, the WSJ app offers an audio feature for articles, but users have requested an option to adjust playback speed and save their selection for convenience R14R41R57.
Are there ads in the WSJ app for subscribers?
Yes, even paying subscribers report seeing banner ads and gambling ads within the WSJ app, which many find disappointing and intrusive R33R34R36.
Does the CNBC app have issues with live streaming?
Yes, numerous CNBC users report significant and persistent problems with the live stream feature, including it not loading, freezing frequently, or stopping after commercial breaks R66R73R76R82.
Is the CNBC app expensive?
Some users find the CNBC subscription expensive, noting a price of $29.99 a month, and feel that the features offered do not justify the cost, especially with the presence of ads R75R117.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 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. [R12] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US Okay App, Poor Reporting: Sometimes is a challenge to distinguish between newsroom reporting and opinion columns. Also I frequently found opinion columns more helpful with presenting facts.
  2. [R17] The Wall Street Journal. News 5/5 · US A rare find these days.: Really strong reporting. In a time where media is consistently biased - WSJ is committed to reporting truth over partisanship. One of the few outlets that seems to have found a way report the news, verify sources, and callout both left and right extremism. Opinion pieces are present, but clearly called out as such. We need more of this and less brands that push for engage
  3. [R20] The Wall Street Journal. News 4/5 · US Amazing Journalism: I have been subscribed to WSJ for years and I am a huge supporter of their work. Detailed, clear and comprehensive journalism and this app does a great job presenting it. The only thing that is preventing me from giving 5 stars is that I wish the articles were available for me to read in Spanish. Why are English and Japanese the only languages? Please make Spanish available, I
  4. [R30] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US Over Priced/Dwindling Quality: As a long term subscriber, I grow increasingly disappointed. The overall quality of journalism is flagging under the weight of obvious political bias. The headlines read just like the click bait on most social media platforms. Jason Gay (sports writer) has my subscription hanging on by a thin thread!
  5. [R7] The Wall Street Journal. News 2/5 · US SLOW: This app just keeps hanging up. I don’t know if they’re doing it intentionally to force you to look at ads, but I can’t get through a single article without it hanging up. Updates seem to make no difference, and I’m on fiber, so not a bandwidth issue.
  6. [R9] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US So-called issue download doesn’t work: I tried to download the most recent issue before getting on a plane (which had no WiFi), but the so-called download let me read only about half the articles. Half the articles only showed an error message that I needed to have internet access. A far superior download capability was eliminated when the WSJ app was overhauled a couple of years ago. Pleas
  7. [R18] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US Issues with app: Newspaper is great, but the app is a battery killer and overheats the phone. Also, reader comments cannot be read, not can you contribute
  8. [R21] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US App is ruining the WSJ experience: I read the Journal every day, making it my primary source for news which I’ve trusted for decades. I switched from newsprint to the app maybe 15 years ago, preferring its portability and searchability. The “Define” function is great, since every issue has a word or two I don’t know. The app itself, though, is buggy and inconsistent. Every few months an update b
  9. [R3] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US Gift Links Don’t work.: Please fix app so I can send gift links This used to work. Now link says it copies but recipients can’t open. Sends them to subscriber/log in page.
  10. [R4] The Wall Street Journal. News 2/5 · US Crossword fan: You broke the crossword with the recent update. The keyboard is not ergonomic on iPad, clues bizarrely jump around when inputting letters and the clue being answered no longer appears as a separate line. Please fix or revert to the previous iteration.
  11. [R6] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US no comments: I don’t get why this app doesn’t let you leave comments, only on the website. It’s 2024, how hard can it be to add such a basic feature to the app?
  12. [R28] The Wall Street Journal. News 1/5 · US WSJ App now just a con game: News content is no longer accessible via the iPhone app. Regardless of an active subscription, every attempt to read beyond the headlines will be met with a screen demanding the purchase of an additional $39 monthly subscription. There are ample legitimate news options available via iTunes apps. If you truly need to read WSJ, try a print subscription.
  13. [R33] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US Buggy, Ad-filled mess: The user experience and navigation have gone backwards over the past year. The issue is that there are now so many interspersed and slow loading ad blocks in each digital article that the app freezes, and causes my iPhone to overheat. True even on my 1 Gig wifi link. We get it - news is a business that requires ad revenue, but not at the expense of degrading the product.
  14. [R34] The Wall Street Journal. News 1/5 · US Poly market ads: Get rid of them. I pay for a subscription, I don’t need to see gambling ads here as well
  15. [R35] The Wall Street Journal. News 5/5 · US Trash: If you want to read more on an. Article you need to pay up homie lol
  16. [R11] The Wall Street Journal. News 4/5 · US Comments?: It’s a great read, these days, but I have to use the mobile site rather than the app because the app, inexplicably in 2026, doesn’t show reader comments.
  17. [R15] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US Can’t comment: Can’t comment or view comments on iPhone
  18. [R39] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US Why no comments?: Obviously this is a very good newspaper, and I enjoy reading it. However, the app would be greatly improved by also allowing me to see the comments left by other readers on the article.
  19. [R14] The Wall Street Journal. News 4/5 · US Please Add Playback Speed Option To Audio: Love the app, love your reporting. Love listening to articles. Please add an option to adjust audio playback speed and make it so my selection is saved so I don’t have to set it for each article. Keep up the great work
  20. [R41] The Wall Street Journal. News 5/5 · US Like the app, want speed control on audio: The app is great minus one feature I really really want. Include faster audio speaking. Up to 3x minimum
  21. [R57] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US Missing two key features: Doesn’t integrate with iOS and Google well. Opening stories in Google News and elsewhere should allow me to open the story in the app where I’m logged in. And I really miss audio speed control. Please allow us to set playback speed!
  22. [R36] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US Love the WSJ, don’t love Ads.: I am disappointed that the app has ads, even when offline. I am a paying member of the Wall Street journal, and I don’t find it respectable that you guys choose to have banner ads in app.
  23. [R66] CNBC 3/5 · US Live stream on iPad stopped working: I’m so frustrated I cannot stream cnbc on my iPad. I constantly remove and reinstall but doesn’t help. Worked fine before the split.
  24. [R73] CNBC 1/5 · US Videos Freeze: I don’t understand for the life of me how this is a five star rated app. This app is absolutely horrible and has gotten worse since Versant bought out the company. The videos freeze about 20% into it. The charts are incredibly amateur and lag the videos take so long to come out after they’ve been played. Do better this is garbage.
  25. [R76] CNBC 1/5 · US Livestream never loads: I hardly ever leave reviews and almost never leave negative reviews but this app has been so frustrating. I have to refresh it 30+ times to get the livestream to even load and sometimes it just never does and I can't watch that morning. Then sometimes I have to go through the same process after stops working after a commercial break. No one has time for that. I know it's sp
  26. [R82] CNBC 1/5 · US Content great app still stinks: The live stream feature is still not working. I’ve used this app for years. Everything was great but months ago, it will not let you connect through your cable provider. When you hit the button, the wheel just spins and spins for hours. I was hoping after this last update it would be fixed but to no avail.
  27. [R75] 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. [R117] CNBC 3/5 · GB Good but thanks: This app is a perfect app for business news. However when it comes to subscription, it’s not cheap. It when you pay for subscription, you have certain expectations. Things like Picture in Picture, doesn’t work well on IOS, PAID SUBSCRIPTION os only consist of live CNBC channel and doesn’t give access to entertainment section of the app. come on, $29.99 a month only give you ac

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store