Comparison

TIME Magazine vs BBC Science Focus Magazine

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

BBC Science Focus Magazine

Explore the latest discoveries and breakthroughs in science and technology. This app offers in-depth articles, expert interviews, and answers to your burning questions. Enjoy interactive features like text adjustment, bookmarking, and multimedia content.

Highlights
  • Latest issue access
  • Back issue archive
  • Expert interviews
  • Q&A section
  • Adjustable text size
  • Bookmark features
  • Search tool
Features
Read full description

Enjoy BBC Science Focus Magazine, the UK's leading science and technology monthly, on your iPhone and iPad. Dive into the latest issue, download the entire back issue collection and save more with a subscription. From space travel to brain science, BBC Science Focus Magazine will give you the lowdown on the latest discoveries and the big breakthroughs affecting our future. Interviews with leading scientists and world-leading experts will provide you with thoughtful, accurate analysis, helping you to understand what's going on in the fast-moving world of science. Plus, all your burning questions will be answered in the popular Q&A section. Our App makes it easy to read and enjoy each issue with helpful features like text adjust, allowing you to amend the font size for clear reading on any device size. You can also bookmark your favourite features to revisit, and browse our archive of content with the handy search tool. Plus, you'll find stunning video and audio inside which bring each issue to life. **Reality Check Our team investigates the science behind the headlines. We pore over the research and talk to world-leading experts to find answers to questions like: How can you protect yourself from air pollution? Is screen time bad for you? Are all plastics bad for the planet? **Features Every month, the best science writers in the world explore the big mysteries of our time. From the inner workings of our brains to the cosmic machinations of our Universe, each issue is full of surprises. **Radar We share the best science TV, books, podcasts and radio of the month ahead. PLUS tech experts help us find the best gadgets that money can buy. Terms and Conditions: Customers can buy single issues and subscriptions using In App Purchase Subscriptions are available on monthly or annual terms & will unlock all premium content on the BBC Science Focus Magazine Apple News channel. • Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period • You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for that product • You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. This does not affect your statutory rights • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription • The app may offer a free trial. At the end of the free trial period, the full price of the subscription will be charged thereafter. Cancellations must occur 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Visit http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4098 for more information. The subscription will include the current issue if you do not already own it and subsequently published future issues. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. If you would like more information or support please visit our App support page https://www.ourmediaapps.co.uk/apps-faqs/ Our Media Ltd Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: https://policies.ourmedia.co.uk/privacy-policy/ https://policies.ourmedia.co.uk/website-terms-and-conditions/ **Please note: this digital edition does not include the covermount gifts or supplements you would find with printed copies

Screenshots

TIME Magazine4 screens
BBC Science Focus Magazine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: TIME Magazine at none against BBC Science Focus Magazine's shown. TIME Magazine also leads on ratings volume (2.6K vs 82) and chart position (#186 vs unranked). BBC Science Focus Magazine's advantage is review sentiment (52% vs 38%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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 BBC Science Focus Magazine sells 13 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

BBC Science Focus Magazine holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TIME Magazine has 2.6K ratings behind it against 82, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of TIME Magazine's written reviews are positive against 52% of BBC Science Focus Magazine's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TIME Magazine ships an update every 3 months, BBC Science Focus Magazine every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
TIME Magazine versus BBC Science Focus Magazine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTIME MagazineBBC Science Focus Magazine
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2.6K ratings)4.7 (82 ratings) — better
Positive reviews38.3% of reviews52.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.6K — better82
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#186 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB51 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperTIMEOur Media Limited

Customer experience

TIME Magazine

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

BBC Science Focus Magazine

All ratings78 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.8%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews179 reviews
Positive52.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative43.0%

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

BBC Science Focus Magazine

From 82 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Excellent magazine
  • 💡 Great interactive features
  • 👍 Informative and well-presented content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🔍 Poor user interface and navigation
  • 💸 Subscription and purchase problems

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

BBC Science Focus Magazine

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to access purchased content
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Compatibility issues with iOS updates

Requested features

3 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Offline reading support
  • Better optimization for newer devices

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
13 purchases

BBC Science Focus Magazine

Subscriptions8
  • BBC Focus Magazine Apple News$4.991 Month
  • 1-Month Subscription$5.491 Month
  • 3-Month Subscription$12.993 Months
Show 5 more
  • 6-Month Subscription$28.496 Months
  • Discounted Annual Subscription$39.991 Year
  • BBC Focus Magazine Apple News1 Month trial$42.991 Year
  • 12-Month Subscription Bundle$45.991 Year
  • 12-Month Subscription1 Year trial$47.991 Year
One-time5
  • World in Motion: England's StoryFree
  • August 2014$4.99
  • September 2024$5.99
Show 2 more
  • Summer 2024$5.99
  • Complete Your Collection$59.99

Questions

Is TIME Magazine free?
TIME Magazine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BBC Science Focus Magazine free?
BBC Science Focus Magazine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TIME Magazine or BBC Science Focus Magazine?
BBC Science Focus Magazine is rated higher. TIME Magazine averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while BBC Science Focus Magazine averages 4.7 from 82 ratings.
Do TIME Magazine or BBC Science Focus Magazine have ads?
BBC Science Focus Magazine shows ads; TIME Magazine does not.
Which is updated more often, TIME Magazine or BBC Science Focus Magazine?
TIME Magazine ships an update every 3 months, and BBC Science Focus Magazine every 2 months. Most recently, TIME Magazine was updated on October 29, 2026 and BBC Science Focus Magazine on October 29, 2026.

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