# Newsweek vs Variety

The clearest difference is ads: Newsweek at none against Variety's shown. Newsweek also leads on review sentiment (24% vs 15%). Variety's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Newsweek 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 — 4.6 for Newsweek against 4.5 for Variety. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 24% of Newsweek's written reviews are positive against 15% of Variety's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Newsweek | Variety |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsweek/id370903329/reviews)** | [4.5 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/variety/id416179538/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **23.8% of reviews** | 14.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #158 | **#154** |
| Size | 29 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Newsweek Publishing LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/347960016) | [PMC](https://appshunter.io/developer/533209616) |

## What reviewers say

### Newsweek

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsweek/id370903329)

**Currently charting:** #158 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access trustworthy, high-quality journalism with live coverage, in-depth analysis, podcasts, and videos. Enjoy the weekly magazine and subscribe to newsletters for daily briefings. Stay informed with breaking news notifications.

**Highlights:** Live and breaking news coverage, In-depth analysis of trending topics, Podcasts on various subjects, Daily briefing newsletter, Curated video content, Weekly magazine access, Customizable newsletter subscriptions, Breaking news notifications

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Newsweek - 1 month | $2.99 | per month |
| Newsweek | $3.99 | per month |
| Newsweek - 1 year | $24.99 | per year |
| Newsweek | $39.99 | per year |
| June 28 & July 5, 2010 | $0.99 | one-time |
| August 23 & 30, 2010 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sept 27, 2010 | $0.99 | one-time |
| September 5, 2011 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Newsweek January 23, 2012 issue | $1.99 | one-time |
| Newsweek August 27, 2012 issue | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great journalism
- 🚀 Curated news coverage
- 💡 Balanced reporting with alternative views

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- 🐛 Issues with downloading/accessing issues
- 🐛 Outdated content
- 🔒 Poor customer support
- 👎 Buggy app updates

**Reported bugs**

- App not recognizing active subscriptions
- Inability to download/access latest issues
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Outdated content remaining stuck in the app

**Requested features**

- Ability to change font size
- Landscape mode support
- Offline reading mode
- Search functionality
- Improved navigation and issue management


### Variety

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

**Currently charting:** #154 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

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 Newsweek free?

Newsweek 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, Newsweek or Variety?

Newsweek is rated higher. Newsweek averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Variety averages 4.5 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Newsweek or Variety have ads?

Variety shows ads; Newsweek does not.

### Which is updated more often, Newsweek or Variety?

Newsweek ships an update every 4 months, and Variety every 4 months. Most recently, Newsweek was updated on November 10, 2026 and Variety on November 10, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Newsweek or Variety?

Newsweek currently peaks at #158 in the App Store charts, and Variety at #154. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*