# Slate.com vs Mother Jones

The clearest difference is rating: Slate.com at 4.5 against Mother Jones's 3.5. Slate.com also leads on ratings volume (9.1K vs 168) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). Mother Jones's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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 and Mother Jones sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Slate.com holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Slate.com has 9.1K ratings behind it against 168, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Slate.com's written reviews are positive against 20% of Mother Jones's.

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, Mother Jones every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Slate.com | Mother Jones |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slatecom/id357555242/reviews)** | [3.5 (168 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mother-jones/id1116910496/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | 168 |
| Positive reviews | **33.2% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 60 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Slate Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/796274625) | [Magzter Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/406791755) |

## What reviewers say

### Slate.com

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

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


### Mother Jones

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mother-jones/id1116910496)

Access award-winning investigative journalism on politics, climate, and more. This nonprofit news outlet provides in-depth reporting and storytelling that informs and inspires.

**Highlights:** Award-winning investigative journalism, Reporting on politics and climate change, In-depth investigations, Storytelling that informs and inspires, Magazine subscriptions available

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Year Digital Subscription | $13.99 | per year |
| Mother Jones - May/June 2016 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Mother Jones - July/August 2016 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Mother Jones - September/October 2016 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Mother Jones - November - December 2016 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Mother Jones - January - February 2017 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Mother Jones - July - August 2017 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Mother Jones Jan/Feb 2024 | $6.99 | one-time |
| January/February 2025 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Mother Jones Nov/Dec 2024 | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Slate.com free?

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

### Is Mother Jones free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Slate.com or Mother Jones?

Slate.com is rated higher. Slate.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while Mother Jones averages 3.5 from 168 ratings.

### Do Slate.com or Mother Jones have ads?

Slate.com shows ads; Mother Jones does not.

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

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, and Mother Jones every 4 months. Most recently, Slate.com was updated on November 6, 2026 and Mother Jones on November 6, 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.*