Comparison

Rue Morgue vs Backstory

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

Head to head
About

Rue Morgue

Access the world's leading horror culture and entertainment brand. Explore digital archives of past issues and receive new ones annually. Discover news, interviews, and reviews on horror films, books, music, games, and more.

Highlights
  • Digital magazine issues
  • Extensive digital archive
  • News and interviews
  • Reviews of films, books, music, games
  • Horror culture content
Features
Read full description

Launched in 1997 by Rodrigo Gudiño, RUE MORGUE is the world’s leading horror in culture and entertainment brand, spearheaded by its multiple award-winning magazine, RUE MORGUE and RUE MORGUE DIGITAL; RUE MORGUE TV specialty horror channel; RUE MORGUE LIBRARY book series; RUE MORGUE PRESENTS FRIGHTMARE IN THE FALLS horror expo and RUE MORGUE PRESENTS CINEMACABRE MOVIE NIGHTS monthly film series. Each issue features the latest news, interviews and reviews on new, classic and cult fright films, horror books, morbid music, comics, games, toys, art, culture and more. Get full access to every issue we’ve ever published in the digital archive — plus a full year of new issues. Annual Subscription: $35.99 USD Single issues: 6.99 USD When purchasing through iTunes your account will be charged at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will auto-renew unless you turn this off 24 hours before the subscription runs out. You can turn off auto-renewal at any time from your iTunes account settings. You can manage your subscription through your account settings after purchase on your device. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Privacy Policy: https://www.rue-morgue.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://www.rue-morgue.com/terms-and-conditions/

About

Backstory

Explore the art and business of storytelling with in-depth interviews and full-length scripts. Discover innovative storytellers and gain insights into their creative processes. Access exclusive content through a digital subscription.

Highlights
  • In-depth interviews with storytellers
  • Full-length scripts
  • Coverage of storytelling art and business
  • Digital subscription
  • Bi-monthly issues
Features
Read full description

See what's inside! Check out each issue's table of contents at www.backstory.net Get the Backstory on today's most innovative storytellers in the magazine dedicated to covering the art and the business of storytelling. Read a full length script or an in-depth interview with today's hottest storytellers in each issue. (Note: a wifi connection may be necessary in order to watch and read certain pieces) Start by downloading the FREE app. For a limited time you can read issue 01 for FREE. Get a 1-year digital subscription to Backstory for just $24.99! Issues publish every two months (bi-monthly). Backstory Magazine subscriptions available: - 1 year of Backstory Magazine bi-monthly issues (a new issue published every two months) is available for $24.99. -This fee is automatically renewed until canceled. -Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - Your subscription automatically renews and charges your iTunes account $24.99 unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. -No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during an active subscription period. -Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. -Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable -You may see Backstory Magazine's Privacy Policy here: http://backstory.net/privacy -You may see Backstory Magazine's Terms of Use here: http://backstory.net/termsofuse

Screenshots

Rue Morgue4 screens
Backstory3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Backstory at 87% against Rue Morgue's 26%. Backstory also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.3) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). Rue Morgue's advantage is ratings volume (26 vs 7) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Rue Morgue sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $35.99 per year and Backstory sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backstory holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Rue Morgue's written reviews are positive against 87% of Backstory's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Rue Morgue versus Backstory: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRue MorgueBackstory
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (26 ratings)4.4 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews26.0% of reviews86.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings26 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size99 MB26 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperMARRS Media IncUnlikely Films, Inc.

Customer experience

Rue Morgue

All ratings26 ratings
Positive30.8%
Neutral3.8%
Negative65.4%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive26.0%
Neutral12.0%
Negative62.0%

Backstory

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive86.5%
Neutral9.6%
Negative3.8%

User reviews

Rue Morgue

From 26 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great magazine content
  • 💡 Interactive features (links, video)
  • 🚀 Fast downloads (historically)
  • ✨ Smooth loading (historically)

Room to improve

  • ❌ Lost access to purchased issues
  • ❌ App crashes frequently
  • ❌ Unresponsive support
  • ❌ Subscription issues not recognized
  • ❌ Purchases not restoring

Backstory

From 7 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 In-depth interviews with creatives
  • 💡 Access to scripts is invaluable
  • 👍 Great resource for filmmakers/writers
  • 👍 High-quality content and journalism
  • 👍 Well-written and informative articles

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Download issues and server problems
  • 🐛 Slow download speeds
  • 🐛 Pixelated text on non-Retina displays
  • 🐛 Large file sizes
  • 🐛 Lack of background downloading

Bugs and requests

Rue Morgue

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Cannot access past issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Purchased/subscribed issues disappear
  • Restore purchases not working
  • Subscription not recognized after update
Show 5 more
  • Email support errors
  • Issues fail to load
  • App freezes
  • Processing purchase errors
  • Terrible resolution

Requested features

6 requests
  • Make back issues free with subscription
  • Fix app upgrade issues
  • Improve app responsiveness
  • Ensure new issues are current
  • Reduce digital subscription price
Show 1 more
  • Make digital issues available before print

Backstory

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Download stalls and server connection errors
  • App cannot connect to server
  • Text pixelated on non-Retina displays
  • Issues with Retina display support (older reviews)
  • Large file sizes impacting storage

Requested features

3 requests
  • Issue synopses
  • Retina display optimization (addressed in later reviews)
  • Background downloading

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Rue Morgue

Subscriptions1
  • Rue Morgue 1 Year AutoRenew$35.991 Year
One-time9
  • Rue Morgue #116$4.99
  • Rue Morgue #127$4.99
  • Rue Morgue #129$4.99
Show 6 more
  • Rue Morgue Magazine’s 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need to See$4.99
  • Rue Morgue #164$4.99
  • Rue Morgue #166$4.99
  • Rue Morgue #170$4.99
  • Rue Morgue #171$4.99
  • Rue Morgue 1 Year Subscription$19.99
10 purchases

Backstory

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Subscription$24.991 Year
One-time9
  • Issue 2$4.99
  • Backstory Issue 3$4.99
  • Backstory Issue 4$4.99
Show 6 more
  • Issue 5$4.99
  • Issue 6$4.99
  • Issue 7$4.99
  • Issue 9$4.99
  • Issue 12$4.99
  • Backstory Issue 21$4.99

Questions

Is Rue Morgue free?
Rue Morgue is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backstory free?
Backstory is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Rue Morgue or Backstory?
Backstory is rated higher. Rue Morgue averages 2.3 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Backstory averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.
Do Rue Morgue or Backstory have ads?
Neither Rue Morgue nor Backstory shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Rue Morgue or Backstory?
Rue Morgue ships an update every 3 months, and Backstory every 3 months. Most recently, Rue Morgue was updated on November 1, 2026 and Backstory on November 1, 2026.

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