The Epoch Times is a news publishing app providing investigative journalism, political commentary, and exclusive video content on iOS.
Product velocity
Active
Daily rank 🇺🇸
#84
▼5News · free
Sentiment
4.9
265k reviews
Nemesis
Newsmax
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users hire this app for access to alternative reporting on US politics and China that they perceive as missing from mainstream outlets.
For News consumers seeking independent, value-driven journalism and investigative reporting with a focus on US politics, China, and traditional values.
What does it look like?
Key features
Access to exclusive video series, documentaries, and investigative interviews
Converts written articles into spoken audio for hands-free consumption
Download articles and videos to a local list for access without internet connectivity
How much does it cost?
Subscription-first model where over 90 percent of revenue is generated directly from readers.
Velocity
Active developmentUX improvementsperformanceShow more...
The app maintains an active development cadence, shipping 5 updates over the last 78 days, averaging roughly 0.45 releases per week. While the most recent updates have been minor, the development team consistently delivers UX/UI improvements and feature refinements, such as the search feature enhancements noted in earlier releases. The release history shows a stable, ongoing commitment to maintenance and incremental feature iteration. There is no evidence of live-ops events, and the development trend remains stable.
Who built it?
Epoch Usa
8 apps tracked · News
Epoch TV
大纪元 Chinese Epoch Times
Epoch Times Print Edition
FZNAlarm
El Epoch: Últimas Noticias
Epoch Times Français
OrigInsightUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
The recent review mood reads mixed. Users appreciate independent news coverage provides a reliable alternative to mainstream media narratives for informed readers, but report persistent subscription prompts and paywalls frustrate users who have already purchased a full annual membership.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Independent news coverage provides a reliable alternative to mainstream media narratives for informed readers
- Persistent subscription prompts and paywalls frustrate users who have already purchased a full annual membership
59 of 59 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Mixed overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Epoch Times: Live & Breaking
How's the News market?
The app holds a #18 Grossing rank in its category, signaling strong monetization despite technical friction. The gap between its high-trust editorial brand and the current navigation bugs creates a retention risk that competitors like Newsmax are positioned to exploit.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By Newsmax Media, Inc.
Newsmax occupies the exact same political and ideological news niche as The Epoch Times, competing for the same conservative-leaning audience.
- Integrates live video streaming directly into the primary feed for immediate broadcast access
- Features a dedicated 'Shows' tab that organizes long-form video content by personality and schedule
- Utilizes a push-notification strategy heavily weighted toward breaking political alerts to drive daily retention
Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Epoch Times: Live & Breaking
Where is it heading?
The conservative news market is consolidating around high-velocity video platforms, leaving text-heavy apps exposed to churn. The Epoch Times must resolve its authentication and navigation friction to prevent its core subscriber base from migrating to more responsive competitors.
- Technical instability and broken deep-linking in the latest version degrade the daily reading experience, which directly accelerates churn among paying subscribers.
- Recent updates focused on stability and bug fixes, indicating a maintenance-heavy posture rather than active feature expansion.
The SWOT
- Long-term editorial consistency builds deep subscriber trust
- Exclusive video programming creates a distinct content barrier
- Text-to-audio functionality increases daily session frequency
- Improved search functionality could index the entire archive
- Standardized iOS integration would reduce daily friction
Next best moves
Audit authentication logic because subscription prompts block active members → reduce churn
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The app's aggressive subscription prompts are not just…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
Live video streaming integration (available in Newsmax but missing here) +1
Since the last report: The app's sentiment has declined from positive to mixed due to critical authentication and navigation bugs that frustrate paying subscribers.
Bottom line
The Epoch Times retains a loyal audience through editorial trust, but technical friction in authentication and navigation actively drives churn among paying subscribers, so the team must prioritize fixing these core access loops to stabilize retention.
Unlock 3 critical frictions, 2 market threats, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is The Epoch Times app free to use?
Does the app work offline?
Why am I being asked to subscribe if I am already a member?
How does this app compare to Newsmax?
Report last updated