# First Things vs Pelican+

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pelican+ at 85% against First Things's 39%. Pelican+ also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). First Things's advantage is ratings volume (362 vs 32). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. First Things sells 33 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Pelican+ sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pelican+ holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Things has 362 ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of First Things's written reviews are positive against 85% of Pelican+'s.

First Things ships an update every 4 months, Pelican+ every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Things | Pelican+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (362 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-things/id450439723/reviews) | **[4.9 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pelican-plus/id6753085864/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **362** | 32 |
| Positive reviews | 39.5% of reviews | **84.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Subscription | Subscription |
| Size | 60 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [THE INSTITUTE ON RELIGION & PUBLIC LIFE INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1471355252) | [Pious Pelican Media, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1842404761) |

## What reviewers say

### First Things

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-things/id450439723)

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

**In-app purchases (33)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| First Things | $2.99 | per month |
| First Things | $24.99 | per year |
| June/July 2011 | $0.99 | one-time |
| August/September 2011 | $0.99 | one-time |
| May 2011 | $0.99 | one-time |
| November 2011 | $0.99 | one-time |
| February 2012 | $0.99 | one-time |
| March 2012 | $0.99 | one-time |
| April 2012 | $0.99 | one-time |
| August/September 2016 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 48 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 49 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 50 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 51 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 52 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 77 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 76 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 72 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 69 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 67 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 66 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 65 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 54 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 64 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 63 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 62 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 61 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 60 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 59 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 58 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 57 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 56 | $4.99 | one-time |
| First Things Feed 55 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent content and writing
- 👍 Superb publication
- 👍 Thought-provoking articles
- 👍 Coherently intellectual analysis
- 👍 Premiere journal of religion and public life

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Requires separate subscription for app
- 🐛 Login methods not working
- 🐛 App not updating editions
- 🐛 App is like a PDF reader, no interaction
- 🐛 App difficult to navigate

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Pelican+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pelican-plus/id6753085864)

A faith-safe digital sanctuary for Traditional Catholic families, offering a personalized content library with e-books, audiobooks, and podcasts. It supports Catholic creators and provides trusted media for prayer, learning, and devotion, free from secular ads.

**Highlights:** Personalized content library, Cross-device progress syncing, E-book highlighting and note-taking, Premium podcasts, video blogs, ebooks, audiobooks, articles, Content for prayer, learning, and devotion, Films, documentaries, and children's programming (coming soon)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Basic Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Basic Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $199.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Things free?

First Things is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pelican+ free?

Pelican+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, First Things or Pelican+?

Pelican+ is rated higher. First Things averages 4.6 out of 5 from 362 ratings, while Pelican+ averages 4.9 from 32 ratings.

### Do First Things or Pelican+ have ads?

First Things shows ads; Pelican+ does not.

### Which is updated more often, First Things or Pelican+?

First Things ships an update every 4 months, and Pelican+ every 2 months. Most recently, First Things was updated on September 22, 2026 and Pelican+ on September 18, 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.*