Comparison

theSkimm vs Ad Age

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

Head to head
About

theSkimm

Stay informed with daily news summaries, in-depth articles on career, health, and finance, and engaging podcasts. Discover personalized recommendations and integrate events into your calendar to live smarter.

Highlights
  • Daily news summaries
  • In-depth articles
  • Podcasts
  • Personalized calendar integration
  • Curated recommendations
  • Career, health, and finance topics
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Meet: theSkimm app. We’ve got you covered on all the news and info you need to start your day. Think: news, podcasts, curated picks, and a personalized calendar to help you live your smartest life. Try the app for free. After that, pay less than a cup of coffee a month. Wake up with us. It all starts with the Daily Skimm – the morning newsletter that connects the dots on how the biggest stories affect your life. Dive deeper. We help you navigate the complicated topics around your career, health, and wallet. Listen in. Meet our podcasts: “Skimm This” explains the week’s biggest stories. “Skimm’d from the Couch” features advice from female leaders. Stay up-to-date. Our calendar integrates with yours so you never miss important moments, like awards shows, elections, and more. Discover more. We Skimm your shopping cart, streaming queue, and bookshelf. We'll help you discover things quicker, so you can spend your downtime smarter. ------- In-app purchase subscription required. All monthly subscriptions begin with a free trial, after which a recurring charge of $2.99 per month. All yearly subscriptions are charged $29.99 at the time of purchase, with a recurring charge billed annually. Details: - Subscription options: monthly subscription of $2.99 per month, or yearly subscription of $29.99 per year - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period - theSkimm's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use can be visited at http://theskimm.com/privacy - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication

About

Ad Age

Stay informed with breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insights on marketing, advertising, media, and creative trends. Receive real-time alerts to keep you ahead of industry changes. Access limited content for free, with subscription options for full features.

Highlights
  • Breaking news alerts
  • In-depth analysis
  • Industry insights
  • Creative work showcases
  • Podcasts and videos
  • Exclusive data reports
Features
Read full description

Ad Age delivers breaking news, in-depth analysis, and must-know insights on marketers, ad agencies, media, ad tech, creator trends, AI initiatives—and the best creative work from around the world. Get real-time alerts when news breaks, ensuring you're always informed and prepared for what’s next. The Ad Age app is free to download and provides limited access to articles. Subscribers unlock unlimited access to standard articles, podcasts, and videos. Ad Age All Access members gain even more, including Agency Review Tracker, exclusive data-driven reports, annual rankings and forecasts you won’t find anywhere else. Since 1930, Ad Age has been the industry’s go-to resource for news, insights, analysis, and events, helping marketing and advertising leaders navigate an ever-changing landscape. Download the Ad Age app today and stay at the forefront of the industry.

Screenshots

theSkimm4 screens
Ad Age4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ad Age at none against theSkimm's 2. theSkimm's advantage is ratings volume (13K vs 328) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). On price, rating, ads and monetization model 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. theSkimm sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Ad Age asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for theSkimm against 4.8 for Ad Age. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: theSkimm has 13K ratings behind it against 328, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of theSkimm's written reviews are positive against 30% of Ad Age's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

theSkimm ships an update every 2 months, Ad Age every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
theSkimm versus Ad Age: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametertheSkimmAd Age
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (13K ratings)4.8 (328 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.7% of reviews — better30.0% of reviews
Number of ratings13K — better328
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#44 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB124 MB
Age rating17+12+
DevelopertheSkimmCrain Communications, Inc.

Customer experience

theSkimm

All ratings13,230 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.0%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews150 reviews
Positive40.7%
Neutral7.3%
Negative52.0%

Ad Age

All ratings328 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive30.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative70.0%

Bugs and requests

theSkimm

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Issues with 'Do Not Sell My Information' feature

Requested features

4 requests
  • Offline content access
  • More international news coverage
  • Customizable news preferences
  • Ability to remove ads for paid subscribers

Ad Age

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

theSkimm

Subscriptions2
  • theSkimm Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • theSkimm Yearly$29.991 Year
None

Ad Age

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is theSkimm free?
theSkimm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ad Age free?
Ad Age is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, theSkimm or Ad Age?
Ad Age is rated higher. theSkimm averages 4.8 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Ad Age averages 4.8 from 328 ratings.
Do theSkimm or Ad Age have ads?
Neither theSkimm nor Ad Age shows ads.
Which is updated more often, theSkimm or Ad Age?
theSkimm ships an update every 2 months, and Ad Age every 8 months. Most recently, theSkimm was updated on November 6, 2026 and Ad Age on November 3, 2026.

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