Comparison

The Wire vs New Republic

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

Head to head
About

The Wire

Access a monthly music magazine covering progressive and non-mainstream genres. Enjoy selected pages from the latest issue or upgrade for full access to every page and a searchable archive dating back to 1982. Read offline and navigate with ease.

Highlights
  • Monthly music magazine coverage
  • Searchable archive from 1982
  • Offline reading of synced issues
  • Interactive page navigation
  • Zoom and multi-page views
  • Web link integration
Features
Read full description

The Wire is an independent, monthly music magazine dedicated to informed, intelligent coverage of a wide range of progressive, adventurous and non-mainstream musics. Although The Wire is a London based publication, it serves an international readership. The iPad/iPhone edition brings you selected pages from the latest issue as soon as it is published. Within the application you can upgrade to full access, which brings you every page of the issue and a searchable archive of every issue of The Wire published since issue one from summer 1982. Issues are not sold individually - for the duration of your subscription you have access to every issue in this archive. During your subscription you can sync back issues to your device. These will remain in place if your subscription expires, unless your device removes them (for example when running low on disk space). Re-downloading issues requires a current subscription. • Swipe or tap the page edges to flip to next/previous page. • Use the animated thumbnail view to flick through the pages. • Pinch or double-tap pages to zoom. • Switch between single or double-page view. • Search the current issue or the archive. • Tap any page links to web sites, email addresses, phone numbers or maps. • Tap contents-page links to jump to a particular article. • Sync the latest issue to your device for offline reading (requires wi-fi). • Sync additional back issues by tapping the stars beside their names (requires wi-fi). • Network connection required otherwise. We recommend first running the app within a wi-fi area so it can sync the latest issue to your device - after that you can use it anywhere. Subscribers will receive new issues automatically. Subscriptions are available within the app at the following prices: £5.49 per month £54.99 per year In addition, please note the following standard features of auto-renewable subscriptions: • Your payment will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscriptions will renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. • You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Apple Account Settings after purchase. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. You can find our privacy policy here: https://exacteditions.com/about/privacy and our terms of service here: https://exacteditions.com/about/tos

About

New Republic

Access in-depth journalism and analysis on social justice, climate change, and political reform. Enjoy the complete magazine, web content, and a podcast. Offers a limited number of free articles before requiring a subscription for unlimited access.

Highlights
  • Read complete magazine issues
  • Access latest web content
  • Bookmark articles for offline reading
  • Listen to podcast
  • Share articles
  • Subscribe to newsletters
Features
Read full description

Since 1914, TNR has been a platform for public-minded thinkers and writers advocating liberal reform in a new industrial age. Today, TNR remains more committed than ever to its social democratic first principles—and most of all, to the project of restoring flagging liberal confidence in the public arena while reclaiming the embattled legacy of civic republican self-rule in America. Our journalism isn’t afraid to debate complex issues and take a stance—from social injustice to climate change. TNR App Features * Read the complete magazine—10 issues a year * Read our latest web content * Access three free articles before subscribing * With a monthly or annual subscription, enjoy unlimited access to any TNR article in the app or on the TNR website * Share articles to your favorite social networks—or via email or text—using our Share or Clip tools * Bookmark articles to read later—or offline * Listen to The Politics of Everything, our new podcast * Subscribe to our newsletters: TNR Daily, The Soapbox, Critical Mass, Apocalypse Soon, Sold Short, American Jitters, and Listen Up. The New Republic Pricing: • Subscription 1 Month - USD 2.99* • Subscription 1 Year - USD 10.99* * For non-US app stores, the equivalent currency charges will apply. Additional Subscription Information: • Payment will be charged to iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. To turn off auto-renewal, please find details on the FAQ page (Subscriptions) in the TNR app. • Account will be charged for the renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current billing period. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the user’s active subscription period. Privacy Policy - https://newrepublic.com/pages/privacy Terms of Use - http://www.mazsystems.com/outputs-terms/ • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription.

Screenshots

The Wire4 screens
New Republic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: New Republic at 4.7 against The Wire's 4.0. New Republic also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and ratings volume (2.6K vs 7). The Wire's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (45% vs 36%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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. The Wire sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and New Republic sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

New Republic holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: New Republic has 2.6K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 45% of The Wire's written reviews are positive against 36% of New Republic's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
The Wire versus New Republic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe WireNew Republic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (7 ratings)4.7 (2.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews — better35.7% of reviews
Number of ratings72.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB62 MB
Age rating+124+
DeveloperThe WireThe New Republic

Customer experience

The Wire

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative54.5%

New Republic

All ratings2,554 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral1.7%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews98 reviews
Positive35.7%
Neutral7.1%
Negative57.1%

Bugs and requests

The Wire

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

New Republic

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Issues downloading new issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Login and subscription problems

Requested features

3 requests
  • Audio version of articles
  • Ability to adjust font size
  • Landscape mode support

In-app purchases

3 purchases

The Wire

Subscriptions2
  • The Wire$5.991 Month
  • The Wire$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • 30-day access$5.99
10 purchases

New Republic

Subscriptions4
  • The New Republic for iPad$2.991 Month
  • TNR for iPad (Current Subscribers)$2.991 Month
  • TNR for iPad (Current Subscribers)$10.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • The New Republic for iPad1 Month trial$34.991 Year
One-time6
  • 25 Historical Covers$0.99
  • February 25, 2013$4.99
  • April 08, 2013$4.99
Show 3 more
  • May 27, 2013$4.99
  • June 10, 2013$4.99
  • August 5, 2013$4.99

Questions

Is The Wire free?
The Wire is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is New Republic free?
New Republic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Wire or New Republic?
New Republic is rated higher. The Wire averages 4.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while New Republic averages 4.7 from 2.6K ratings.
Do The Wire or New Republic have ads?
New Republic shows ads; The Wire does not.
Which is updated more often, The Wire or New Republic?
The Wire ships an update every 4 months, and New Republic every 4 months. Most recently, The Wire was updated on October 19, 2026 and New Republic on October 19, 2026.

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