Comparison

TIME Magazine vs Variety

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

Variety

Access authoritative and trusted entertainment business news from a global perspective. Stay informed with breaking news, award-season coverage, and insightful analysis of the film, television, theater, and tech industries.

Highlights
  • Breaking news reports
  • Award-season coverage
  • Feature spotlights
  • Industry analysis
  • Global perspective
Features
Read full description

Variety is the most authoritative and trusted source of entertainment business news, recognized and respected throughout the world. Since 1905, influential producers, executives and talent in entertainment and beyond have turned to Variety for award-winning daily breaking news reports, insightful award-season coverage, must-read feature spotlights and intelligent analysis of the industry’s most prominent players. As the leading publication covering film, television, theater and tech with a global perspective, Variety is the vital read in every entertainment capital in over 84 countries. Privacy - https://pmc.com/privacy-policy/ EULA - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

TIME Magazine4 screens
Variety4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: TIME Magazine at none against Variety's shown. TIME Magazine also leads on review sentiment (38% vs 15%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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 Variety sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 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 4.5 for Variety. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.5K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 38% of TIME Magazine's written reviews are positive against 15% of Variety's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TIME Magazine ships an update every 3 months, Variety every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
TIME Magazine versus Variety: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTIME MagazineVariety
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2.5K ratings)4.5 (1.7K ratings)
Positive reviews37.7% of reviews — better14.8% of reviews
Number of ratings2.5K — better1.7K
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#138 — better#163
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB143 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperTIMEPMC

Customer experience

TIME Magazine

All ratings2,506 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral2.7%
Negative8.5%
Written reviews191 reviews
Positive37.7%
Neutral6.8%
Negative55.5%

Variety

All ratings1,717 ratings
Positive88.6%
Neutral3.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews81 reviews
Positive14.8%
Neutral9.9%
Negative75.3%

User reviews

TIME Magazine

From 2.5K 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

Variety

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Customizable newsfeed
  • 🚀 Trades on the fly!
  • 💡 Manager

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes, shows no content
  • 🐛 Buggy ads
  • 🐛 Slow and buggy
  • 🔋 Battery Drain
  • 🐛 Multimedia Always Fails

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

Variety

Reported bugs

21 issues
  • Articles don't open
  • Can't read entire articles
  • Only the first paragraph/sentence loads
  • Articles Wont Load
  • Only the first sentence of every article is displayed
Show 16 more
  • Can't use app without notifications on
  • VIP+ Membership is useless on iPad
  • Navbar too tight on iPhone 13 mini
  • Freezes at start on iPad
  • Doesn't have OneTrust data to show Banner user interface
  • Impossible to Use
  • Site keeps crashing
  • Awfull app crashes constantly
  • 50% of the time, this app just shuts down, out of the blue
  • Incredibly slow and glitchy
  • Crashes and stutters
  • Very unstable on my iPad
  • Keeps crashing
  • Soooo slow. Problems loading pages
  • Unstable
  • Article disappears right after you open it in the app

Requested features

4 requests
  • Real Time Alerts Feature
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard
  • Ability to access magazine issues for direct subscribers

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
4 purchases

Variety

Subscriptions4
  • Variety Magazine$13.991 Month
  • Variety VIP$39.991 Month
  • Variety Magazine$139.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Variety VIP$399.991 Year

Questions

Is TIME Magazine free?
TIME Magazine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Variety free?
Variety is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TIME Magazine or Variety?
TIME Magazine and Variety are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2.5K and 1.7K ratings respectively.
Do TIME Magazine or Variety have ads?
Variety shows ads; TIME Magazine does not.
Which is updated more often, TIME Magazine or Variety?
TIME Magazine ships an update every 3 months, and Variety every 4 months. Most recently, TIME Magazine was updated on September 24, 2026 and Variety on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, TIME Magazine or Variety?
TIME Magazine currently peaks at #138 in the App Store charts, and Variety at #163. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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