# Slate.com vs Longform Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Slate.com at 4.5 against Longform Reader's 3.8. Slate.com also leads on ratings volume (9.1K vs 4) and chart position (#43 vs unranked). Longform Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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. Longform Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Slate.com holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Slate.com has 9.1K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of Slate.com's written reviews are positive against 67% of Longform Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

## The numbers

| Metric | Slate.com | Longform Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slatecom/id357555242/reviews)** | [3.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/longform-reader/id1524522355/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 33.2% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | — |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#43** | — |
| Size | 60 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Slate Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/796274625) | [Stand Up Apps, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/344006549) |

## What reviewers say

### Slate.com

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

**Currently charting:** #43 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #62 Top Grossing · News, #204 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


### Longform Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/longform-reader/id1524522355)

Access curated long-form articles from top publications. Enjoy a clean reading experience with features like dark mode and automatic reader view for linked content.

**Highlights:** Access Longform.org articles, Fast load times, Dark Mode support, Automatic Reader View, Curated from top publications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Slate.com free?

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

### Is Longform Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Slate.com or Longform Reader?

Slate.com is rated higher. Slate.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while Longform Reader averages 3.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do Slate.com or Longform Reader have ads?

Slate.com shows ads; Longform Reader does not.

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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.*