Comparison

First Things vs National Affairs

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

Head to head
About

First Things

Access insightful articles and essays on religion, public life, and philosophy. Explore diverse perspectives on contemporary issues from a leading research institute. Stay informed with curated content designed to foster informed public discourse.

Highlights
  • Articles on religion and public life
  • Essays on philosophy and society
  • Diverse perspectives
  • Informed public discourse
  • Interreligious and nonpartisan content
Read full description

First Things is published by The Institute on Religion and Public Life, an interreligious, nonpartisan research and education institute whose purpose is to advance a religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society. First Things Pricing: • Subscription 1 Month - USD 2.99* • Subscription 1 Year - USD 24.99* * For non-US app stores, the equivalent currency charges will apply. Please note: App subscriptions do not include access to subscription-only content on our website. Additional Subscription Information: • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Privacy Policy - https://firstthings.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use - https://www.backlight.co/legal/mazsystems-outputs-terms • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.

About

National Affairs

This quarterly journal offers in-depth essays on domestic policy, political economy, society, culture, and political thought. It aims to foster clearer thinking about public life and self-government with insightful analysis and concrete proposals.

Highlights
  • In-depth essays on domestic policy
  • Analysis of political economy
  • Discussions on society and culture
  • Exploration of political thought
  • Concrete proposals for public issues
  • Focus on American self-government
Read full description

National Affairs is a quarterly journal of essays about domestic policy, political economy, society, culture, and political thought. It aims to help Americans think a little more clearly about our public life, and rise a little more ably to the challenge of self-government. Each issue features lively yet serious essays on the range of domestic issues: from economics and health care to education and welfare; from the legal debates of the day to enduring dilemmas of society and culture. We will devote special attention to the deeper theoretical questions of American self-government—seeking to cut through the conventional wisdom, help you make sense of complex issues, offer concrete proposals, and illuminate the ideas that move our politics. In doing so, we strive to walk in the footsteps of our intellectual and institutional predecessor, The Public Interest, a journal that for decades enriched our public life with its unparalleled clarity and wisdom. We hope to provide the same service to Americans addressing the problems of a new era, and to serve as a venue for a new generation of thinkers and writers seeking to influence the affairs of the nation. National Affairs Pricing: • Subscription 1 Month - USD 2.99* • Subscription 1 Year - USD 19.99* * For non-US app stores, the equivalent currency charges will apply. Please note: App subscriptions do not include access to subscription-only content on our website. Additional Subscription Information: • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Privacy Policy - https://bit.ly/2J5Ujfh Terms of Use - https://bit.ly/2J1YZqL • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.

Screenshots

First Things2 screens
National Affairs2 screens

Verdict

The call

First Things and National Affairs both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 50% of National Affairs's written reviews are positive against 39% of First Things's. National Affairs also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). First Things's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 8 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. First Things sells 33 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and National Affairs sells 16 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for First Things against 4.5 for National Affairs. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 362 and 129 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 39% of First Things's written reviews are positive against 50% of National Affairs's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

First Things ships an update every 4 months, National Affairs every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
First Things versus National Affairs: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst ThingsNational Affairs
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (362 ratings) — better4.5 (129 ratings)
Positive reviews39.5% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings362 — better129
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 8 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTHE INSTITUTE ON RELIGION & PUBLIC LIFE INCNational Affairs, Inc.

Customer experience

First Things

All ratings360 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral1.9%
Negative8.1%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive39.5%
Neutral7.9%
Negative52.6%

National Affairs

All ratings129 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral0.8%
Negative10.9%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

First Things

Reported bugs

19 issues
  • Login methods not working
  • App not updating editions
  • Preview pane interferes with reading
  • Cuts off bottom of page, black bar on top
  • Cannot minimize horizontal scrolling
Show 14 more
  • Cannot log in with subscription
  • App is nonfunctional after update
  • Lost all saved items after update
  • App is unusable after update
  • Unreadable on iPhone, text size issues
  • Not optimized for small screens
  • App hides content
  • App crashes on startup
  • Zoom gets stuck, app freezes
  • App freezes when using zoom
  • New sash remains after reading
  • Swiping pages in landscape mode causes freezing
  • App crashes when opening in Newsstand
  • App freezes when using zoom

Requested features

19 requests
  • Allow login with digital subscription username/password
  • Fix login methods
  • Make table of contents hyperlinked
  • Include a Contents menu to see articles before buying
  • Fix preview pane issue
Show 14 more
  • Allow saving and bookmarking articles
  • Improve app navigation
  • Allow interaction with text
  • Fix app to utilize full screen of newer iPhones
  • Make text readable size on iPhone
  • Optimize for small screens
  • Improve app interface
  • Fix zoom issues
  • Fix app freezing
  • Fix 'new' sash issue
  • Allow access to digital subscription on iPad
  • Make app professional with links in table of contents/menu
  • Allow offline reading of purchased editions
  • Fix app to display library of issues

National Affairs

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

33 purchases

First Things

Subscriptions2
  • First Things$2.991 Month
  • First Things$24.991 Year
One-time31
  • June/July 2011$0.99
  • August/September 2011$0.99
  • May 2011$0.99
Show 28 more
  • November 2011$0.99
  • February 2012$0.99
  • March 2012$0.99
  • April 2012$0.99
  • August/September 2016$4.99
  • First Things Feed 48$4.99
  • First Things Feed 49$4.99
  • First Things Feed 50$4.99
  • First Things Feed 51$4.99
  • First Things Feed 52$4.99
  • First Things Feed 77$4.99
  • First Things Feed 76$4.99
  • First Things Feed 72$4.99
  • First Things Feed 69$4.99
  • First Things Feed 67$4.99
  • First Things Feed 66$4.99
  • First Things Feed 65$4.99
  • First Things Feed 54$4.99
  • First Things Feed 64$4.99
  • First Things Feed 63$4.99
  • First Things Feed 62$4.99
  • First Things Feed 61$4.99
  • First Things Feed 60$4.99
  • First Things Feed 59$4.99
  • First Things Feed 58$4.99
  • First Things Feed 57$4.99
  • First Things Feed 56$4.99
  • First Things Feed 55$4.99
16 purchases

National Affairs

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$19.991 Year
One-time14
  • Spring 2017$3.99
  • Fall 2017$3.99
  • Winter 2018$3.99
Show 11 more
  • Spring 2018$3.99
  • Summer 2018$3.99
  • Fall 2018$3.99
  • Winter 2019$3.99
  • Nat'l Affairs Feed 9$3.99
  • Nat'l Affairs Feed 22$3.99
  • Nat'l Affairs Feed 28$3.99
  • Nat'l Affairs Feed 27$3.99
  • Nat'l Affairs Feed 26$3.99
  • Nat'l Affairs Feed 24$3.99
  • Nat'l Affairs Feed 23$3.99

Questions

Is First Things free?
First Things is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is National Affairs free?
National Affairs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, First Things or National Affairs?
First Things is rated higher. First Things averages 4.6 out of 5 from 362 ratings, while National Affairs averages 4.5 from 129 ratings.
Do First Things or National Affairs have ads?
Both First Things and National Affairs show ads.
Which is updated more often, First Things or National Affairs?
First Things ships an update every 4 months, and National Affairs every 8 months. Most recently, First Things was updated on September 22, 2026 and National Affairs on September 17, 2026.

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