Comparison

Variety vs ScreenCrush

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

Head to head
About

Variety

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
Read full description

Variety is the most authoritative and trusted source of entertainment business news, recognized and respected throughout the world. Since 1905, influential producers, executives and talent in entertainment and beyond have turned to Variety for award-winning daily breaking news reports, insightful award-season coverage, must-read feature spotlights and intelligent analysis of the industry’s most prominent players. As the leading publication covering film, television, theater and tech with a global perspective, Variety is the vital read in every entertainment capital in over 84 countries. Privacy - https://pmc.com/privacy-policy/ EULA - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

ScreenCrush

Stay updated with the latest in movies and TV with news, interviews, reviews, and trailers. Save articles for offline reading and receive breaking news notifications. Enjoy background audio and wireless streaming.

Highlights
  • Movie and TV news, interviews, and reviews
  • Watch trailers and original video series
  • Breaking news notifications
  • Save articles for offline reading
  • Background audio and controls
  • AirPlay wireless streaming support
Features
Read full description

ScreenCrush brings everything onscreen online. From movies to TV, whether it’s new or classic, huge or indie, ScreenCrush covers it all. Key Features: - Read the latest movie and TV news, interviews, reviews, recaps, features and more - Watch new trailers and original video series and supercuts. - Subscribe to notifications for breaking news and other topics. - Share the latest news via Facebook & Twitter. - Save articles for reading later (supports offline viewing). - Featured full multi-tasking with background audio and controls. - Supports AirPlay feature for wireless streaming to your AirPlay-compatible device. This is the latest version of the ScreenCrush app and we have many more features planned so please share your feedback from within the app by clicking the “Send Us Feedback” link in the menu. Terms of Use: https://screencrush.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://screencrush.com/privacy/

Screenshots

Variety4 screens
ScreenCrush3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Variety at 4.5 against ScreenCrush's 4.0. Variety also leads on ratings volume (1.7K vs 7). ScreenCrush's advantage is review sentiment (33% vs 15%). 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. Variety sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per month and ScreenCrush sells 2 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

Variety holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Variety has 1.7K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 15% of Variety's written reviews are positive against 33% of ScreenCrush's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Variety ships an update every 4 months, ScreenCrush every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Variety versus ScreenCrush: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVarietyScreenCrush
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (1.7K ratings) — better4.0 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews14.8% of reviews33.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.7K — better7
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size143 MB76 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperPMCTownsquare Media, LLC

Customer experience

Variety

All ratings1,717 ratings
Positive88.6%
Neutral3.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews81 reviews
Positive14.8%
Neutral9.9%
Negative75.3%

ScreenCrush

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Bugs and requests

Variety

Reported bugs

21 issues
  • 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
Show 16 more
  • Can't use app without notifications on
  • VIP+ Membership is useless on iPad
  • Navbar too tight on iPhone 13 mini
  • Freezes at start on iPad
  • Doesn't have OneTrust data to show Banner user interface
  • Impossible to Use
  • Site keeps crashing
  • Awfull app crashes constantly
  • 50% of the time, this app just shuts down, out of the blue
  • Incredibly slow and glitchy
  • Crashes and stutters
  • Very unstable on my iPad
  • Keeps crashing
  • Soooo slow. Problems loading pages
  • Unstable
  • Article disappears right after you open it in the app

Requested features

4 requests
  • Real Time Alerts Feature
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard
  • Ability to access magazine issues for direct subscribers

ScreenCrush

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Variety

Subscriptions4
  • Variety Magazine$13.991 Month
  • Variety VIP$39.991 Month
  • Variety Magazine$139.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Variety VIP$399.991 Year
2 purchases

ScreenCrush

Subscriptions2
  • Ad-Free Monthly1 Month trial$2.991 Month
  • Ad-Free Annual1 Month trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Variety free?
Variety is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ScreenCrush free?
ScreenCrush is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Variety or ScreenCrush?
Variety is rated higher. Variety averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while ScreenCrush averages 4.0 from 7 ratings.
Do Variety or ScreenCrush have ads?
Both Variety and ScreenCrush show ads.
Which is updated more often, Variety or ScreenCrush?
Variety ships an update every 4 months, and ScreenCrush every 2 months. Most recently, Variety was updated on October 24, 2026 and ScreenCrush on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons