# New Republic vs ProtagonistLit

The clearest difference is ratings volume: New Republic at 2.6K against ProtagonistLit's 2. New Republic also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.2). ProtagonistLit's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. New Republic sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and ProtagonistLit sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ProtagonistLit holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: New Republic has 2.6K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

New Republic ships an update every 4 months, ProtagonistLit monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | New Republic | ProtagonistLit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-republic/id454525980/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/protagonistlit/id6446125862/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 35.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 62 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [The New Republic](https://appshunter.io/developer/358816225) | [Protagonist Lit, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/625346203) |

## What reviewers say

### New Republic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-republic/id454525980)

Access in-depth journalism and analysis on social justice, climate change, and political reform. Enjoy the complete magazine, web content, and a podcast. Offers a limited number of free articles before requiring a subscription for unlimited access.

**Highlights:** Read complete magazine issues, Access latest web content, Bookmark articles for offline reading, Listen to podcast, Share articles, Subscribe to newsletters

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The New Republic for iPad | $2.99 | per month |
| TNR for iPad (Current Subscribers) | $2.99 | per month |
| TNR for iPad (Current Subscribers) | $10.99 | per year |
| The New Republic for iPad | $34.99 | per year |
| 25 Historical Covers | $0.99 | one-time |
| February 25, 2013 | $4.99 | one-time |
| April 08, 2013 | $4.99 | one-time |
| May 27, 2013 | $4.99 | one-time |
| June 10, 2013 | $4.99 | one-time |
| August 5, 2013 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to navigate
- 🚀 Well-categorized articles
- 👍 Thorough and accurate journalism

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Subscription issues
- 🐛 Formatting problems
- 🐛 Outdated content
- 🐛 Buggy app
- 🐛 Login issues

**Reported bugs**

- Issues downloading new issues
- App crashes and freezes
- Login and subscription problems

**Requested features**

- Audio version of articles
- Ability to adjust font size
- Landscape mode support


### ProtagonistLit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/protagonistlit/id6446125862)

Discover new short reads like stories, poems, and essays from independent publishers. Search by genre, writer, or publication, and explore curated lists. This app offers an easy-to-use interface for a community of readers, writers, and editors.

**Highlights:** Discover short stories, poems, and essays, Search by genre, writer, and publication, Explore curated reading lists, Content curated by editors, Community of readers, writers, and editors, Independent publisher content

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Super Reader Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Super Reader Yearly | $99.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is New Republic free?

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

### Is ProtagonistLit free?

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

### Which has better reviews, New Republic or ProtagonistLit?

ProtagonistLit is rated higher. New Republic averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while ProtagonistLit averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do New Republic or ProtagonistLit have ads?

Both New Republic and ProtagonistLit show ads.

### Which is updated more often, New Republic or ProtagonistLit?

New Republic ships an update every 4 months, and ProtagonistLit monthly. Most recently, New Republic was updated on October 22, 2026 and ProtagonistLit on October 12, 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.*