# Slate.com vs theSkimm

The clearest difference is ads: theSkimm at none against Slate.com's shown. theSkimm also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Slate.com's advantage is chart position (#68 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Slate.com sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and theSkimm sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

theSkimm holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.1K and 13K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Slate.com's written reviews are positive against 41% of theSkimm's.

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, theSkimm every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Slate.com | theSkimm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slatecom/id357555242/reviews) | **[4.8 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/theskimm/id1034995058/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9.1K | **13K** |
| Positive reviews | 33.2% of reviews | **40.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#68** | — |
| Size | 60 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [The Slate Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/796274625) | [theSkimm](https://appshunter.io/developer/1034995057) |

## What reviewers say

### Slate.com

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

**Currently charting:** #68 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #85 Top Grossing · News, #189 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


### theSkimm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/theskimm/id1034995058)

Stay informed with daily news summaries, in-depth articles on career, health, and finance, and engaging podcasts. Discover personalized recommendations and integrate events into your calendar to live smarter.

**Highlights:** Daily news summaries, In-depth articles, Podcasts, Personalized calendar integration, Curated recommendations, Career, health, and finance topics

**Features:** Siri integration, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| theSkimm Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| theSkimm Yearly | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Concise and informative news
- 🗓️ Helpful calendar integration
- 🎧 Useful audio content
- 👍 Easy to stay informed
- 🤗 Entertaining and engaging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤑 Paid subscription required
- 🗣️ Perceived political bias
- 🔗 Accidental link clicks while scrolling
- 🚫 Limited content for non-US users

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes
- Issues with 'Do Not Sell My Information' feature

**Requested features**

- Offline content access
- More international news coverage
- Customizable news preferences
- Ability to remove ads for paid subscribers


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Slate.com free?

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

### Is theSkimm free?

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

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

theSkimm is rated higher. Slate.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while theSkimm averages 4.8 from 13K ratings.

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

Slate.com shows ads; theSkimm does not.

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

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, and theSkimm every 2 months. Most recently, Slate.com was updated on September 23, 2026 and theSkimm on September 24, 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.*