# Slate.com vs TIME Magazine

The clearest difference is ads: TIME Magazine at none against Slate.com's shown. Slate.com's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (9.1K vs 2.5K). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Slate.com sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and TIME Magazine sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 4.5 for TIME Magazine. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.1K and 2.5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Slate.com's written reviews are positive against 38% of TIME Magazine's.

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, TIME Magazine every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Slate.com | TIME Magazine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slatecom/id357555242/reviews) | [4.5 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-magazine/id369021520/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | 2.5K |
| Positive reviews | 33.2% of reviews | **37.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#76** | #126 |
| Size | 60 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [The Slate Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/796274625) | [TIME](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457280645) |

## What reviewers say

### Slate.com

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

**Currently charting:** #76 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #96 Top Grossing · News, #172 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


### TIME Magazine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-magazine/id369021520)

**Currently charting:** #126 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access award-winning articles and photography covering global issues, politics, health, and technology. Stay informed with breaking news and in-depth analysis from experts. Experience news events through personal accounts and inspiring features.

**Highlights:** Award-winning articles, Eye-opening photography, Global issue coverage, Health breakthroughs, Political analysis, Tech advances

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| 1 Month Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| 1 Year Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| April 12, 2010 | $4.99 | one-time |
| TIME 100, 2010 | $4.99 | one-time |
| December 27, 2010 | $4.99 | one-time |
| May 20, 2011 | $4.99 | one-time |
| October 17, 2011 | $4.99 | one-time |
| March 04, 2013 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Intuitive and user-friendly
- 💡 Innovative features
- 🚀 Beautifully designed
- 👍 Excellent content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐛 Subscription issues
- 🐛 Inability to download current issues
- 🐛 Poor customer support
- 🐛 Confusing layout and navigation

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup
- Subscription not recognized
- Unable to download latest issues
- Login issues and account problems
- Compatibility problems with iOS updates

**Requested features**

- Add audio playback for articles
- Implement bookmarking and note-taking
- Improve syncing and offline access
- Provide better customization options
- Integrate social sharing features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Slate.com free?

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

### Is TIME Magazine free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Slate.com or TIME Magazine?

Slate.com and TIME Magazine are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 9.1K and 2.5K ratings respectively.

### Do Slate.com or TIME Magazine have ads?

Slate.com shows ads; TIME Magazine does not.

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

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, and TIME Magazine every 3 months. Most recently, Slate.com was updated on September 23, 2026 and TIME Magazine on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Slate.com or TIME Magazine?

Slate.com currently peaks at #76 in the App Store charts, and TIME Magazine at #126. 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.*