The National vs Rolling Stone UK
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The National
Access comprehensive coverage of Scottish news, politics, business, and culture. Enjoy insightful analysis, opinion pieces, and in-depth reporting. Stay updated with live news, read the digital paper, and enjoy interactive puzzles and audio articles.
- Live news updates
- Ad-free reading experience
- Daily digital newspapers
- Interactive puzzles
- Article audio player
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The National is a dynamic newspaper providing comprehensive coverage of current affairs, politics, business, culture, and more. With a strong focus on national and international news, it offers insightful analysis, thought-provoking opinion pieces and in-depth reporting. As the first newspaper in Scotland to be written in support of independence, we thrive to provide our readers with top quality content covering Scottish affairs in politics & business as well as the latest sports and special features. The National app is the best way to keep up to date with all the breaking news, politics, sports and events in Scotland and gives you the following great features… • Live Updates: Get the latest Scottish news, politics and sport as it happens • Ad-Free Reading: No ads, no pop-ups, no distractions • Daily Digital Newspapers: Read the paper in full, cover to cover • Interactive Puzzles: Play new crosswords, sudoku and more every day • Article Audio Player: Listen to articles and create content playlists All subscriptions are auto-renewing. Payment for this subscription will be charged to your Apple account upon purchase. The subscription will auto-renew within 24 hours of the current subscription expiring, at the same rate as the initial purchase. Auto-renewing subscriptions can be managed via Account Settings allowing them to be turned off. No cancellations of the current subscription are allowed during the active subscription period. Privacy Policy - https://www.newsquest.co.uk/our-policies/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Rolling Stone UK
Access the latest in music, film, TV, and current affairs from the UK edition of a renowned global brand. Discover in-depth artist profiles and breaking news.
- Latest music news
- Film and TV coverage
- Current affairs articles
- In-depth artist profiles
- Up-to-date news
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The world famous publishing brand has arrived in the UK, delivering the latest in music, film, TV, current affairs, in-depth artist profiles, up to date news and much more. Privacy Policy & Terms: https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/privacy-policy/ About Rolling Stone UK: https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/about-rolling-stone-uk/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Rolling Stone UK at free with in-app purchases against The National's subscription. The National's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 13 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. The National sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per 7 days and Rolling Stone UK sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
The National ships an update every 5 months, Rolling Stone UK every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The National | Rolling Stone UK |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.9 (14 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 21.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | — | 14 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 13 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 138 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | +17 | 4+ |
| Developer | Newsquest | Stream Publishing |
Customer experience
The National
Rolling Stone UK
In-app purchases
The National
- Weekly Subscription$4.497 Days
- Weekly Subscription$4.997 Days
- Monthly Subscription$14.491 Month
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- Monthly Subscription$16.991 Month
- Quarterly Subscription$40.993 Months
- Quarterly Subscription$46.993 Months
- 6 Month Subscription$76.996 Months
- 6 Month Subscription$89.996 Months
- Annual Subscription2 variants$129.991 Year
Rolling Stone UK
- Monthly Subscription$3.991 Month
- Annual Subscription$39.991 Year
- October/November 2021 Issue$4.99
Questions
Is The National free?
Is Rolling Stone UK free?
Do The National or Rolling Stone UK have ads?
Which is updated more often, The National or Rolling Stone UK?
Other comparisons
