Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

CNBC vs The Wall Street Journal. News

CNBC 4.7★ · Free to download 70
Winner Tie
The Wall Street Journal. News 4.7★ · Free + IAP 70

For users prioritizing live financial market data and video content, CNBC is the better choice, while those seeking in-depth, traditional journalism with a focus on business news will prefer The Wall Street Journal.

Full reviews: CNBC · The Wall Street Journal. News

CNBC excels in delivering real-time financial news and live video streams, though users report frequent technical issues and concerns about political bias. The Wall Street Journal is praised for its high-quality, in-depth journalism, but its app struggles with usability, bugs, and a lack of interactive features like comments.

Head to head

Features & Content tieR2R3R5R11
CNBC CNBC offers live financial news, stock market data, and video streaming, with users appreciating the timely information and coverage . Some users desire widgets for faster updates and better organization of saved articles R2R5. However, there are complaints about missing data like metals prices and 52-week highs/lows R3R11, and a lack of updates for certain sections like crypto news .
The Wall Street Journal. News The Wall Street Journal is highly regarded for its detailed, clear, and comprehensive journalism, with users calling it a 'rare find' for its commitment to reporting truth over partisanship . Users appreciate the ability to listen to articles, but request playback speed options . However, several users miss the 'Print Edition' view and other sections like 'Mansions' . A significant number of users also lament the absence of reader comments within the app R66R71R75.
Ease of Use & Reliability tieR4R6R9R10
CNBC CNBC users report frequent issues with the app, including stories not loading R4, videos freezing R58, and live streams not working R6R9. Some experience audio problems and login difficulties, especially with cable providers or Apple TV R19. The app is also criticized for being slow and having an ad overload R10. However, some users find it smooth and helpful for portfolio data .
The Wall Street Journal. News The Wall Street Journal app is plagued by bugs and performance issues, with users reporting slow loading times , freezing during scrolling , and battery drain . Offline reading is often buggy or incomplete R69R112. Login issues, particularly with 'Sign In With Apple', are also noted . The crossword puzzle feature is frequently broken or poorly designed after updates . Some users also find the interface cluttered .
Price & Value tieR8R10R15R57
CNBC CNBC is free to download but offers subscriptions, with users complaining about too many commercials even with a paid subscription R15. Some find the 'Club' expensive R8 and express frustration over ads and prompts to 'Get Pro, join Club' R10. A $150 subscription is mentioned, with a user expecting better performance for the price R58.
The Wall Street Journal. News The Wall Street Journal is free to download with in-app purchases (IAP), and many users are subscribers. Despite paying, users are disappointed by the presence of banner ads . Some report being charged for subscriptions that don't grant access to desired content . There's a sentiment that the quality is dwindling for the price .
Support & Updates tieR10R19R25R26
CNBC CNBC users report issues with updates making the app worse R10 and a lack of customer support R25. Some updates have removed useful features like Picture-in-Picture, though it was later reinstated R26. There are also compatibility issues with iPad Pro and older iPads R19.
The Wall Street Journal. News The Wall Street Journal app updates frequently break existing features, such as the crossword puzzle and the 'Print Edition' view . Users also report that customer service is unhelpful with subscription issues . There are ongoing problems with the display on iPads .
Privacy & Bias edge: CNBCR1R7R14R21
CNBC CNBC users express strong concerns about privacy, with one user deleting the app due to required privacy access R1 and another due to excessive advertising R14. There are also significant complaints about political bias in articles and commentary, with some users calling it 'biased at best, propaganda at worst' and 'left wing activists' R7R21.
The Wall Street Journal. News The Wall Street Journal is generally praised for its balanced reporting and commitment to truth over partisanship, with opinion pieces clearly labeled . However, some users perceive a growing political bias and 'click bait' headlines . There are also complaints about notification spam for non-breaking news and a bug preventing users from opting out of data collection . Concerns are raised about a partnership with Polymarket despite the WSJ's own reporting on its controversial practices .
Pick CNBC if

You prioritize real-time financial market updates, live video streams, and stock tracking, and are willing to tolerate occasional app bugs and political commentary R5.

Pick The Wall Street Journal. News if

You value in-depth, high-quality business journalism and analysis, appreciate a clear distinction between news and opinion, and are comfortable with a less interactive app experience .

Evidence note: Both apps have a similar number of reviews and high lifetime ratings, but recent reviews for both show a significant number of complaints regarding app functionality and user experience, suggesting a decline in recent satisfaction.

