# TIME Magazine vs Variety

The clearest difference is ads: TIME Magazine at none against Variety's shown. TIME Magazine also leads on review sentiment (38% vs 15%) and chart position (#132 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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.

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 — 2.6K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 38% of TIME Magazine's written reviews are positive against 15% of Variety's.

TIME Magazine ships an update every 3 months, Variety every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | TIME Magazine | Variety |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-magazine/id369021520/reviews) | **[4.5 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/variety/id416179538/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 1.7K |
| Positive reviews | **38.3% of reviews** | 14.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#132** | — |
| Size | 22 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [TIME](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457280645) | [PMC](https://appshunter.io/developer/533209616) |

## What reviewers say

### TIME Magazine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-magazine/id369021520)

**Currently charting:** #132 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #189 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| 1 Month Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| 1 Year Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| April 12, 2010 | $4.99 | one-time |
| TIME 100, 2010 | $4.99 | one-time |
| December 27, 2010 | $4.99 | one-time |
| May 20, 2011 | $4.99 | one-time |
| October 17, 2011 | $4.99 | one-time |
| March 04, 2013 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Variety

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/variety/id416179538)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Variety Magazine | $13.99 | per month |
| Variety VIP | $39.99 | per month |
| Variety Magazine | $139.99 | per year |
| Variety VIP | $399.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked 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?

Variety is rated higher. TIME Magazine averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Variety averages 4.5 from 1.7K ratings.

### 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 October 26, 2026 and Variety on October 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.*