# Boston.com vs Artscope Magazine

The clearest difference is rating: Boston.com at 4.6 against Artscope Magazine's 3.8. Boston.com also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 20) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 49 months). Artscope Magazine's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (62% vs 34%). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Artscope Magazine sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $15.99 per year. Boston.com asks for nothing beyond the download.

Boston.com holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boston.com has 7.4K ratings behind it against 59, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 34% of Boston.com's written reviews are positive against 62% of Artscope Magazine's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Boston.com ships an update every 3 months, Artscope Magazine every 49 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boston.com | Artscope Magazine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (7.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bostoncom/id361786318/reviews)** | [3.8 (59 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artscope-magazine/id659051872/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.4K** | 59 |
| Positive reviews | 34.3% of reviews | **61.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 49 months |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Subscription |
| Size | 75 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BOSTON GLOBE MEDIA PARTNERS, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1324796989) | [Boston Publishing House LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/635711888) |

## What reviewers say

### Boston.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bostoncom/id361786318)

Access curated news alerts, weather updates, and sports scores. Stay informed about local and national news, lifestyle, and entertainment from a team of journalists.

**Highlights:** Curated news alerts, Weather updates, Sports scores, Local and national news, Lifestyle and entertainment coverage

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐️ Great news and sports coverage
- ⭐️ Wonderful app
- ⭐️ Best progressive newspaper
- ⭐️ Best sports section in Boston
- ⭐️ Favorite news source

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Hiding behind a paywall
- 🚫 No images
- 🕰️ Doesn't update enough
- 🕰️ Zero updates
- 🚫 Recycling of old stories

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard


### Artscope Magazine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artscope-magazine/id659051872)

This app provides previews and reviews of art exhibitions, galleries, and artists in the New England region. It aims to make art accessible and encourages community participation through interactive content and on-the-go formats.

**Highlights:** Previews and reviews of regional art exhibitions, Profiles of artists, galleries, and arts organizations, Interactive images and special elements, Dynamic, on-the-go tablet-optimized format, Instant delivery of new issues, Free 30-day trial with subscription

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription | $15.99 | per year |
| Artscope Yearly Subscription | $15.99 | per year |
| March/April 2016 | $2.99 | one-time |
| May/June 2016 | $2.99 | one-time |
| March/April 2020 | $2.99 | one-time |
| May/June 2020 | $2.99 | one-time |
| November/December 2020 | $2.99 | one-time |
| January/February 2021 | $2.99 | one-time |
| May/June 2022 | $2.99 | one-time |
| March / April 2023 | $2.99 | one-time |
| January/February 2024 | $2.99 | one-time |
| March/April 2024 | $2.99 | one-time |
| January/February 2016 | $2.99 | one-time |
| January/February 2025 | $2.99 | one-time |
| November/December 2024 | $2.99 | one-time |
| September / October 2024 | $2.99 | one-time |
| January/February 2022 | $2.99 | one-time |
| March/April 2022 | $2.99 | one-time |
| July/August 2024 | $2.99 | one-time |
| May/June 2024 | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Boston.com free?

Boston.com is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Artscope Magazine free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Boston.com or Artscope Magazine?

Boston.com is rated higher. Boston.com averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.4K ratings, while Artscope Magazine averages 3.8 from 59 ratings.

### Do Boston.com or Artscope Magazine have ads?

Boston.com shows ads; Artscope Magazine does not.

### Which is updated more often, Boston.com or Artscope Magazine?

Boston.com ships an update every 3 months, and Artscope Magazine every 49 months. Most recently, Boston.com was updated on September 25, 2026 and Artscope Magazine on June 6, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*