First Things vs Mars Hill Audio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Articles on religion and public life
- Essays on philosophy and society
- Diverse perspectives
- Informed public discourse
- Interreligious and nonpartisan content
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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.
Mars Hill Audio
Access a vast library of thoughtful audio content, including interviews with prominent thinkers and in-depth discussions on culture and faith. Stream or download audiobooks, documentaries, and an ongoing audio magazine. Search your library for specific guests and topics.
- Audio magazine subscription
- Interviews with authors and thinkers
- Audiobooks and documentaries
- Searchable audio library
- Streaming and offline listening
- Free content archive access
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THREE DECADES OF THOUGHTFUL AUDIO More than 10 years before the term “podcast” was ever used, MARS HILL AUDIO launched an audio magazine. First distributed on cassette tapes, then CDs, then MP3 downloads, then streaming from a website, the MARS HILL AUDIO Journal can now be enjoyed through our free app. Our principal product is our audio Journal, which has become required listening for those interested in developing a deeper understanding of “contemporary culture and Christian conviction.” Hosted by Ken Myers, the Journal regularly features insightful interviews with authors, critics, artists, and other prominent thinkers. In addition to the Journal, MARS HILL AUDIO produces audiobooks, anthologies, documentaries, and “audio reprints” from magazines and journals. All of this audio content can be streamed through the MHA app, or stored for later listening. The app also lets you search your library of audio products for names of guests and topics. POPULAR GUESTS AND TOPICS • Rebecca DeYoung, on the forgotten vice of vainglory • Nicholas Carr, on automation technologies and us • Joel Salatin, on farming practices that observe the order of Creation • Bishop Robert Barron on God, freedom, faith, reason, and holiness. • Gisela Kreglinger, on the spiritual meaning of wine • R. J. Snell, on how the vice of acedia denies the being of Creation • Dana Gioia, on the life and poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins • Peter Harrison, on the territories of science and religion FREE CONTENT FOR ALL In addition to enabling access to products you’ve purchased, the MHA app delivers regular releases of free content, including material from our 25 year-long archive, specially produced features on timely topics, and complete recordings of our Areopagus Lecture series. HOW YOU CAN JOIN THE CONVERSATION • Download the free MHA app • Sign in with the e-mail address tied to your MHA account (if you don’t have one, you can create one at marshillaudio.org) • Subscribe to the Journal or purchase individual copies and other products • Listen to free content from the app’s home page, or • Browse your library of back issues of the Journal and other products • Start listening. Stop as necessary. Talk with your friends. Repeat. WHAT LISTENERS TELL US “Thanks for the great work on the Journal which my wife and I have enjoyed for years. We like to listen while on road trips and find ourselves frequently pausing the play back to discuss various points. It is awonderful stimulus for conversation.” — D.S., Brainerd, MN, listener since 2004 “The recent segment on Renaissance polyphonic choral music was fantastic. It opened up a new world for me.” — C.D., Indianapolis, IN, listener since 1997 “This is absolutely indispensable listening for me. I never fail to be stretched in my thinking and understanding of the issues discussed. It has been sheer pleasure to listen in on the conversations Ken has with his guests and be drawn into a world of thoughts, ideas, and issues that I would otherwise have never thought about, much less thought about well.” S.K., Canton, GA, listener since 2006 “As an undergraduate student, I welcomed each new episode of the Mars Hill Audio Journal like the discovery of a lost civilization; each issue revealing new voices and conversations to me from wise men and women I didn't know existed before. I've listened and re-listened to many of these conversations in the years since graduation and have come to count many of the Journal's guests as inspirations and guides.” — B.W., Fullerton, CA, listener since 2007
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mars Hill Audio at none against First Things's 33. Mars Hill Audio also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (69% vs 39%). First Things's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (362 vs 35). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. First Things sells 33 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Mars Hill Audio asks for nothing beyond the download.
First Things holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Things has 362 ratings behind it against 35, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 39% of First Things's written reviews are positive against 69% of Mars Hill Audio's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
First Things ships an update every 4 months, Mars Hill Audio monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and August 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Things | Mars Hill Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (362 ratings) — better | 4.4 (35 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 39.5% of reviews | 69.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 362 — better | 35 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | THE INSTITUTE ON RELIGION & PUBLIC LIFE INC | Mars Hill Audio |
Customer experience
First Things
Mars Hill Audio
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
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- 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
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- 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
Mars Hill Audio
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
First Things
- First Things$2.991 Month
- First Things$24.991 Year
- June/July 2011$0.99
- August/September 2011$0.99
- May 2011$0.99
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- 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
Mars Hill Audio
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is First Things free?
Is Mars Hill Audio free?
Which has better reviews, First Things or Mars Hill Audio?
Do First Things or Mars Hill Audio have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Things or Mars Hill Audio?
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