Comparison

Slate.com vs Publishers Weekly

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

Publishers Weekly

Access the latest international news and reviews for the book publishing and bookselling industries. Enjoy a mobile-friendly replica of the weekly magazine, with offline reading and article bookmarking features. Stay updated with author interviews and industry analysis.

Highlights
  • Replica format of print edition
  • Text-formatted articles for mobile
  • Offline reading of downloaded issues
  • Searchable archive
  • Bookmark favorite articles
  • Share comments with readers
Features
Read full description

Enjoy Publishers Weekly magazine in a format that is as mobile as you are! Publishers Weekly is the international news platform of book publishing and bookselling. Founded in 1872 and published continuously since then, the weekly magazine boasts more than 500,000 Twitter followers; publishes eight e-newsletters; monthly PW Select , three blogs; and a robust Web site that reached more than 8.5 million unique visitors last year. The magazine has also launched a mobile edition, digital editions and apps. Each year, Publishers Weekly reviews nearly 9,000 books, as well as e-books, apps and audiobooks, in addition to featuring author interviews and news and analysis about the world of publishing. MAGAZINE FEATURES: ? Brilliant replica format, just like the print edition you know and love. ? Text-formatted articles designed for maximum mobile readability. ? Download each issue, then return any time for offline reading. ? Search the archive of available issues. ? Bookmark your favorite articles. ? Share your comments with other readers. New issues will be available for download weekly. This application is powered by GTxcel, a leader in digital publishing technology, provider of hundreds of online digital publications and mobile magazine apps. 1 month subscription for $18.99 or a single issue for $8.99. Subscriptions will start from the most current eCommerce enabled issue going forward for one month from the date of purchase. Your subscription will automatically renew via your app store account 24-hours prior to the end of your subscription at the rate of $18.99 for one month. You can turn off the auto-renew feature up to 24-hours before the end of your subscription by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Subscriptions cannot be cancelled during the active subscription period. TOS- https://gtxcel.com/tos/ EULA- https://gtxcel.com/tos/ Privacy- https://gtxcel.com/privacy/

Screenshots

Slate.com4 screens
Publishers Weekly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Slate.com at 4.5 against Publishers Weekly's 1.9. Slate.com also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 9 months). Publishers Weekly's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (10.2 vs 15.1). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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 and Publishers Weekly sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $18.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Slate.com holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Slate.com has 9.1K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Slate.com's written reviews are positive against 14% of Publishers Weekly's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, Publishers Weekly every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Slate.com versus Publishers Weekly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSlate.comPublishers Weekly
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (9.1K ratings) — better1.9 (11 ratings)
Positive reviews33.2% of reviews — better14.3% of reviews
Number of ratings9.1K — better11
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 9 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#91 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.110.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Slate Group, LLCPWxyz, LLC

Customer experience

Slate.com

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

Publishers Weekly

All ratings11 ratings
Positive18.2%
Neutral9.1%
Negative72.7%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive14.3%
Neutral14.3%
Negative71.4%

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

Publishers Weekly

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
10 purchases

Publishers Weekly

Subscriptions1
  • Publishers Weekly Magazine Subscription$18.991 Month
One-time9
  • Publishers Weekly: 20141210142100$8.99
  • Publishers Weekly: 20151204115846$8.99
  • Publishers Weekly: 20151204115849$8.99
Show 6 more
  • Publishers Weekly: 20151204115850$8.99
  • Publishers Weekly: 20151204115855$8.99
  • Publishers Weekly: 20151204115903$8.99
  • Publishers Weekly: 20151204115913$8.99
  • Publishers Weekly2 variants$8.99
  • Publishers Wee: 20250108151813$8.99

Questions

Is Slate.com free?
Slate.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Publishers Weekly free?
Publishers Weekly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Slate.com or Publishers Weekly?
Slate.com is rated higher. Slate.com averages 4.5 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while Publishers Weekly averages 1.9 from 11 ratings.
Do Slate.com or Publishers Weekly have ads?
Slate.com shows ads; Publishers Weekly does not.
Which is updated more often, Slate.com or Publishers Weekly?
Slate.com ships an update every 5 weeks, and Publishers Weekly every 9 months. Most recently, Slate.com was updated on October 16, 2026 and Publishers Weekly on October 9, 2026.

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