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

The Boston Globe vs WCVB NewsCenter 5

The Boston Globe 4.6★ · Free + IAP 65
Winner Tie
WCVB NewsCenter 5 4.6★ · Free to download 68

The Boston Globe app offers more in-depth journalism and a wider range of content, but WCVB NewsCenter 5 provides a more reliable free news experience despite its ad interruptions and occasional technical glitches.

Full reviews: The Boston Globe · WCVB NewsCenter 5

The Boston Globe app provides comprehensive local and national news, but is plagued by persistent login issues and a clunky user experience for paid subscribers. WCVB NewsCenter 5 offers reliable local news and weather, though it suffers from frequent app crashes, excessive ads, and outdated content.

Head to head

Features & Content edge: The Boston GlobeR2R8R10R11
The Boston Globe The Boston Globe is praised for its professional, concise, and unbiased journalism, offering strong local, national, and world event coverage R8. Subscribers appreciate having both the app and e-paper options R2R11. However, the games section is frequently criticized as outdated and unusable R12R22R45. Some users also find the coverage too liberal or biased R10 and lacking in world news compared to other major papers .
WCVB NewsCenter 5 WCVB NewsCenter 5 is highly valued for its local Massachusetts news, weather forecasts, and breaking news alerts . Users appreciate the investigative reporting and community activism segments . However, many complain that news stories are not updated frequently enough, with the same articles remaining on the app for weeks . Some also criticize the news for being biased or political .
Ease of Use & User Experience tieR1R3R6R7
The Boston Globe The Boston Globe app is frequently criticized for its clunky, buggy, and frustrating user experience R19. Users report constant login issues, being repeatedly asked to sign in even as paid subscribers R1R3R7R9. Navigation is problematic, with articles refreshing or exiting if the phone is put down , losing place in articles , and ads being easily clicked . The search function is not prominent R6, and the app doesn't work well on iPads for some . Some users did find the news section intuitive R12 and a recent update improved usability for some .
WCVB NewsCenter 5 WCVB NewsCenter 5 users report frequent app crashes and articles resetting to the home screen while reading R66R69R91R94. Videos often fail to play , and notifications sometimes don't lead to the correct story . The app is also criticized for excessive and annoying ads, especially video ads with unskippable sound R63R64R81R87. Some users find the iPad landscape mode not working R81 and navigation difficult . However, many find the app easy to navigate and user-friendly .
Reliability & Performance tieR1R3R7R9
The Boston Globe The Boston Globe app has significant reliability issues, with many users reporting that it 'doesn't work' R1R7 and is 'glitchy' . Constant login problems are a major complaint, often requiring multiple attempts or preventing access to articles R3R7R9. Games often stop working after updates R22. The app also struggles with basic functions like staying logged in or remembering progress in an article .
WCVB NewsCenter 5 WCVB NewsCenter 5 is frequently criticized for constant crashes and articles resetting to the home page R66R69R91R94. Videos often do not play , and some users experience the app not opening or being unavailable in their location . Notifications are unreliable, often leading to the home page instead of the specific story .
Price & Value edge: WCVB NewsCenter 5R1R15R19R25
The Boston Globe The Boston Globe is a paid subscription service (Free + IAP). Users complain about subscription offers not working R1 and being teased with $1 subscriptions . Many paid subscribers are frustrated by the app's poor functionality, feeling it doesn't justify the cost R19R25. Some also find the digital subscription too expensive for retirees . The inability to share articles with non-subscribers is also a point of frustration R15.
WCVB NewsCenter 5 WCVB NewsCenter 5 is free to download and use. The main 'cost' for users is enduring a high volume of ads, particularly video ads before content, which many find annoying and intrusive R63R64R81R87. Some users also raise concerns about privacy, noting updated terms of service that allow the sale of personal information and location data to third parties .
Customer Support tieR3R25R35R36
The Boston Globe The Boston Globe's customer service receives negative feedback. Users report that support assumes user error instead of acknowledging bugs R36 and can be rude and unwilling to refund charges R25. While support temporarily resolved a login issue for one user R3, others found password resets to be a chore R35.
WCVB NewsCenter 5 WCVB NewsCenter 5 users report sending 'bug fix' inquiries with no response .
Pick The Boston Globe if

Pick The Boston Globe if you prioritize in-depth, professional journalism, including national and world news, and are willing to tolerate significant app usability issues and a paid subscription R8.

Pick WCVB NewsCenter 5 if

Pick WCVB NewsCenter 5 if you primarily need free, reliable local Massachusetts news, weather, and breaking alerts, and are prepared to deal with frequent app crashes and numerous ads .

Evidence note: Customer support evidence for WCVB NewsCenter 5 is very thin, with only one review mentioning a lack of response to bug inquiries.

Frequently asked

Does The Boston Globe app have login issues?
Yes, The Boston Globe app is frequently criticized by users for persistent login issues, often requiring subscribers to log in multiple times a day or preventing access to articles R1R3R7R9.
Are there many ads in the WCVB NewsCenter 5 app?
Yes, WCVB NewsCenter 5 users frequently complain about an excessive number of annoying ads, particularly video ads with unskippable sound that play before news content R63R64R81R87.
Does the WCVB NewsCenter 5 app crash frequently?
Yes, many users report that the WCVB NewsCenter 5 app constantly crashes or resets to the home screen while they are reading articles or watching videos R66R69R91R94.
Is The Boston Globe app good for games and puzzles?
No, the games and puzzles section of The Boston Globe app is widely criticized by users as being outdated, glitchy, and almost unusable, with games often ceasing to work after updates R12R22R45R58.

