# ProPublica vs Slate.com

ProPublica and Slate.com both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of ProPublica's written reviews are positive against 33% of Slate.com's. ProPublica also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). Slate.com's advantage is ratings volume (9.1K vs 104) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, rating, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Slate.com sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. ProPublica asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for ProPublica against 4.5 for Slate.com. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Slate.com has 9.1K ratings behind it against 104, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of ProPublica's written reviews are positive against 33% of Slate.com's.

ProPublica ships an update every 4 months, Slate.com every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ProPublica | Slate.com |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (104 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/propublica/id355298887/reviews) | [4.5 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slatecom/id357555242/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 104 | **9.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **74.8% of reviews** | 33.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#55** | #69 |
| Size | 7 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ProPublica](https://appshunter.io/developer/355298890) | [The Slate Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/796274625) |

## What reviewers say

### ProPublica

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/propublica/id355298887)

**Currently charting:** #55 Top Free · News (US App Store)

Access in-depth investigative journalism covering critical topics like government, healthcare, and criminal justice. Enjoy a streamlined reading experience with offline support and notifications for major stories.

**Highlights:** Latest investigative journalism, Reporting on government and policy, Coverage of healthcare and criminal justice, Environmental reporting, Streamlined reading experience, Offline support, Story notifications

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 High-quality investigative journalism
- ✅ Factual, unbiased reporting
- 🎯 In-depth, well-researched stories
- 🆓 Ad-free content
- 🧹 Clean, simple interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🌙 Bright white screen (no dark mode)
- 📤 Social sharing doesn't include headlines
- ⚠️ Outdated app updates
- 🖼️ Image sizing issues on older devices
- 🔄 Slow initial loading times

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- App won't open or load content
- Stories don't appear when clicked
- MuckReads section fails to load
- Data filter dropdowns non-functional

**Requested features**

- Dark mode for nighttime reading
- Bookmark/save articles function
- Home screen widget
- Adjustable font size
- Persistent font size settings


### Slate.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slatecom/id357555242)

**Currently charting:** #69 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #84 Top Grossing · News, #163 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access award-winning daily online magazine content, including in-depth analysis, commentary, and podcasts. Enjoy curated stories, reviews, and advice with options for ad-free reading and exclusive content through a membership.

**Highlights:** Editorially curated stories, Political and legal commentary, Movie and television reviews, Award-winning podcasts, Push notifications, Light/Dark mode reading, Slate Plus membership

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Slate Plus | $9.99 | per month |
| Slate Plus | $68.99 | per year |
| Slate Plus | $119.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean layout, easy to navigate
- 🚀 Great news source
- 🚀 Excellent journalism
- 👍 Informative, insightful content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes constantly
- 🐛 Buggy, glitchy performance
- 🐛 Unreliable login and sign-in
- 🐛 Slow loading times
- 🐛 Incompatible with newer iOS versions

**Reported bugs**

- Articles not loading properly
- Blank screens and white screens
- Inability to access Slate Plus content
- Podcasts cutting out or not playing correctly

**Requested features**

- Add search functionality
- Improve podcast playback controls
- Implement landscape mode for iPad
- Better identify Slate Plus content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ProPublica free?

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

### Is Slate.com free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ProPublica or Slate.com?

ProPublica and Slate.com are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 104 and 9.1K ratings respectively.

### Do ProPublica or Slate.com have ads?

Slate.com shows ads; ProPublica does not.

### Which is updated more often, ProPublica or Slate.com?

ProPublica ships an update every 4 months, and Slate.com every 5 weeks. Most recently, ProPublica was updated on September 24, 2026 and Slate.com on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, ProPublica or Slate.com?

ProPublica currently peaks at #55 in the App Store charts, and Slate.com at #69. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*