Comparison

TIME Magazine vs LA Times

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

Head to head
About

TIME Magazine

Access award-winning articles and photography covering global issues, politics, health, and technology. Stay informed with breaking news and in-depth analysis from experts. Experience news events through personal accounts and inspiring features.

Highlights
  • Award-winning articles
  • Eye-opening photography
  • Global issue coverage
  • Health breakthroughs
  • Political analysis
  • Tech advances
Features
Read full description

Stay up-to-date with the latest news from around the world with TIME Magazine! 

Stay informed with award-winning articles and eye-opening photography. Learn about global issues from the experts and get the breaking new details. Meet the people who are changing the world and shaping social change. Experience news events firsthand through personal accounts and inspiring features. Plus discover new health breakthroughs, political analyses, the latest tech advances – and so much more! Download the app and receive a FREE ISSUE when you say yes to a monthly or annual subscription. TIME publishes 50 issues per year, including 16 double issues. 
TIME® Magazine Subscriptions Available: 
1 month and 1 year 
SUBSCRIBERS’ AUTOMATIC-RENEWAL FEATURE: Your subscription will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your iTunes account will automatically be charged at the same price for renewal, as stated above, within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Current subscriptions may not be cancelled during the active subscription period, but you can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renewal by visiting your iTunes Account Settings after purchase. NOTE: WHEN PURCHASING A SUBSCRIPTION OR SINGLE-COPY OF THIS TITLE, YOU AGREE TO THE PRIVACY POLICY AND TERMS OF SERVICE WHICH CAN BE VIEWED BY GOING TO: Privacy Policy US: https://time.com/privacy/generic_privacy_new.html Privacy Policy US (California): https://time.com/privacy/generic_privacy_new.html#california EU Privacy Policy: http://time.com/privacy/generic_privacy_new_eu.html Terms of Service: https://time.com/privacy/privacy_terms_service.html

About

LA Times

Access award-winning journalism covering Southern California and the world. Browse digital content or the eNewspaper, save articles, and watch exclusive videos. Stay informed with breaking news and in-depth reporting.

Highlights
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Digital content browsing
  • eNewspaper access
  • Save articles to 'My Library'
  • Exclusive video section
  • Easy content sharing
Features
Read full description

Get the trustworthy news you need everywhere you go with the Los Angeles Times app. Receive instant access to our award-winning journalism, breaking news, politics, the best in food, entertainment, events and more for Southern California and the world. Updated with a new design, the L.A. Times app gives you the option of browsing our digital content or paging through the eNewspaper. Our content includes in-depth coverage of Los Angeles, California and the West; exclusive narrative storytelling such as “Column One”; revitalized reporting on the latest in food and dining; a unique take on politics and the 2020 campaign; comprehensive coverage of the arts, pop culture and the entertainment industry; on and off-season reporting on L.A.’s home teams and major sports events. New tools include “My Library,” to save your own reading list, and a video section to access the latest short documentaries and other videos. Download the iOS app to experience our new digital publishing platform. APP FEATURES: • Top News: Scan a curated feed of the most important news as it happens • Push notifications: Get the latest news from our newsroom as soon as stories break • eNewspaper experience: Download today’s issue for offline reading and browse archives of past issues • Video section: Enjoy exclusive video • My Library: View saved stories and view your recent activity • Share content easily with Twitter, Facebook, or email SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS: • If you’re a current digital subscriber, sign in with your email address and password to get unlimited access to the app’s content. • Non-subscribers, download the app a select number of stories stories each month. For full access, try a free month of Unlimited Digital Access to the app, the L.A. Times website, and our eNewspaper; then it's only $15.99 a month. Make sure to create a registration while in the app so you'll be able to log in to the website and eNewspaper when you visit them in web browsers. • Your subscription automatically renews each month unless auto-renew is turned off within your Account Settings at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. • Your iTunes account will be charged $15.99 for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable • You can read our Privacy Policy here: https://www.latimes.com/privacy-policy • You can read our Terms of Service here: https://www.latimes.com/terms-of-service • CA Notice of Collection - https://www.latimes.com/privacy-policy#california-notice-of-collection • Do Not Sell My Info - https://membership.latimes.com/privacy-settings • Questions about your subscription, including adding or removing access to the L.A. Times website from your app access, can be directed to Customer Service: 213-347-5300. TECHNICAL HELP AND ASSISTANCE: If you ever have questions about how the app works, want to provide helpful feedback, or experience crashes or freezes after installing an update, please contact us at mobile@latimes.com. A quick email to our support team helps our developers identify and resolve issues faster. We work hard to make sure you have the best experience using our app.

