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

USA TODAY vs NYTimes

USA TODAY 4.5★ · Free + IAP 60
Winner NYTimes
NYTimes 4.8★ · Free to download 80

Choose NYTimes for a more reliable and higher-quality news experience.

Full reviews: USA TODAY · NYTimes

While both apps offer news coverage, NYTimes stands out for its better user experience and higher overall ratings. USA TODAY struggles with ads and app performance issues, resulting in a less satisfying experience for many users.

Head to head

features edge: NYTimesR3R4R64R80
USA TODAY USA TODAY offers a variety of articles and comic sections but lacks intuitive navigation and has frequent ad interruptions.
NYTimes NYTimes provides well-curated news and engaging features like games, but some users mention issues with video ads.
ease of use edge: NYTimesR1R10R67R112
USA TODAY Users find USA TODAY's app slow and often crashing, making it frustrating to navigate.
NYTimes NYTimes users appreciate the app's content but have noted recent changes that make navigation less intuitive.
reliability edge: NYTimesR10R22R79R88
USA TODAY USA TODAY has numerous complaints about ads appearing despite subscriptions and frequent app crashes.
NYTimes NYTimes has some freezing issues but generally maintains a more stable performance compared to USA TODAY.
price/value edge: NYTimesR4R60R120
USA TODAY USA TODAY offers a free tier with ads and a paid ad-free version, but users often report not receiving the promised ad-free experience.
NYTimes NYTimes is a paid-only service that some users feel is worth the cost due to high-quality journalism, despite complaints about ads.
support tieR6R73R82
USA TODAY Users of USA TODAY report difficulty in getting support for subscription issues and app problems.
NYTimes NYTimes users also express frustration with customer support, particularly regarding subscription management.
Pick USA TODAY if

you prefer a free news app with a variety of content and are okay with ads.

Pick NYTimes if

you value high-quality journalism and are willing to pay for a subscription.

Evidence note: The reviews for USA TODAY are heavily skewed towards complaints about ads and app functionality, while NYTimes has a more balanced set of reviews highlighting both strengths and weaknesses.

Frequently asked

What are the pricing options for USA TODAY and NYTimes?
USA TODAY is free to download with in-app purchases for an ad-free experience, while NYTimes requires a paid subscription for full access to its content.

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. [R3] USA TODAY 3/5 · US Missing links and unwieldy navigating: The subscription information mentions access to 200 affiliated publications but I can’t find a link in this app. Reading the comics is awkward compared to having a complete page of comics like you’d find in a printed edition. Put the comics on one page like they appear I. Your Reno Gazette Journal
  2. [R4] USA TODAY 1/5 · US STOP THE ADVERTISING! AD FREE Subscription SHOULD BE AD FREE!: This is at least the 6th time I've said this. I pay for AD FREE and USA TODAY inserts ads anyway, as well as countless SHOPPING articles throughout. What a rip off! USA TODAY always shows my Ad Free Subscription as Active. Then why all the ads?
  3. [R64] NYTimes 2/5 · US Slower: The app is now slower and buggier than it was before. Please fix
  4. [R80] NYTimes 5/5 · US The world’s best news organization: I love the NYTimes for reasons too numerous to list. The breaking news keeps me up to speed on everything happening in the world, the amazing journalists who have the expertise and passion that brings life, inspiration, and education to so many topics. T Magazine, all of the lists and enlightening articles. The Pulitzer Prizes all so well deserved. You can feel
  5. [R1] USA TODAY 2/5 · US Super Slow Loading: I like the content of USA Today, but why does this app take about 20 seconds to load on my iPhone 16 when every other app loads almost instantly? Can you please do something about that?
  6. [R10] USA TODAY 2/5 · US Crashing: Lately, the app has been crashing a lot. Also, it limits me on crossword puzzles per week even though I have a subscription that promised unlimited crosswords. Signing in and out or restarting my phone doesn’t seem to fix the issue.
  7. [R67] NYTimes 2/5 · US Why move controls to the top: I like the app but now find myself struggling to use it when the control bar on each page has been moved to the top. Most people’s thumbs done reach there. It’s not a ui improvement by any means.
  8. [R112] NYTimes 1/5 · US Move settings back to the bottom: Recent update moved the back button, share icon, settings, etc. from the bottom of the page to the top reducing overall usability and opposite of iOS 26’s design language. Move it back please
  9. [R22] USA TODAY 1/5 · US App doesn’t open: I have to close and open it several times before it opens! I will be asking for a refund!!! Trash!!!
  10. [R79] NYTimes 2/5 · US Constantly freezing and crashing WTF!: Can’t beat the content, if you can get to it. Most days you’re lucky to get to read two articles before the “Opps, something went wrong” box starts popping up instead. And if you try to just read it in the browser you’ll have to get a code sent every time you click on a new story because you’re stuck with the app open and that means you’re using “multiple de
  11. [R88] NYTimes 1/5 · US This publication is a wreck. Opinion masquerading as reporting.: There was a day 10, 15 20+ years ago that the NYT was the gold standard for reporting. Now that is not the case. All they want to do is sell you more stuff and not earn it with quality reporting.
  12. [R60] USA TODAY 1/5 · US Paid subscription is not worth the money…: So I subscribed to USA Today service hoping for a better experience. Yes I do get to read articles marked "For Subscribers Only" but there really weren’t that many and a majority of them were not of interest to me. So there are so many ads it’s actually hard to follow the gist of the article. You read a paragraph of news and then there is a half page
  13. [R120] NYTimes 3/5 · GB Paid Subscriptions and Ads: No question about the journalism .. but paid subscriptions still include ads. So it’s a little silly paying for it when you get a few free articles a month anyway
  14. [R6] USA TODAY 3/5 · US Subscription process nightmare: I had a subscription for unlimited access without ads for a year. Then ads started to appear. Tried contacting USAtoday but no response. So I cancelled to subscription thinking that I would wait a while and resubscribe but that didn’t work either. When I did subscribe again, they kept asking if I wanted to subscribe! Can’t win.
  15. [R73] NYTimes 2/5 · US All Access?!?: I have an All Access digital account, yet when I login via a web browser, I receive a message stating I only have access to certain free articles. Via the iOS NYT app, I have been trying to send a gift article to my sister for a few days and keep receiving an error message. I tried logging into the web version and can’t even access the article! I tried contacting the NY Times, but c
  16. [R82] NYTimes 1/5 · US Constant asking to verify or upgrade subscription: I pay for a subscription but am constantly asked to upgrade my subscription to a family plan. Also if I log in on a computer o constantly need to verify through email which is annoying.
  17. [R68] NYTimes 5/5 · US Best News on earth: Pay your dues

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