The Wall Street Journal is the superior choice for readers seeking in-depth business and financial news with a center-right perspective, while USA Today is a more accessible option for general news with a left-center bias and a freemium digital model. The choice depends on the user's specific interests and budget.
| Attribute | USA Today | The Wall Street Journal |
|---|---|---|
| Circulation (Print & Digital) | 132,640 print subscribers (2023, ranked fifth in the U.S.), 2 million digital subscribers (fourth among U.S. newspapers), 163,036 daily circulations (December 2022, including print and digital) | 609,650 print subscribers and 3.17 million digital subscribers (2023). 2,262,103 average weekday paid circulation (2014), 2,300,510 on weekends (2014). 924,521 digital circulation (Monday-Friday) (2014). |
| Subscription Cost (Digital & Print) | Digital: $9.99/month; Print: $9.99 for the first 3 months, then $44.00/month for Monday-Friday delivery | Digital: Around $32.99 per month or $329.99 per year. Introductory offers may be available. Print: Around $49.99 per month or $499.99 per year. Other options: WSJ+ subscription, Student subscription, and a lifetime digital subscription for a one-time payment. (2013 Digital: $22.99/month, $275.88/year. First-time subscribers paying $187.20/year, eventually rising to $443.88/year). |
| Website User Experience | Praised for its iPad app-like horizontal navigation, designed to mimic the flow of reading a newspaper | Navigation on the digital edition is considered great by some users, with content for each section running along the side margin. |
| Mobile App Rating (iOS & Android) | Over 18 million downloads on mobile devices | iOS: 4.7 out of 5 stars with 552.1K ratings; 4.6 out of 5 with 5.1K ratings. Android: Not available. |
| Political Leaning/Bias | Generally considered left-center biased | Editorial pages and columns have a center-right to conservative slant. News pages are considered by some to be liberal. |
| Depth of Business/Financial Coverage | Offers business news coverage, personal finance columnists provide insights and advice | Extensive coverage of business and finance news. |
| Breadth of News Coverage (e.g., Sports, Entertainment) | Provides national and international news, covering sports, entertainment, health, and more | Covers U.S. and world news, politics, arts, culture, lifestyle, sports, and health. |
| Investigative Journalism Quality | Has contributed to Pulitzer-winning stories through its network, but has not won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting | Not explicitly mentioned, but has won 39 Pulitzer Prizes. |
| Fact-Checking Accuracy | Rated "Mostly Factual" by Media Bias/Fact Check, with instances of retracted articles due to fabricated facts | News reporting is generally factual. Editorial department has been found to have inaccuracies. |
| Editorial Board Influence | Has an editorial board | The editorial board oversees the Journal's opinion section, dictating its tone and direction. |
| International News Coverage | Provides international news coverage and distributes an international edition in Asia, Canada, Europe, and the Pacific islands | Has a global news staff and covers international financial markets. |
| Digital Accessibility (Paywall Structure) | Operates on a freemium model, with most content accessible without a subscription, but some exclusive articles are behind a paywall | Operates on a subscription model, requiring readers to pay for access to most of its articles and content. |