# Slate.com vs CT Insider

The clearest difference is monetization model: Slate.com at free with in-app purchases against CT Insider's subscription. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Slate.com sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and CT Insider sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Slate.com against 4.6 for CT Insider. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.1K and 4.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Slate.com's written reviews are positive against 37% of CT Insider's.

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, CT Insider every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Slate.com | CT Insider |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slatecom/id357555242/reviews) | **[4.6 (4.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ct-insider/id1518822730/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | 4.7K |
| Positive reviews | 33.2% of reviews | **36.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#41** | #69 |
| Size | 60 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [The Slate Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/796274625) | [Hearst Newspapers](https://appshunter.io/developer/397018366) |

## What reviewers say

### Slate.com

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

**Currently charting:** #41 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #55 Top Grossing · News (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


### CT Insider

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ct-insider/id1518822730)

**Currently charting:** #69 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #92 Top Grossing · News, #106 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access statewide Connecticut news, from local communities to statewide sports. Receive customized alerts, read the e-Edition, and enjoy text-to-audio storytelling. Offers puzzles and local guides.

**Highlights:** Connecticut news alerts, Customizable homepage, Sports coverage, e-Edition replica, Text-to-audio stories, Local guides and commentary

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CT Insider Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| CT Insider Monthly | $14.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to read news
- 👍 Clean interface
- 👍 Brings together local CT news

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App not working/freezing
- 🐛 Unable to log in/stay logged in
- 🐛 Outdated/missing local news
- 🔍 Poor search/sorting options
- 💰 Expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications don't open articles
- Subscription issues/double billing
- Compatibility problems on Android

**Requested features**

- Add search by keyword
- Allow saving favorite articles
- Enable article commenting
- Improve integration with email/website


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Slate.com free?

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

### Is CT Insider free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Slate.com or CT Insider?

CT Insider is rated higher. Slate.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while CT Insider averages 4.6 from 4.7K ratings.

### Do Slate.com or CT Insider have ads?

Both Slate.com and CT Insider show ads.

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

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, and CT Insider every 3 weeks. Most recently, Slate.com was updated on October 19, 2026 and CT Insider on October 21, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Slate.com or CT Insider?

Slate.com currently peaks at #41 in the App Store charts, and CT Insider 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.*