# DER SPIEGEL vs phoenix

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: phoenix at none against DER SPIEGEL's 5. phoenix also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). DER SPIEGEL's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (68% vs 40%). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DER SPIEGEL sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month. phoenix asks for nothing beyond the download.

DER SPIEGEL holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DER SPIEGEL has 3K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of DER SPIEGEL's written reviews are positive against 40% of phoenix's.

DER SPIEGEL ships an update every 3 weeks, phoenix every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | DER SPIEGEL | phoenix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/der-spiegel-nachrichten/id424881832/reviews)** | [4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoenix/id597487921/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **67.8% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#99** | — |
| Size | 15 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DER SPIEGEL GmbH und Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/424881840) | [ZDF Digital Medienproduktion GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/597487924) |

## What reviewers say

### DER SPIEGEL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/der-spiegel-nachrichten/id424881832)

**Currently charting:** #99 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Access reliable, independent, and up-to-date journalism from over 500 journalists. Get breaking news, in-depth reports, and exclusive content in a fast, user-friendly app. Enjoy offline reading and personalized content.

**Highlights:** Breaking news and background information, Digital weekly magazine with PDF download, Exclusive SPIEGEL+ content, Daily and weekly audio offerings, Personalized reading recommendations, Customizable push notifications

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Werbefrei lesen | $4.49 | per month |
| SPIEGEL+ Monatsabo | $19.99 | per month |
| SPIEGEL+ Monatsabo | $24.99 | per month |
| SPIEGEL+ Monatsabo | $24.99 | per month |
| SPIEGEL+ Jahresabo | $229.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌍 Excellent source for international news
- 📰 High-quality journalism
- 🌐 Worldwide accessibility and translation
- 🇩🇪 Helpful for learning German
- 🔍 Comprehensive and in-depth reporting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📱 Unintuitive and confusing app navigation
- 💰 Too much content behind paywall
- 🔍 Declining quality of articles over time
- 🧑‍💻 Biased and one-sided reporting
- 🌐 Lack of English version availability

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Compatibility issues with newer devices
- Login problems for Spiegel+ subscribers
- Scrolling and navigation issues

**Requested features**

- Make all content free to access
- Improve app navigation and usability
- Add bookmark/history functionality
- Implement dark mode option
- Provide better offline reading experience


### phoenix

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoenix/id597487921)

Watch your favorite news and talk shows on demand, anytime, anywhere. Catch up on missed episodes of popular programs and access the latest broadcasts directly through the app.

**Highlights:** On-demand video streaming, Access to latest broadcasts, Catch up on missed episodes, Available on multiple devices, Free to use

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DER SPIEGEL free?

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

### Is phoenix free?

phoenix is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, DER SPIEGEL or phoenix?

DER SPIEGEL is rated higher. DER SPIEGEL averages 4.4 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while phoenix averages 4.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do DER SPIEGEL or phoenix have ads?

Neither DER SPIEGEL nor phoenix shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DER SPIEGEL or phoenix?

DER SPIEGEL ships an update every 3 weeks, and phoenix every 3 months. Most recently, DER SPIEGEL was updated on November 1, 2026 and phoenix 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.*