Screenshots

TIME Magazine4 screens
LA Times4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: TIME Magazine at none against LA Times's shown. TIME Magazine also leads on review sentiment (38% vs 29%). LA Times's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (20K vs 2.6K). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. TIME Magazine sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and LA Times sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for TIME Magazine against 4.6 for LA Times. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LA Times has 20K ratings behind it against 2.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 38% of TIME Magazine's written reviews are positive against 29% of LA Times's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TIME Magazine ships an update every 3 months, LA Times every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
TIME Magazine versus LA Times: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTIME MagazineLA Times
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2.6K ratings)4.6 (20K ratings) — better
Positive reviews38.3% of reviews — better29.1% of reviews
Number of ratings2.6K20K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#120#17 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB37 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperTIMELos Angeles Times Communications LLC

Customer experience

TIME Magazine

All ratings2,506 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral2.7%
Negative8.5%
Written reviews196 reviews
Positive38.3%
Neutral7.1%
Negative54.6%

LA Times

All ratings19,564 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral3.7%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews127 reviews
Positive29.1%
Neutral10.2%
Negative60.6%

User reviews

TIME Magazine

From 2.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great app
  • 🚀 Intuitive and user-friendly
  • 💡 Innovative features
  • 🚀 Beautifully designed
  • 👍 Excellent content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🐛 Subscription issues
  • 🐛 Inability to download current issues
  • 🐛 Poor customer support
  • 🐛 Confusing layout and navigation

LA Times

From 20K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth navigation
  • 👍 Great UI design
  • 🚀 Fast load times
  • 💡 Useful features like traffic alerts
  • 👍 Comprehensive local and national news coverage

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy search functionality
  • 🔒 Subscription issues and paywall problems
  • 🔋 Slow performance on older devices
  • 👎 Outdated or irrelevant content
  • 👎 Overwhelming with ads

Bugs and requests

TIME Magazine

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes on startup
  • Subscription not recognized
  • Unable to download latest issues
  • Login issues and account problems
  • Compatibility problems with iOS updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add audio playback for articles
  • Implement bookmarking and note-taking
  • Improve syncing and offline access
  • Provide better customization options
  • Integrate social sharing features

LA Times

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Images not loading properly
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Paywall issues preventing access to content
  • Sync problems between app and website

Requested features

5 requests
  • Customizable news feed and section ordering
  • Offline reading mode
  • Better integration with subscription accounts
  • Improved article navigation and scrolling
  • Accessibility features for visually impaired users

In-app purchases

10 purchases

TIME Magazine

Subscriptions4
  • 1 Month Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • 1 Month Subscription1 Month trial$2.991 Month
  • 1 Year Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • 1 Year Subscription1 Month trial$29.991 Year
One-time6
  • April 12, 2010$4.99
  • TIME 100, 2010$4.99
  • December 27, 2010$4.99
Show 3 more
  • May 20, 2011$4.99
  • October 17, 2011$4.99
  • March 04, 2013$4.99
3 purchases

LA Times

Subscriptions3
  • News App Only$4.991 Month
  • Unlimited Digital Access3 Months trial$5.991 Month
  • Unlimited Digital Access1 Month trial$15.991 Month

Questions

Is TIME Magazine free?
TIME Magazine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LA Times free?
LA Times is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TIME Magazine or LA Times?
LA Times is rated higher. TIME Magazine averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while LA Times averages 4.6 from 20K ratings.
Do TIME Magazine or LA Times have ads?
LA Times shows ads; TIME Magazine does not.
Which is updated more often, TIME Magazine or LA Times?
TIME Magazine ships an update every 3 months, and LA Times every 3 weeks. Most recently, TIME Magazine was updated on November 1, 2026 and LA Times on November 5, 2026.
Which is more popular, TIME Magazine or LA Times?
TIME Magazine currently peaks at #120 in the App Store charts, and LA Times at #17. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons