# Slate.com vs POLITICO

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: POLITICO at none against Slate.com's 4. POLITICO also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (49K vs 9.1K). Slate.com's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

POLITICO holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: POLITICO has 49K ratings behind it against 9.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of Slate.com's written reviews are positive against 30% of POLITICO's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, POLITICO monthly. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Slate.com | POLITICO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slatecom/id357555242/reviews) | **[4.7 (49K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/politico/id358305912/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9.1K | **49K** |
| Positive reviews | **33.2% of reviews** | 29.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#66** | #119 |
| Size | 60 MB | 88 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Slate Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/796274625) | [POLITICO, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/358305915) |

## What reviewers say

### Slate.com

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

**Currently charting:** #66 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #84 Top Grossing · News, #168 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


### POLITICO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/politico/id358305912)

**Currently charting:** #119 Top Free · News (US App Store)

Get real-time political news and analysis delivered directly to your phone. This app offers a streamlined way to access breaking news and in-depth stories from a leading political news source.

**Highlights:** Up-to-the-minute insight, Political news analysis, Breaking news alerts, Sleek and navigable design, Dynamic stories

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent news coverage
- 🔍 Thorough and insightful analysis
- 🗞️ Reliable and trustworthy journalism
- 📊 Valuable data and metrics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔄 Difficulty refreshing content
- 📱 Poor app performance and navigation
- 🔍 Biased or partisan reporting
- 🔍 Lack of objectivity

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes
- Inability to refresh content
- Notifications not working properly
- Compatibility issues with newer devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to adjust font size
- Offline reading mode
- Improved article organization and search
- More balanced political coverage


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Slate.com free?

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

### Is POLITICO free?

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

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

POLITICO is rated higher. Slate.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while POLITICO averages 4.7 from 49K ratings.

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

Both Slate.com and POLITICO show ads.

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

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, and POLITICO monthly. Most recently, Slate.com was updated on October 19, 2026 and POLITICO on October 19, 2026.

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

Slate.com currently peaks at #66 in the App Store charts, and POLITICO at #119. 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.*