Comparison

Forbes 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

Forbes

Access actionable business news, in-depth reporting, and market insights across entrepreneurship, investing, and technology. Stay informed with breaking news, curated content, and powerful search tools to navigate a rapidly evolving world.

Highlights
  • Actionable business news
  • In-depth reporting
  • Market-moving insights
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Tabbed content channels
  • Enhanced search functionality
  • Article saving
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Download the Forbes app for actionable business news, insights, and trusted journalism—plus daily word puzzles with Frase by Forbes™. Stay up to date on the stories that shape industries, change landscapes, and define conversations, with bold and in-depth reporting across entrepreneurship, business, investing, technology, and more. Editorial Features: Immerse yourself in market-moving insights, cutting-edge strategies, and timely analysis trusted by the world's top leaders and trailblazers shaping the global economy. • Home Feed: Access popular content, daily cover stories, and editors' picks designed to keep you updated on key news. • Breaking News: Follow live stories unfolding in real-time with infinite scroll to easily explore past news. • Tabbed Channels: Browse across dedicated content channels with a refreshed, intuitive layout. • Smarter Search: Instantly discover articles, topics, and breaking news with enhanced search tools. • Article Saving: Easily bookmark and access your favorite stories wherever you are. Puzzles & Games (Frase by Forbes™): Challenge your brain, test your wordplay skills, and unwind with engaging daily games designed for sharp minds on the go. • Dedicated Play Tab: Discover and play daily word puzzles directly from the bottom navigation bar. • Track Your Progress: Keep tabs on your completion times, scores, daily streaks, and earned medals. • Multi-Year Archive: Access a full historical calendar to catch up on and play past puzzles. For more than a century, Forbes has been the authoritative voice in business, providing the insight and analysis needed to navigate a rapidly evolving world, empowering those who shape what's next to think even bigger and better. With the Forbes app, you have the intelligence, knowledge, inspiration, and tools necessary to achieve success. By downloading the Forbes app, you accept and agree to our Terms of Service and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. Forbes Terms of Service: https://www.forbes.com/terms/ Forbes Privacy Policy: https://www.forbes.com/fdc/privacy.html

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

Forbes4 screens
FT Digital Edition4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: FT Digital Edition at none against Forbes's shown. FT Digital Edition also leads on ratings volume (2.9K vs 170). Forbes's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (80% vs 63%). On price, rating, update cadence 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. Forbes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month 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 — 4.8 for Forbes 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 170, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Forbes's written reviews are positive against 63% of FT Digital Edition's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Forbes versus FT Digital Edition: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForbesFT Digital Edition
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (170 ratings)4.8 (2.9K ratings)
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better63.4% of reviews
Number of ratings1702.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#128 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.1 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size98 MB47 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperForbes Media LLCFinancial Times Ltd.

Customer experience

Forbes

All ratings170 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral1.2%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

FT Digital Edition

All ratings2,876 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews93 reviews
Positive63.4%
Neutral7.5%
Negative29.0%

Bugs and requests

Forbes

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

2 purchases

Forbes

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$89.001 Year
2 purchases

FT Digital Edition

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

Questions

Is Forbes free?
Forbes 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, Forbes or FT Digital Edition?
Forbes and FT Digital Edition are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 170 and 2.9K ratings respectively.
Do Forbes or FT Digital Edition have ads?
Forbes shows ads; FT Digital Edition does not.
Which is updated more often, Forbes or FT Digital Edition?
Forbes ships an update every 3 weeks, and FT Digital Edition every 3 weeks. Most recently, Forbes was updated on October 19, 2026 and FT Digital Edition on October 19, 2026.

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