# The New Criterion vs Tentacle Pulp

The clearest difference is ratings volume: The New Criterion at 364 against Tentacle Pulp's 1. Tentacle Pulp's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The New Criterion sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Tentacle Pulp sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $8.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Tentacle Pulp holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The New Criterion has 364 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

The New Criterion ships an update every 3 months, Tentacle Pulp every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The New Criterion | Tentacle Pulp |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (364 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-new-criterion/id432428177/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tentacle-pulp/id1483806400/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **364** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 43.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Subscription | Subscription |
| Size | 61 MB | 398 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Foundation for Cultural Review, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1471194668) | [Francisco Javier Gimenez Carrero](https://appshunter.io/developer/1483806399) |

## What reviewers say

### The New Criterion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-new-criterion/id432428177)

This monthly review offers incisive criticism on culture and the arts. It features a wide range of established and emerging critics, engaging with the best of thought and discourse.

**Highlights:** Monthly review of culture and arts, Incisive criticism, Features established and emerging critics, Engages with intellectual discourse, Free sample issue available

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The New Criterion | $3.99 | per month |
| The New Criterion | $29.99 | per year |
| The New Criterion June 11 | $4.99 | one-time |
| The New Criterion Sept 11 | $4.99 | one-time |
| The New Criterion Jan 12 | $5.99 | one-time |
| June 2012 | $5.99 | one-time |
| June 2016 | $5.99 | one-time |
| September 2016 | $5.99 | one-time |
| October 2016 | $5.99 | one-time |
| New Criterion Feed 76 | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great publication content
- 👍 Amazing content
- 👍 Good presentation
- 👍 User friendly

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Difficult to use app
- 👎 Hard to read on smaller devices
- 👎 Unintuitive and impossible to navigate
- 👎 Terrible player on phone
- 👎 Terrible subscriber interface

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription not started
- Login information incorrect
- Unable to download owned issues prior to 2019
- App lags on iPhone

**Requested features**

- Alter font size
- Dark mode
- Integration with Apple News
- Save spot in issue
- Contents page


### Tentacle Pulp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tentacle-pulp/id1483806400)

Discover a curated collection of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror short stories in Spanish. Enhance your language skills while enjoying exclusive digital and unpublished tales from talented authors. The app offers customizable reading settings and progress saving.

**Highlights:** Sci-fi, fantasy, and horror short stories, Spanish language practice, Exclusive and unpublished digital stories, Content and news index, Customizable user settings, Progress saving and orientable reading, Categorized selection

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual subscription | $8.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The New Criterion free?

The New Criterion is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Tentacle Pulp free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The New Criterion or Tentacle Pulp?

Tentacle Pulp is rated higher. The New Criterion averages 4.7 out of 5 from 364 ratings, while Tentacle Pulp averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do The New Criterion or Tentacle Pulp have ads?

Neither The New Criterion nor Tentacle Pulp shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The New Criterion or Tentacle Pulp?

The New Criterion ships an update every 3 months, and Tentacle Pulp every 2 months. Most recently, The New Criterion was updated on November 6, 2026 and Tentacle Pulp on November 3, 2026.

---

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