Best News apps, ranked by ASO
We took the News category's real top-chart leaders on the App Store and Google Play and ranked them by how well they're optimized. Both store leaderboards are shown side by side.
Top News apps by store
App Store
25 appsTop: Police Scanner: Crime Radar · ASO 83
View iOS ranking- 1
Police Scanner: Crime Radar
App Store#14 by downloadsSepia Software LLC
- 2
Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods
App Store#5 by downloadsSherwood Forestry Service, Inc.
- 3
Bloomberg: Business News Daily
App Store#7 by downloadsBloomberg Finance LP
- 4
Citizen: Safety & Live Video
App Store#4 by downloadssp0n, Inc.
- 5
5-0 Radio Pro Police Scanner
App Store#16 by downloadsSmartest Apps LLC
- 6
Loop - Podcast Player
App Store#16 by downloadsAugusto Simionato
- 7
Stocks.News－Market Alerts
App Store#17 by downloadsIR Agency LLC
- 8
TrueShort - Stream True Crime
App Store#20 by downloadsHumans Anonymous, Inc
- 9
The Economist: News & Analysis
App Store#9 by downloadsThe Economist
- 10
NYTimes: US and Global News
App Store#2 by downloadsThe New York Times Company
- 11
NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts
App Store#6 by downloadsParticle Media Inc.
- 12
CNN: Live & Breaking News
App Store#11 by downloadsCNN Interactive Group, Inc.
- 13
Financial Times: Business News
App Store#17 by downloadsFinancial Times Ltd.
- 14
Nextdoor: Neighborhood Network
App Store#7 by downloadsNextdoor
- 15
CNBC: Stock Market & Business
App Store#12 by downloadsVersant Media LLC
- 16
Fizz: Your Authentic Community
App Store#15 by downloadsFizz Social Corp.
- 17
CrimeRadar Dispatch Audio
App Store#3 by downloadsScoopz Inc.
- 18
The Brief: News Articles
App Store#10 by downloadsLuigi Mazzeo
- 19
iCatcher! Podcast Player
App Store#13 by downloadsJoeisanerd.com
- 20
Police Scanner: Fire Radio
App Store#13 by downloadsGuru Network Limited Inc.
- 21
Current - RSS Feed Reader
App Store#14 by downloadsJupiter Interactive Group LLC
- 22
FOX News: US & World Headlines
App Store#19 by downloadsFox News Network, LLC
- 23
The Wall Street Journal. News
App Store#3 by downloadsDow Jones & Company, Inc., publisher of The Wall Street Journal.
- 24
Police Scanner Radio & Fire
App Store#10 by downloadsGordonEdwards.net LLC
- 25
Bayou City Watch
App Store#10 by downloadsJustin Stigall
Google Play
25 appsTop: The Wall Street Journal. News · ASO 86
View Android ranking- 1
The Wall Street Journal. News
Google Play#3 by downloadsDow Jones & Company, Inc.
- 2
Bloomberg: Finance Market News
Google Play#10 by downloadsBloomberg LP CM
- 3
SmartNews: Live News & Rewards
Google Play#14 by downloadsSmartNews, Inc.
- 4
PEOPLE: Pop Culture & Puzzles
Google Play#20 by downloadsDotdash Meredith Inc.
- 5
CrimeRadar: Dispatch Alerts
Google Play#2 by downloadsScoopz LLC
- 6
Local Weather & News - Radar
Google Play#6 by downloadsDaowei Network
- 7
Scanner Radio - Police Scanner
Google Play#9 by downloadsGordonEdwards.net LLC
- 8
The Epoch Times: Breaking News
Google Play#14 by downloadsEpoch Times Association Inc
- 9
FOX News - Daily Breaking News
Google Play#12 by downloadsFOX News Network, LLC
- 10
Local Weather News - Radar
Google Play#5 by downloadsEASE Group
- 11
CNN: Live & Breaking News
Google Play#9 by downloadsCNN
- 12
NYTimes: US and Global News
Google Play#2 by downloadsThe New York Times Company
- 13
WeatherNews: Local & Breaking
Google Play#10 by downloadsNEWSDELIVER LIMITED
- 14
Local News: Breaking & Latest
Google Play#18 by downloadsNEWSDELIVER LIMITED
- 15
The Guardian - US & World News
Google Play#6 by downloadsGuardian News & Media Ltd
- 16
FOX Nation: Celebrate America
Google Play#11 by downloadsFOX News Network, LLC
- 17
Weather & News : Radar, Alerts
Google Play#18 by downloadsDoomob Labs
- 18
Washington Post: Live News
Google Play#7 by downloadsThe Washington Post
- 19
NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts
Google Play#3 by downloadsParticle Media Inc.
- 20
Google News - Daily Headlines
Google Play#15 by downloadsGoogle LLC
- 21
Local News: Headlines & Alerts
Google Play#16 by downloadsOpera
- 22
FOX LOCAL: Live News & Weather
Google Play#19 by downloadsFox Television Stations, Inc.
- 23
Pocket Casts - Podcast App
Google Play#20 by downloadsAutomattic, Inc
- 24
Quora: the knowledge platform
Google Play#20 by downloadsQuora, Inc.
- 25
The Economist - World News
Google Play#16 by downloadsThe Economist Newspaper
What to compare across stores
The same News category can behave differently on the App Store and Google Play. iOS listings lean on the title, subtitle, keyword field, and screenshot sequence. Android listings have more room in the short description and long description. Reading both leaderboards helps separate category signals from platform signals.
Use the highest-scoring apps as a baseline for a complete listing in this category. Review your own app against the same signals before changing keywords or creative. Strong ASO work matches search intent, store fields, and conversion-focused screenshots in the same release.
How News apps can earn more organic search
Organic growth in News starts with the job a user wants to solve. A strong listing makes that job clear in the title, subtitle or short description, first screenshots, and opening description copy. The score shows whether the listing gives stores enough evidence to understand the app. It also shows whether users get enough visual proof to install.
Compare the words used by high-scoring apps with the outcomes shown in their screenshots. Repeated benefit language, category labels, and use-case phrases are good keyword candidates. If screenshots explain the same first-use moment, test that creative angle before chasing harder search terms.
Police Scanner: Crime Radar leads the App Store side while The Wall Street Journal. News leads the Google Play side, which gives you two different listing patterns to compare. Do not copy the wording directly. Look for the structure behind it. Check where the primary keyword appears. See how quickly the listing explains the app. Then review whether the description supports the same intent and recent updates build trust. The best ASO pages combine search relevance, complete metadata, fresh updates, and a clear reason to install.
- Search intentMap the category's common jobs, outcomes, and user language before editing metadata.
- Store fitCheck whether the App Store or Google Play leaders rely on different fields to explain the same value.
- Conversion proofUse screenshots and short copy to prove the outcome promised by the keyword target.
What the ASO score reveals in News
This is a listing-quality view of News apps. It is not a download chart. The ranking shows which leaders connect metadata, screenshots, freshness, and complete store fields.
If Police Scanner: Crime Radar leads this list, look for the reason. The edge may come from sharper title terms, stronger first screenshots, fresh release notes, or clearer category-fit signals. Use those patterns as a benchmark, not as copy to mirror.
The best News apps connect keyword intent, product promise, visual proof, and trust signals in one listing.
- Metadata fitClear title, subtitle, short description, and keyword coverage.
- Creative proofFirst screenshots show the outcome users came to find.
- Maintenance signalFresh updates and complete metadata keep the listing trustworthy.