Comparison

Central Banking vs FT Digital Edition

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Central Banking

This app delivers global coverage, comment, and analysis on central banking topics. It features news, interviews, and in-depth articles on monetary policy, financial stability, and economics, sourced from daily news and the Central Banking journal.

Highlights
  • Global coverage of central banking
  • News, features, and interviews
  • Monetary policy and financial stability analysis
  • Offline article viewing
  • Save and share favorite stories
  • Customizable content types
Features
Read full description

The Central Banking app provides informed global coverage, comment and analysis for the central banking community. The Central Banking app contains news stories, features, interviews and opinion that cover the entire breadth of the central banking industry. From monetary policy, to financial stability, economics, governance, reserve management and currency, articles are sourced from daily news and Central Banking journal. Central Banking is firmly established as the industry’s leading information resource – it delivers unrivalled coverage of the market, with in-depth analysis of all the latest industry news. Its reputation is such that Central Banking has access to the leading players in the market – Central Banking speaks to them in order to gather their thoughts and opinions on the latest hot topics, and this in turn allows Central Banking to produce award-winning journalism with a level of insight that you simply cannot find anywhere else. The financial crisis has fundamentally and irrevocably shifted the political and economic landscape – forcing central bankers, regulators and the industry at large to rethink the way financial markets work. Central Banking keeps its readers informed about what central bankers and regulators are thinking about markets, and how policy should influence them. Like the highly successful CentralBanking.com website, the Live app features breaking news and independent commentary updates throughout the day. The app also gives users the ability to view articles offline, save and share favourite stories, and customise the type of content received. The easy-to-navigate app allows subscribers to access all content at a time and place that suits as well as ensuring access to information as soon as it’s published. ** Subscription terms and conditions • A one-month subscription costs £899.99. Your iTunes account will be charged when you choose to purchase a subscription. • At the end of the one month period, and unless you choose to cancel (see below), the subscription will renew. Your iTunes account will be charged the renewal cost within 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. • You may manage your subscription, or cancel this auto renewal, at any time via your iTunes Account settings. However, subscription sales are final. If you choose to cancel, your subscription will cease at the end of the current period - no refunds will be given. For more information please see our privacy policy https://www.infopro-digital.com/terms-conditions/privacy-policy/?lang=en.

About

FT Digital Edition

Access the daily Financial Times newspaper delivered to your device. Enjoy exclusive digital magazines, translated articles, and a decade of archives. Listen to audio versions of top stories and read offline.

Highlights
  • Daily newspaper delivered to device
  • Exclusive digital magazines
  • Translated articles in 30+ languages
  • Browse 10 years of previous editions
  • Audio versions of top stories
  • Download for offline reading
  • Global editions and classic layout
Features
Read full description

Your daily Financial Times newspaper, delivered to your device when it goes to print. Now with search to quickly find and save articles across editions. WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM THE FT APP • View global print editions editions in 3 reading modes • Editor-curated news in a classic newspaper layout • Exclusive digital access to FT magazines normally available only in print • Translate articles into 30+ languages • Access previous editions of the newspaper dating back 15 years APP FEATURES: • Search for and save articles across editions • Listen to articles with AI audio • Download editions to read offline • Set alerts to stay ahead of the day's news • Change the font size for easier reading EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINES INCLUDE: • HTSI (formerly ‘How To Spend It’): The FT's weekly, multi-award-winning luxury lifestyle magazine covering fashion, design, and the arts • FT Weekend Magazine: A supplement to the weekend edition of the Financial Times, featuring long-form journalism, investigations, photography, and international reporting • FT Wealth: Insights into wealth management and luxury living • The Art of Fashion: A special edition exploring the intersection of art and fashion • Business Education: Insights into executive education, MBA programs, and leadership development READING MODES • Headline view for quick browsing • Article view optimized for reading • Replica view to enjoy the full newspaper layout IS FT DIGITAL EDITION FOR YOU? Whether you're navigating global markets, exploring culture, or seeking fresh perspectives, the FT Digital Edition delivers expert, independent journalism you can trust. From Wall Street to Hong Kong, FT covers markets, politics, technology, climate policy, and industry-leading social research. Track economic shifts, follow business trends, and explore cultural movements with FT’s analysis and expertise. With reporting from over 50 countries, translation available in 30+ languages, and exclusive magazine content—including HTSI, FT Weekend Magazine, and FT Wealth—the FT Digital Edition is for those who think critically about the world. Whether you're planning your next trip to a cultural capital, deepening your understanding of global finance, or seeking fresh literary and lifestyle insights, stay engaged, informed, and inspired with FT. FINANCIAL TIMES ADVANTAGE: • Accurate, independent, and insightful journalism since 1888 • Unbiased reporting: expert commentary and analysis on business, politics, economics, finance, and more • Coverage across arts, real estate, fashion, food, books, technology, and beyond WHAT DOES IT COST? The FT Digital Edition offers comprehensive coverage and great value. Monthly pricing starts from $12.99, with discounts available for longer terms. Subscribe via the app or at https://www.ft.com/todaysnewspaper Terms and conditions apply. Read them at ft.com/terms We respect your privacy. Read our privacy policy at ft.com/privacy

