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

NEWS CENTER Maine vs WCVB NewsCenter 5

NEWS CENTER Maine 4.7★ · Free to download 60
Winner WCVB NewsCenter 5
WCVB NewsCenter 5 4.6★ · Free to download 65

WCVB NewsCenter 5 is slightly better than NEWS CENTER Maine, primarily because NEWS CENTER Maine's recent app update has introduced significant usability issues that outweigh WCVB's persistent, but less severe, problems.

Full reviews: NEWS CENTER Maine · WCVB NewsCenter 5

NEWS CENTER Maine and WCVB NewsCenter 5 are both free local news apps, but NEWS CENTER Maine has suffered from a recent update that negatively impacted its weather features and overall navigation. WCVB NewsCenter 5, while also having issues with ads and app stability, generally provides a more consistent user experience for news and weather.

Head to head

Features and Content tieR2R3R4R5
NEWS CENTER Maine NEWS CENTER Maine is praised for its local news coverage and weather accuracy R2R5. However, a recent update made it difficult to find articles, shifted focus heavily to videos over text, and removed features like dark mode R3R4R6. Some users also miss local sports coverage and the ability to cast to a big screen .
WCVB NewsCenter 5 WCVB NewsCenter 5 is highly regarded for its comprehensive local and national news, including investigative reporting and community activism . Users appreciate the weather forecasts but some wish for more detailed weather information like dew point readings . A common complaint is that news stories are not updated frequently enough, with some remaining on the app for weeks .
Ease of Use and Navigation edge: WCVB NewsCenter 5R1R3R4R6
NEWS CENTER Maine Before a recent update, NEWS CENTER Maine was considered easy to navigate . However, the new version is widely criticized for being difficult to use, with users struggling to find articles, weather information, and specific segments R1R3R4R6. Some users find the new layout confusing and dislike the increased number of clicks required to access content .
WCVB NewsCenter 5 WCVB NewsCenter 5 users generally find the app easy to navigate . However, some report issues with notifications not leading to the correct story , articles cutting off or being hard to read , and the app frequently returning to the home screen when trying to read . The weather section requires zip codes instead of city names, which is inconvenient for some .
Reliability and Performance tieR10R13R17R25
NEWS CENTER Maine NEWS CENTER Maine has significant reliability issues, particularly after its recent update. Users report the app constantly freezing, crashing, or refusing to open R25R33R43R48. The weather tab often displays no information R10R17R28. Live video streams have persistent banners covering content R13.
WCVB NewsCenter 5 WCVB NewsCenter 5 also struggles with reliability. Frequent crashes and the app returning to the home screen while reading articles are common complaints . Some users experience videos not playing at all . There are also reports of the app not opening, stating it's unavailable in the user's location .
Ads and Monetization tieR20R35R41R47
NEWS CENTER Maine NEWS CENTER Maine users complain about excessive ads, including suspicious links R20, loud commercials R35R58, and inappropriate ads with graphic content R47. Some users wish for less ads, especially in the weather section R41.
WCVB NewsCenter 5 WCVB NewsCenter 5 users are highly frustrated by the number and intrusiveness of ads. Ads often play before every video clip , appear before news articles , and have unskippable, loud audio . These ads are also blamed for causing app crashes and interruptions while reading .
Privacy and Permissions edge: WCVB NewsCenter 5R31R88
NEWS CENTER Maine NEWS CENTER Maine has specific complaints regarding overreaching permissions, requiring full access to photo libraries and precise location data for features like uploading photos or videos R31.
WCVB NewsCenter 5 WCVB NewsCenter 5 recently updated its terms of service, which users report now includes agreeing to let the app sell personal information and location data to third parties, leading to uninstalls R88.
Pick NEWS CENTER Maine if

You are a long-time viewer of NEWS CENTER Maine and are willing to tolerate significant app issues in hopes of future fixes, especially if you value the specific on-air personalities and local reporting R5.

Pick WCVB NewsCenter 5 if

You prioritize a news app that, despite its flaws, offers a more consistent experience for reading articles and watching videos, and you appreciate in-depth local and national coverage from Massachusetts .

Evidence note: Both apps are free, so the negative reviews are not skewed by a free-tier friction. The evidence for NEWS CENTER Maine is heavily weighted by recent negative reviews regarding a major app update, which has significantly impacted its perceived quality despite a higher lifetime rating.

Frequently asked

Are these apps free to use?
Yes, both NEWS CENTER Maine and WCVB NewsCenter 5 are free to download and use, though both contain numerous ads R20R41R47R58.
Which app has better weather features?
While both apps offer weather, NEWS CENTER Maine's weather radar and information have become largely unusable or difficult to find after a recent update R1R7R10R28. WCVB NewsCenter 5 provides reliable weather forecasts, though some users desire more detailed information like dew point readings and easier location search by city name instead of zip code .
Do these apps have issues with crashing or freezing?
Yes, both apps have significant issues with crashing, freezing, or returning to the home screen. NEWS CENTER Maine users frequently report the app freezing or crashing upon opening R25R33R43R48, while WCVB NewsCenter 5 users experience constant crashes and resets while reading articles or watching videos .
Are there concerns about privacy with these apps?
Yes, there are privacy concerns for both. NEWS CENTER Maine requires extensive permissions, including full access to photo libraries and precise location, to enable certain features R31. WCVB NewsCenter 5's updated terms of service reportedly allow them to sell personal information and location data to third parties R88.

