# The Critic vs UnHerd

The Critic and UnHerd both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 62% of UnHerd's written reviews are positive against 14% of The Critic's. UnHerd also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 34 months) and ratings volume (858 vs 7). The Critic's advantage is iOS requirement (11.2 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Critic sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 3 months and UnHerd sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for The Critic against 4.8 for UnHerd. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: UnHerd has 858 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 14% of The Critic's written reviews are positive against 62% of UnHerd's.

The Critic ships an update every 34 months, UnHerd every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Critic | UnHerd |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-critic/id1490412624/reviews) | **[4.8 (858 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unherd/id1547403989/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **858** |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews | **61.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 34 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 25 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.2** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [LOCOMOTIVE 6960 LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1490412623) | [UnHerd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1547403991) |

## What reviewers say

### The Critic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-critic/id1490412624)

This monthly magazine offers in-depth analysis of politics, ideas, art, and literature. It aims to foster honest criticism and intellectual rigor, providing a platform for diverse voices and perspectives.

**Highlights:** Monthly magazine download, Politics, ideas, art, literature coverage, In-depth analysis, Open-minded readership, Purchase current and back issues, Subscription options available

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Critic 3M Auto-Renew Sub | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| The Critic 12M Auto-Renew Sub | $25.49 | per year |
| November 2019 (pp:667449) | $5.99 | one-time |
| April 2020 (pp:667457) | $5.99 | one-time |
| February 2020 (pp:667459) | $5.99 | one-time |
| March 2020 (pp:667458) | $5.99 | one-time |
| April 2021 (pp:711174) | $5.99 | one-time |
| May 2021 (pp:711169) | $5.99 | one-time |
| June 2021 (pp:711164) | $5.99 | one-time |
| July 2021 (id:694054) | $6.99 | one-time |
| The Critic | $39.99 | one-time |


### UnHerd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unherd/id1547403989)

Access a curated collection of articles, videos, and podcasts from a leading publication. Save content for offline reading and receive timely notifications for new editions and must-read pieces. Customize your feed with UK or US editions.

**Highlights:** Offline article reading, Content notifications, All content in one place, UK or US edition feeds, Save favorite articles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly membership | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly membership | $69.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Informative and thought-provoking articles
- 🖋️ Well-written and insightful commentary
- 🌐 Diverse range of perspectives
- 🔍 Covers underreported topics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔑 Frequent login issues
- 🤖 Unreliable app performance
- 🔍 Limited content availability
- 💰 Subscription management problems

**Reported bugs**

- App frequently logs users out
- Inconsistent content availability between app and website
- Recaptcha issues preventing commenting

**Requested features**

- Add audio/podcast option for articles
- Improve app stability and login experience
- Provide better content discoverability
- Enhance subscription management features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Critic free?

The Critic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is UnHerd free?

UnHerd is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Critic or UnHerd?

UnHerd is rated higher. The Critic averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while UnHerd averages 4.8 from 858 ratings.

### Do The Critic or UnHerd have ads?

Neither The Critic nor UnHerd shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Critic or UnHerd?

The Critic ships an update every 34 months, and UnHerd every 2 months. Most recently, The Critic was updated on October 25, 2026 and UnHerd on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*