# Slate.com vs Better DReader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Better DReader at none against Slate.com's 4. Better DReader also leads on ads (none vs shown). Slate.com's advantage is chart position (#70 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, Better DReader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Slate.com | Better DReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slatecom/id357555242/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 33.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#70** | — |
| Size | 60 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [The Slate Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/796274625) | [Trolls Dev](https://appshunter.io/developer/6792976448) |

## What reviewers say

### Slate.com

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

**Currently charting:** #70 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #91 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


### Better DReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/better-dreader/id6763263104)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Slate.com free?

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

### Is Better DReader free?

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

### Do Slate.com or Better DReader have ads?

Slate.com shows ads; Better DReader does not.

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

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, and Better DReader every 2 months. Most recently, Slate.com was updated on September 29, 2026 and Better DReader on September 26, 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.*