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] NEWS CENTER Maine 5/5 · US John: So nice to have an app with local news.
  2. [R3] NEWS CENTER Maine 3/5 · US Where are the articles?: Loaded the new version last night. First of all, why is the new logo red? This is an angry/non-calming color. Besides that, I was excited to try out the new app. However, it seems that there are mostly videos now. I liked being able to read pieces before or watch a video. 95% of the time I read the article. This is frustrating that I no longer have this option. ☹️
  3. [R4] NEWS CENTER Maine 1/5 · US Designer may need to be examined…: They should bring back the OLD version of the app. Whoever put the new one together should reconsider. I hate the new version and actually deleted it because it’s TERRIBLE! I did reinstall because the website can’t give me LOCAL weather, only Portland and Bangor. Previously, when I wanted any kind of news, News Center Maine was my immediate “go to”. However, wit
  4. [R5] NEWS CENTER Maine 5/5 · US We only watch you all!: We truly enjoy watching News Center Maine. This is by far the best news cast around! It’s thorough, explained well and we enjoy all of the newscasters. Keep up the great work.
  5. [R1] NEWS CENTER Maine 1/5 · US New update is horrible: I use the weather radar on this app all the time and it was great. Well they decided to update and now it is a joke! The new radar is horrible! Why oh why would you change it. Guess I need to find a new app.
  6. [R6] NEWS CENTER Maine 3/5 · US Difficult to find articles: When a topic is discussed, such as Gardening with Guttner, it is difficult to find. I’ve posted videos on Near Me, cannot find any evidence that it was a successful submission…
  7. [R10] NEWS CENTER Maine 1/5 · US Weather Tab: When I open the weather tab it does display any information. I have reviewed all my settings and updated the app. The old app worked great.
  8. [R13] NEWS CENTER Maine 1/5 · US Please Fix ASAP!: I hate the updates. When I watch live, the NCM live banner, volume, CC and full screen buttons never go away at the bottom of the screen. These cover the actual news ticker that is scrolling. Please fix!
  9. [R17] NEWS CENTER Maine 5/5 · US Weather: Occasionally the weather does not show video of the weather. Not sure why that is.
  10. [R25] NEWS CENTER Maine 1/5 · US Crashes: The app constantly freezes the screen upon opening.
  11. [R20] NEWS CENTER Maine 4/5 · US Mostly good: It’s a fairly standard news app, a mix of local and national headlines, weather, and a smattering of suspicious and questionable ad links at the end of the articles. One huge improvement to this app would be adding the ability to search for a zip code or city/state combo on the weather tab without needing to add it as one of the five save-able options. Sometime I just want to search
  12. [R35] NEWS CENTER Maine 2/5 · US Commercial Volume: The volume increase during commercials is unnecessary.
  13. [R41] NEWS CENTER Maine 2/5 · US Request: I don’t care for ads I’d like to see weather not ads.
  14. [R47] NEWS CENTER Maine 1/5 · US Ads of dead rats: I am extremely offended by constant ads showing real pictures of poisoned dead rats. Some rodent company. Despite sending feedback that the ads are inappropriate, they appear all the time. Disgusting, inhumane, and just plain gross. I just wanted to see local news. Guess this app isnt it. Deleted app and will not use again.
  15. [R31] NEWS CENTER Maine 1/5 · US Permissions overreaching: App only lets you upload pictures or videos if you allow full access to your entire photo library and enable precise “always” location (even though that’s not needed for items from camera roll since they could have been taken from elsewhere and you type in the location it’s from anyway). Without those settings, the upload video/photo from camera roll buttons just straight
  16. [R88] WCVB NewsCenter 5 1/5 · US Uninstalled. Serious privacty issues. And left wing propaganda.: They just updated their terms of service which now includes agreeing to let them sell your personal information and location data to third parties. Nope.
  17. [R58] NEWS CENTER Maine 5/5 · US Love it! Loud commercials though: We canceled our satellite so all we have are streaming services now, I am SO glad to have this news app! Only 1 thing I could change about it is how extremely loud the commercials are. The news is normal then the commercials are SO SO loud!!!! Please consider fixing this!!!! Thankyou!!!
  18. [R7] NEWS CENTER Maine 1/5 · US Horrible update: Whoever designed this update should be fired. I used to use this app frequently now it’s almost unusable. I don’t even know where to go and see the weather.
  19. [R28] NEWS CENTER Maine 1/5 · US I only use this for weather: (12/9/2025) The weather portion of the app is now unusable, and yes I checked if there were updates needed. The graphic for the weekly forecast is gone. What happened??? Please fix.
  20. [R33] NEWS CENTER Maine 1/5 · US Terrible App: This App has been downloaded so many times and its functionality is terrible gets stuck for days on a topic and there is no way to refresh. It really stinks.
  21. [R43] NEWS CENTER Maine 2/5 · US Buggy: I use the app on an iPad and it constantly lags, or crashes, or both. And the ads repeat ad nauseous. Would prefer local ads over “hooked on sports” garbage. Please get the bugs out of this thing…you are giving NewsCenter Maine a bad image.
  22. [R48] NEWS CENTER Maine 4/5 · US WCSH6: The app keeps crashing! I love watching the early news on my iPad , but it runs for 20-30 minutes tops and then crashes! So I relaunch it, and it crashes again in even less time! PLEASE fix this!

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