Screenshots

Central Banking4 screens
FT Digital Edition4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: FT Digital Edition at free with in-app purchases against Central Banking's subscription. FT Digital Edition also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (2.9K vs 40). Central Banking's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 63%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Central Banking sells 18 one-off in-app purchases and FT Digital Edition sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $16.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Central Banking against 4.8 for FT Digital Edition. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FT Digital Edition has 2.9K ratings behind it against 40, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Central Banking's written reviews are positive against 63% of FT Digital Edition's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Central Banking ships an update every 7 months, FT Digital Edition every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 7, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Central Banking versus FT Digital Edition: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCentral BankingFT Digital Edition
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (40 ratings)4.8 (2.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better62.9% of reviews
Number of ratings402.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB47 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperInfopro Digital Services LimitedFinancial Times Ltd.

Customer experience

Central Banking

All ratings36 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral5.6%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

FT Digital Edition

All ratings2,876 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive62.9%
Neutral6.7%
Negative30.3%

Bugs and requests

Central Banking

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

FT Digital Edition

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to log in and access the subscription
  • Rendering issues with hyphens and other special characters
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between online and offline modes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Implement a full-screen mode for better reading experience
  • Add a dark mode option for comfortable reading
  • Improve the text-to-speech (audio) functionality to handle non-text elements better
  • Introduce a search feature to easily find articles and content
  • Enhance the offline reading capabilities to ensure consistent availability

In-app purchases

18 purchases

Central Banking

One-time18
  • Vol XXXIII Number 1$899.99
  • Vol XXXIII Number 2$899.99
  • Vol XXXIII Number 3$899.99
Show 15 more
  • Vol XXXIII Number 4$899.99
  • Vol XXXIV Number 1$899.99
  • Vol XXXIV Number 2$899.99
  • Vol XXXIV Number 4$899.99
  • Vol XXXIV Number 3$899.99
  • Vol XXXV Number 2$899.99
  • Vol XXXV Number 1$899.99
  • Volume XXXVI Number 3$899.99
  • Volume XXXVI Number 4$899.99
  • Volume XXXVII Number 1$899.99
  • Volume XXXVII Number 2$899.99
  • Vol XXXV Number 3$899.99
  • Vol XXXVI Number 1$899.99
  • Vol XXXV Number 4$899.99
  • Vol XXXVI Number 2$899.99
2 purchases

FT Digital Edition

Subscriptions2
  • FT Digital Edition Monthly$16.991 Month
  • FT Digital Edition$45.003 Months

Questions

Is Central Banking free?
Central Banking is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FT Digital Edition free?
FT Digital Edition is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Central Banking or FT Digital Edition?
FT Digital Edition is rated higher. Central Banking averages 4.7 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while FT Digital Edition averages 4.8 from 2.9K ratings.
Do Central Banking or FT Digital Edition have ads?
Neither Central Banking nor FT Digital Edition shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Central Banking or FT Digital Edition?
Central Banking ships an update every 7 months, and FT Digital Edition every 3 weeks. Most recently, Central Banking was updated on July 7, 2026 and FT Digital Edition on September 23, 2026.

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