Best News apps on iOS, ranked by ASO
The App Store's top-charting News apps, ranked not by downloads but by how well each one is optimized. NYTimes: US and Global News is the most downloaded, yet ranks #10 here by ASO.
Top News apps on the App Store by ASO score
Seeded from the App Store's News top charts (free + paid), then ranked by ASO score. The "by downloads" position shows where each app sits in the chart, so you can see the gap between popularity and optimization.
- 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
Ranked by ASO score among News chart leaders on the App Store. Scores measure title, subtitle or short description, keyword coverage, description, screenshots and visuals, freshness, and metadata completeness. Corpus refresh: 8/1/2026.
How to use this News ranking
This ranking is designed to separate category visibility from listing quality. A chart leader can win downloads because of brand strength, paid acquisition, or network effects while still leaving ASO gaps in its title, subtitle, description, screenshots, update cadence, or metadata. The useful signal is the difference between chart position and ASO score.
Start with Police Scanner: Crime Radar and the other top scorers, then look for repeated patterns in the wording, visual promises, and metadata coverage. For your own News app, use those patterns as a benchmark, not a script: validate the keyword opportunity first, compare against direct competitors, and then plan the next release around the highest-confidence changes.
What the ASO score reveals in News
This is a listing-quality view of App Store 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 on the App Store 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.