# Slate.com vs Times Union

The clearest difference is monetization model: Slate.com at free with in-app purchases against Times Union's subscription. Times Union's advantage is review sentiment (47% vs 33%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume 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 and Times Union sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 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 Times Union. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.1K and 5.5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Slate.com's written reviews are positive against 47% of Times Union's.

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, Times Union fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Slate.com | Times Union |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slatecom/id357555242/reviews)** | [4.5 (5.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/times-union/id468081524/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | 5.5K |
| Positive reviews | 33.2% of reviews | **46.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | **#84** |
| 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)

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


### Times Union

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/times-union/id468081524)

**Currently charting:** #84 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #112 Top Grossing · News, #178 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Stay informed with trusted news from the Capital Region. Access any story, investigations, and commentary on any device, anytime. Offers unlimited digital access with a subscription.

**Highlights:** Access any story on any device, Capital Region news, Investigations and commentary, Unlimited digital access, e-Edition and newsletters

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Albany Times Union | $9.99 | per month |
| Times Union Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Albany Times Union for iPad | $14.99 | per month |
| Albany Times Union | $14.99 | per month |
| Albany Times Union for iPad | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient app
- 📰 Solid local news coverage
- 💡 Convenient for traveling users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data sharing
- 🔍 Poor search functionality
- 📱 Buggy and unreliable app performance
- 💰 Excessive paywall/subscription issues
- 📢 Intrusive and disruptive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Inconsistent content updates
- Subscription and login issues
- Rendering problems with articles and images

**Requested features**

- Improve navigation and layout
- Provide offline reading mode
- Enhance crossword and puzzle experience
- Integrate more multimedia content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Slate.com free?

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

### Is Times Union free?

Times Union is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Slate.com or Times Union?

Slate.com is rated higher. Slate.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while Times Union averages 4.5 from 5.5K ratings.

### Do Slate.com or Times Union have ads?

Both Slate.com and Times Union show ads.

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

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, and Times Union fortnightly. Most recently, Slate.com was updated on November 6, 2026 and Times Union 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.*