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] The Boston Globe 5/5 · US The Boston Globe: The Globe App vs. E-Paper
  2. [R8] The Boston Globe 5/5 · US Boston Globe: Very well done publication
  3. [R10] The Boston Globe 1/5 · US No longer journalism: Sadly this has become too biased to regularly read.
  4. [R11] The Boston Globe 5/5 · US Online: I love reading the Globe online and in the daily newspaper. Having both options is awesome. Such a great newspaper.
  5. [R1] The Boston Globe 1/5 · US doesn’t work: Your $1 for six months subscription doesn’t work. Signed up on May 10, now can’t get in.
  6. [R3] The Boston Globe 3/5 · US Can only log on or see on phone not on PC: Even though I am a paid subscriber I cannot read articles on a PC as I get challenged to log in. However clicking the log in icon produces no response. This is a chronic problem that was temporarily resolved by Support I can access the paper on the phone however.
  7. [R6] The Boston Globe 3/5 · US Search function needs more prominence: I read the hard copy BG and only use the app to share articles with others. I want the search function obvious on the Home Screen. I’m tech literate so this is not a Luddite complaint.
  8. [R7] The Boston Globe 1/5 · US App doesn’t authenticate: Title says it all
  9. [R9] The Boston Globe 3/5 · US Why not make it work?: The app has a weird limitation. When I click a link using Gmail and it launches a web page that makes me login and then launches the app... Why not have the authentication built into the app like others?
  10. [R15] The Boston Globe 3/5 · US Can’t gift articles: Decent local coverage but I cannot share articles to people who don’t subscribe to the Globe. Most newspaper subscriptions allow for several gifts a month.
  11. [R19] The Boston Globe 1/5 · US Worst: Boston Globe digital version is by far the worst digital newspaper I know of. I subscribe to NYT, WSJ, FT, Wash Post, Japan Times, Nikkei, New York Post and The economist. Hands down the globe is the clunkiest, bugiest digital newspaper source out there. Why?? There are so many good role models. Please fix this or I will have to leave.
  12. [R25] The Boston Globe 1/5 · US Terrible app experience: I’m consistently unable to get into article articles and the customer service associated with this is awful. I’ve called and they were so rude and unwilling to refund the charges. I didn’t even know we’re being charged to me. Don’t download this app.
  13. [R35] The Boston Globe 4/5 · US Great Paper, ok Web Site: I read the Globe in paper and on my phone every day. My password was contaminated and it was a chore to reset it.
  14. [R36] The Boston Globe 3/5 · US Great content, poor app and support: I’ve found at least 2 bugs in the app, and I reported each one. When I report a bug, the customer service agent seems to assume it’s a user error rather than a bug. For one bug, she told to restart the app and/or restart my phone. If you’re giving me a work around, acknowledge thaf it’s a bug.
  15. [R63] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US Like It: But the ads before the video clips are annoying.
  16. [R64] WCVB NewsCenter 5 2/5 · US Too many Ads!!: Every news article starts with an Ad. It’s so annoying. Today, I was trying to watch a live broadcast of a news conference on an active shooter at a college. There should never be Ads to access this type of news. Shame on you WCVB. Do better!
  17. [R81] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US Landscape mode on iPad not working: To read any article, I have to rotate the iPad to portrait view. I receive news alerts, yet when I click on them to read, the article doesn’t appear, nor can it be found on the app. The repetition of having to endure the same advertisement each time I click on the video for a story is beyond annoying.
  18. [R87] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US Wcvb app annoyance: I really like this app, but may have to delete it because of your annoying video commercials - you cannot turn off the sound - even when you reach ‘skip ads’. You might think that ‘noise’ anywhere is appropriate, but it isn’t. Please let followers turn off the noise, or for me, the only option is to delete the app.
  19. [R66] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US Constant crashes: I am NEVER able to read a story or check the weather without it suddenly closing and going back to home page. Extremely frustrating, especially since I keep the app updated and I am not using an old device. I’m guessing it’s the hundreds of ads trying to load that make the actual story close.
  20. [R69] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US New bug renders app barely usable: The app is generally good one to use, but in the last month, it very frequently refreshes itself. This means if you are reading an article, it suddenly takes you back to the Home Screen. I’ve had it happen three times just trying to finish one article!
  21. [R91] WCVB NewsCenter 5 1/5 · US iOS 17 update failure: The app constantly crashes after every article read!
  22. [R94] WCVB NewsCenter 5 2/5 · US News stories cut out and return to home page: News stories stop in the beginning and/or middle (for both reading & video) and the app returns to the home page. This has been going on for several months, even after deleting and downloading the app again. Very frustrating as I like WCVB and prefer to get news and weather there. Seems to be a common problem. PLEASE FIX THIS APP.
  23. [R12] The Boston Globe 3/5 · US Globe app review: The functionality of the news section of the app is pretty good and intuitive. If you are interested in playing the crossword or other typical newspaper games do not bother, that section of the app is wildly out of date and almost unusable.
  24. [R22] The Boston Globe 1/5 · US Games no longer work: The games no longer work after the latest update. I’ve given it months to see if they would resolve this and sadly they have not. Doing the crossword was my peace each evening. Very unfortunate.
  25. [R45] The Boston Globe 3/5 · US News great games bad: Love the journalism. Games are too glitchy to play. I’d love to delete my NYT games…
  26. [R58] The Boston Globe 1/5 · US Must we sign in 80 times a day?: I am a Sunday paper subscriber. Every time I want to view the news online I have to sign in-multiple time a day. Plus I get errors on puzzles and haven’t played one on app yet (at least a month). This is my worst app review

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