The Numismatist vs Sotheby's
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Numismatist
This app offers a rich collection of illustrated articles on coins, tokens, medals, and paper money. It covers historical aspects, hobby events, and new coinage issues, making it a valuable resource for collectors.
- Illustrated articles on numismatics
- Historical and entertaining content
- Reports on hobby events
- Information on new coinage issues
- Advertising by coin dealers
Read full descriptionHide full description
THE NUMISMATIST is a colorful, high-quality, educational magazine for collectors of coins, tokens, medals and paper money. Published since 1888 by the nonprofit American Numismatic Association (money.org), THE NUMISMATIST features 112-120 pages of informative, illustrated articles about the historical and entertaining aspects of numismatics; reports of hobby events and new coinage issues, including the U.S. Mint; and advertising by nationally respected coin dealers.
Sotheby's
Access extraordinary art, precious objects, wine, and jewelry from auctions worldwide. Track bids, register for auctions, and explore past and upcoming sales with expert insights.
- Bid in live and online auctions
- Track bids and registrations
- Browse open, upcoming, and past auctions
- Search past and present lots
- Manage profile and view purchases
- Access favorite auctions and lots
Read full descriptionHide full description
Extraordinary auctions. Exceptional finds. Anytime, anywhere. The Sotheby’s iOS app provides collectors with exceptional access to the world’s most extraordinary art, precious objects, wine and jewellery, together with the unparalleled expertise of our world-class specialists. Track your bids and registrations effortlessly. Bid in live and online auctions. Browse open, upcoming, and past auctions and lots. Browse fixed price retail and private sale items in search results. Quickly access your favorite auctions and lots. Manage profile, view purchases, customize your settings and view additional services.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Numismatist at 71% against Sotheby's's 24%. The Numismatist also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.4) and ads (none vs shown). Sotheby's's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 14 months) and ratings volume (97 vs 9). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
The Numismatist holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sotheby's has 97 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of The Numismatist's written reviews are positive against 24% of Sotheby's's.
The Numismatist ships an update every 14 months, Sotheby's every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Numismatist | Sotheby's |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (9 ratings) — better | 3.4 (97 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews — better | 24.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 9 | 97 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 — better | 17.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 137 MB | 58 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | American Numismatic Association | Sotheby's |
Customer experience
The Numismatist
Sotheby's
Bugs and requests
The Numismatist
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Sotheby's
Reported bugs
10 issues- Cannot sort auction lots
- Cannot follow, view, or bid
- App crashes on launch
- ID verification camera not focusing
- Photo upload issues
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Saved objects not displaying correctly
- App freezes or crashes during use
- Lot details never load
- AppleTV app fails to open
- App thinks it's on an iPhone on iPad
Requested features
8 requests- Allow sorting of auction lots
- Improve search functionality
- Enable calendar integration
- Make app landscape compatible
- Simplify personalization options
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Improve account integration
- Allow file uploads for ID verification
- Fix AppleTV app issues
In-app purchases
The Numismatist
No in-app purchases
Sotheby's
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Numismatist free?
Is Sotheby's free?
Which has better reviews, The Numismatist or Sotheby's?
Do The Numismatist or Sotheby's have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Numismatist or Sotheby's?
Other comparisons
