# Rue Morgue vs Backstory

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Rue Morgue | Backstory |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.3 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rue-morgue/id400194013/reviews) | **[4.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backstory/id521967972/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **26** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 26.0% of reviews | **86.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 99 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [MARRS Media Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1451598621) | [Unlikely Films, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/521967975) |

## What reviewers say

### Rue Morgue

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rue-morgue/id400194013)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rue Morgue 1 Year AutoRenew | $35.99 | per year |
| Rue Morgue #116 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Rue Morgue #127 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Rue Morgue #129 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Rue Morgue Magazine’s 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need to See | $4.99 | one-time |
| Rue Morgue #164 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Rue Morgue #166 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Rue Morgue #170 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Rue Morgue #171 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Rue Morgue 1 Year Subscription | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot access past issues
- App crashes on launch
- Purchased/subscribed issues disappear
- Restore purchases not working
- Subscription not recognized after update

**Requested features**

- Make back issues free with subscription
- Fix app upgrade issues
- Improve app responsiveness
- Ensure new issues are current
- Reduce digital subscription price


### Backstory

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backstory/id521967972)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $24.99 | per year |
| Issue 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Backstory Issue 3 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Backstory Issue 4 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 5 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 6 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 7 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 9 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 12 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Backstory Issue 21 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Issue synopses
- Retina display optimization (addressed in later reviews)
- Background downloading


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*