Comparison

Slate.com vs The Bulwark

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Slate.com

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
Read full description

Enjoy Slate, the award-winning daily online magazine, on your iPhone. Slate is a general-interest publication offering analysis and commentary about politics, news, business, technology, culture, and advice. Slate’s strong editorial voice and witty take on current events have been recognized with numerous awards, including the National Magazine Award for General Excellence Online. Features include: - Our Editorially curated stories of the day - Access to all of our written work, including Slate’s popular political and legal commentary, movie and television reviews, and Dear Prudence. - Our award winning podcasts, including the Political Gabfest, the Culture Gabfest, Decoder Ring, and Slow Burn. - Push notifications to keep you informed throughout your day. - The ability to choose to read using Light or Dark mode. - Access to purchase or sign in to our membership program, Slate Plus. Please see the benefits below. The app is free to download, however we do display advertisements within the app. Additionally we offer the ability to log in to your existing Slate Plus account or purchase a new Slate Plus account through the in app purchases. Your Slate Plus account can be used on your iOS devices as well as our website. To use your Slate Plus subscription on other devices you must create an account after completing your purchase. You can always create an account at a later time if you choose not to do so initially after your purchase. With your Slate Plus subscription, you'll receive: - Unlimited articles in the Slate app. - An ad-free reading experience in the Slate app. By creating an optional account you’ll also receive: - Unlimited articles on slate.com. - Our exclusive subscriber only weekly newsletter. - Access to all of our podcasts completely ad-free. - Bonus episodes and segments on your favorite shows! Slate Plus Subscription details: Your account will automatically renew at the end of each month or year depending on your subscription. Payment will be charged to your Apple account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to user account settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. For additional information regarding Slate Plus please see our FAQ: https://slate.com/plus/faq Slate's Privacy Policy: https://slate.com/privacy Slate's Terms of Use: https://slate.com/terms For additional information regarding auto renewal settings please refer to this link: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039 Please send your thoughts and suggestions to feedback@slate.com.

About

The Bulwark

Access exclusive news, analysis, and commentary from pro-democracy experts in an ad-free environment. Enjoy features like read-to-me, saved articles, personalized feeds, and audio versions of shows. Engage with a community dedicated to liberal democracy.

Highlights
  • Ad-free reading experience
  • Listen to articles on the go
  • Save articles and shows
  • Personalized 'For You' feed
  • Audio-only show versions
  • Adjustable text size and dark mode
Features
Read full description

The Bulwark App is for Bulwark+ members and features an ad-free environment to read, watch or listen to your favorite Bulwark commentators. The app was designed with members in mind and includes new features to enhance your subscriber experience: • Read to me - listen to articles on the go • Save articles or shows for later • A “For You” feed where you can follow what you love • Audio-only versions of all our shows • Resize text • Switch to dark mode • Dedicated Read tab • Dedicated Watch & Listen tab Bulwark+ is powered by Substack. Use your Substack profile to sign in to the app to get unfettered access to everything we publish and engage with The Bulwark community in the comments. About Us The Bulwark is home to Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, Jonathan V. Last, Sam Stein, Catherine Rampell and more. We are the largest pro-democracy bundle on Substack for news and analysis. The Bulwark was founded to provide analysis and reporting in defense of America’s liberal democracy. We publish written articles and newsletters. We create podcasts and videos. We publish political analysis from experts. We’re supported in this effort by a community built on good faith who know that the only way through is together.

Screenshots

Slate.com4 screens
The Bulwark4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Bulwark at 92% against Slate.com's 33%. The Bulwark also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). Slate.com's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and ratings volume (9.1K vs 2.7K). On price, update cadence, monetization model and chart position there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Bulwark holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.1K and 2.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Slate.com's written reviews are positive against 92% of The Bulwark's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Slate.com versus The Bulwark: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSlate.comThe Bulwark
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (9.1K ratings)4.9 (2.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.2% of reviews92.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9.1K — better2.7K
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#65#51 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB27 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperThe Slate Group, LLCCenter Enterprises, Inc.

Customer experience

Slate.com

All ratings9,063 ratings
Positive89.8%
Neutral3.2%
Negative7.0%
Written reviews316 reviews
Positive33.2%
Neutral10.8%
Negative56.0%

The Bulwark

All ratings2,711 ratings
Positive98.0%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews102 reviews
Positive92.2%
Neutral1.0%
Negative6.9%

Bugs and requests

Slate.com

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Articles not loading properly
  • Blank screens and white screens
  • Inability to access Slate Plus content
  • Podcasts cutting out or not playing correctly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add search functionality
  • Improve podcast playback controls
  • Implement landscape mode for iPad
  • Better identify Slate Plus content

The Bulwark

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Slate.com

Subscriptions3
  • Slate Plus1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Slate Plus14 Days trial$68.991 Year
  • Slate Plus3 Months trial2 variants$119.001 Year
None

The Bulwark

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Slate.com free?
Slate.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Bulwark free?
The Bulwark is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Slate.com or The Bulwark?
The Bulwark is rated higher. Slate.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while The Bulwark averages 4.9 from 2.7K ratings.
Do Slate.com or The Bulwark have ads?
Slate.com shows ads; The Bulwark does not.
Which is updated more often, Slate.com or The Bulwark?
Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, and The Bulwark every 5 weeks. Most recently, Slate.com was updated on October 16, 2026 and The Bulwark on October 15, 2026.
Which is more popular, Slate.com or The Bulwark?
Slate.com currently peaks at #65 in the App Store charts, and The Bulwark at #51. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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