Report updated Mar 28, 2026
IndyStar: Indianapolis Star
v8.9.0Central Indiana residents and sports fans who value local investigative journalism, high school/college sports coverage, and a traditional newspaper reading experience.
What Is IndyStar: Indianapolis Star?
Launched Oct 6, 2009
Updated Mar 2026
What users think iIndependent intel reports to help builders create better apps or enhance existing ones. Still in beta, accuracy and relevancy get better every day. For informational purposes only.
Media Gallery
What are IndyStar: Indianapolis Star's key features?
A curated news feed that allows users to personalize the content they see based on their interests.
A digital replica of the print edition of the newspaper, providing a traditional reading experience.
Push notifications for immediate updates on breaking news stories.
In-depth journalism focused on holding government and powerful entities accountable.
Insider access and coverage of local professional teams (Colts, Pacers, Fever) and high school/college sports.
Ability to save stories to read later.
What do users think of IndyStar: Indianapolis Star? iIndependent intel reports to help builders create better apps or enhance existing ones. Still in beta, accuracy and relevancy get better every day. For informational purposes only.
“Recent user voice shows a frustrated sentiment. Users appreciate quality journalism and convenience of digital format, but report app stability and performance and excessive advertising.”
What Users Love
IndyStar is the best! From Greg Doyel to all the investigative reporting you do
Appreciate the timely news articles that are fact based
I don’t have to go out in frigid weather to get my copy!
Great way to keep up with the news and sports when I am out of town
Pain Points
App only opens about half the time. Sits there and spins endlessly.
App keeps freezing and often shutting down.
Get ready to be bombarded with ads and pop ups throughout your reading experience.
Ads constantly load causing jumps in page, scrolling lags
Every time I access the app I get the ad encouraging me to subscribe. My assumption is I’m no longer recognized as a subscriber.
I am repeatedly being asked to login, but the app doesn’t allow me to do so.
High confidence · 99 reviews available
App Store Performance
| Chart | Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Grossing | #58 | ▼7 |
What are the pros and cons of IndyStar: Indianapolis Star?
Pros
- Strong brand equity and reputation for investigative journalism.
- Comprehensive local sports coverage that is difficult for national competitors to replicate.
- The eNewspaper feature provides a unique, high-value experience for legacy readers.
Cons
- Poor technical stability (crashes, freezes) is actively driving churn.
- Aggressive ad-delivery negatively impacts the UX for paying subscribers.
- Persistent login/authentication bugs create a barrier to content consumption.
What is the market outlook for IndyStar: Indianapolis Star?
Growth Opportunities
- Improving app stability could immediately recover lost subscriber trust.
- Optimizing ad-delivery for subscribers (e.g., ad-free tiers) could increase revenue per user.
- Leveraging the 'For You' feed to increase engagement time through better personalization algorithms.
Market Threats
- Aggregators and social media news feeds are capturing casual readers who find the app too 'glitchy.'
- Declining app store rankings suggest a loss of market share to more stable local news alternatives.
What are the key takeaways for IndyStar: Indianapolis Star?
IndyStar: Indianapolis Star is a frustrating news app that is available. With a 4.2/5 rating from 5.9K reviews, it frustrates many users from users. Users particularly appreciate quality journalism, though app stability and performance remains a common concern.
Best for: Central Indiana residents and sports fans who value local investigative journalism, high school/college sports coverage, and a traditional newspaper reading experience.
How much does IndyStar: Indianapolis Star cost?
Model: subscription
Uses a metered paywall strategy to convert casual readers into subscribers, with tiered offerings ranging from basic digital access to full eNewspaper and ad-lite experiences.
iOS Version
8.9.0
Android Version
8.7.1
Release Date
Oct 6, 2009
iOS Price
Free
Android Price
Free
Developer
Gannett