# Variety vs SparrowTune

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SparrowTune at 100% against Variety's 15%. SparrowTune also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). Variety's advantage is chart position (#189 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Variety sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per month and SparrowTune sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Variety ships an update every 4 months, SparrowTune every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Variety | SparrowTune |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/variety/id416179538/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 14.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#189** | — |
| Size | 143 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PMC](https://appshunter.io/developer/533209616) | [Eaglence Technologies Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895597745) |

## What reviewers say

### Variety

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

**Currently charting:** #189 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


### SparrowTune

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparrowtune/id6764056184)

This app provides curated music business news, a job board, and an events calendar for industry professionals. It offers a personalized hub to track your activity and stay informed about deals, publishing, and tech.

**Highlights:** Curated music business news, Industry jobs board, Global events calendar, Personalized professional hub, Exclusive Pro membership content, Daily updated content

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SparrowTune Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| SparrowTune Quarterly | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| SparrowTune Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Variety free?

Variety is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SparrowTune free?

SparrowTune is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Variety or SparrowTune have ads?

Variety shows ads; SparrowTune does not.

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

Variety ships an update every 4 months, and SparrowTune every 2 weeks. Most recently, Variety was updated on October 29, 2026 and SparrowTune on October 24, 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.*