Frequently asked

Does CNBC offer a stock market widget for iPhone?
While CNBC is praised for its financial knowledge, users have requested a stock market widget for iPhone to see updates faster, indicating it may not currently be a prominent feature R5.
Can I read comments on articles in The Wall Street Journal app?
No, many users report that the Wall Street Journal app does not allow them to view or leave comments on articles, a feature that is available on the website R66R71R75R99.
Are there ads in CNBC's paid subscription?
Yes, even with a paid subscription, CNBC users complain about too many commercials and ad overload, with one user noting it's frustrating for a $150 subscription R10R15R58.
Does The Wall Street Journal app have offline reading capabilities?
The Wall Street Journal app has a download feature, but users report it is buggy and often only allows reading of about half the articles offline, requiring internet access for the rest R69R112.

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. [R2] CNBC 5/5 · US Still poor “SAVED News Articles” panel: SAVED News Articles still awkwardly only in tiny side panel from User drop-down. Please put SAVED News back as an available NEWS SECTION so it can be in normal FULLSCREEN area like all other news sections/articles. Also (longtime complaint), scrolling right-side “5 other articles” should be available INDEPENDENTLY of where you are at scrolling through the a
  2. [R3] CNBC 3/5 · US Metals prices missing: Under Commodities, the entire Metals prices are missing. Does anyone else have this problem?
  3. [R5] 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
  4. [R11] CNBC 4/5 · US Missing High Lows: The new version is missing 52 week highs and lows!!
  5. [R4] CNBC 1/5 · US App won’t load lately: For the last few months I’m having issues where stories just won’t load. I have to reconnect to my wifi to make it work. Sort of annoying I’m assuming it’s tied to their spammy ads and my Unifi system blocking them. App used to work great, but since the spinoff has been bad.
  6. [R6] 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.
  7. [R9] CNBC 3/5 · US Live streaming not working.: The app used to be great but when they changed the logo it went downhill. Will try deleting and reinstalling.
  8. [R10] CNBC 2/5 · US CNBC gets worse with each upgrade :( Get Pro, join Club, Ad overload!: CNBC gets worse with each upgrade :( Get Pro, join Club, Ad overload!
  9. [R8] CNBC 4/5 · US Hi-Lo Data Restored: Thanks for bringing this back. I reply on your web site for data. If the “Club” was not so expensive I would join.
  10. [R15] 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.
  11. [R57] 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
  12. [R19] CNBC 1/5 · US Not compatible with Ipad Pro: App will not allow log in if you are using an ipad pro
  13. [R25] CNBC 1/5 · US Not working!!! Lousy support!!!: Have had a problem every month around renew time. It won’t work for a week before and after!🙃
  14. [R26] CNBC 5/5 · GB Excellent all across: Excellent that the Picture in Picture feature was reinstated, this is absolutely essential. Thank you for listening to the feedback. Otherwise; 5-star coverage and newsflow.
  15. [R1] CNBC 1/5 · US Now I have to allow privacy access too , huh?: Bogus, deleted the app !
  16. [R7] CNBC 2/5 · US Articles are biased at best, propaganda at worst.: I look at the quotes, whoever writes the articles are left wing activists that are too biased. I don’t watch CNBC anymore because of the bias and lies.
  17. [R14] CNBC 5/5 · US Privacy policy not private enough: I’m grateful for the ease of use to find the day’s financial news but I’m deleting the app because I get too much advertising.
  18. [R21] CNBC 3/5 · US News ? Halfway news? Part schmoooze?: CNBC has today’s trumpp live BS trumpcast on live for extended viewing. Waste of time without subtitles or a counter blast of this idiots mindless 4th grade emotional outburst ( a 4th grader from a horriblly dysfunctional family) CNBC does not accurately broadcast the news about the horror show of the GOP, the WH occupant, the cabinet members of presidenti
  19. [R66] 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?
  20. [R71] 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.
  21. [R75] The Wall Street Journal. News 3/5 · US Can’t comment: Can’t comment or view comments on iPhone
  22. [R99] 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.
  23. [R58] CNBC 1/5 · US Video freezes A LOT: I pay $150 for this subscription but video constantly freezes. I am on a newer and fully updated iPhone, and never experience this issue with any other apps on my device. Also, there is no way to associate you account on a smart tv, so you can only cast from a mobile device. I expected more for $150. Free video apps perform better. That said, the content itself is great for
  24. [R69] 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
  25. [R112] The Wall Street Journal. News 1/5 · US APP needs serious work: Content top notch, but the app is serious bad. 1. When I open an article, even if the content has been downloaded before, without internet connection it still refuses to load. This is terrible - internet connectivity should not affect article viewing for the articles that were already downloaded. 2. Offline mode is buggy. Today is May 10, 2026. When I am on a subway, th

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