# The Big Issue UK vs Bylines

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bylines at none against The Big Issue UK's 10. Bylines also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months). The Big Issue UK's advantage is ratings volume (22 vs 3). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Big Issue UK sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $33.99 per 3 months. Bylines asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for The Big Issue UK against 5.0 for Bylines. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Big Issue UK has 22 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of The Big Issue UK's written reviews are positive against 87% of Bylines's.

The Big Issue UK ships an update every 7 months, Bylines every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Big Issue UK | Bylines |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-big-issue-uk/id1504499826/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bylines/id1613752209/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **22** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **86.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 19 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Big Issue Group Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1504499705) | [Cliff Mitchell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1208940805) |

## What reviewers say

### The Big Issue UK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-big-issue-uk/id1504499826)

Access a weekly news and entertainment magazine with a social justice focus. Explore inspiring community stories and vendor updates. Support a mission to help vulnerable people in the UK.

**Highlights:** Award-winning weekly publication, Big Community channel with inspiring stories, Vendor updates and news, Save favorite articles, Offline reading, Night mode and adjustable text size, Share stories via social media

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3-month Subscription | $33.99 | per 3 months |
| 12-month Subscription | $134.99 | per year |
| Issue#1418 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Issue#1422 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Issue#1423 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Issue#1426 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Issue#1435 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Issue#1447 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Issue#1517 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Issue#1610 | $3.99 | one-time |


### Bylines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bylines/id1613752209)

Access all content from the Byline Network, including regional publications, TV videos, and articles. This app serves as a central hub for citizen journalism, allowing users to read, share, and stay updated on the latest news.

**Highlights:** Access Byline Network content, Read regional publications, Watch Byline TV videos, Browse Byline Times articles, Share articles, Refresh for new content

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Big Issue UK free?

The Big Issue UK is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bylines free?

Bylines is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Big Issue UK or Bylines?

The Big Issue UK and Bylines are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 22 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do The Big Issue UK or Bylines have ads?

Neither The Big Issue UK nor Bylines shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Big Issue UK or Bylines?

The Big Issue UK ships an update every 7 months, and Bylines every 3 months. Most recently, The Big Issue UK was updated on November 7, 2026 and Bylines on November 7, 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.*