Comparison

New Republic vs Lion's Roar

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

Head to head
About

New Republic

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
Read full description

Since 1914, TNR has been a platform for public-minded thinkers and writers advocating liberal reform in a new industrial age. Today, TNR remains more committed than ever to its social democratic first principles—and most of all, to the project of restoring flagging liberal confidence in the public arena while reclaiming the embattled legacy of civic republican self-rule in America. Our journalism isn’t afraid to debate complex issues and take a stance—from social injustice to climate change. TNR App Features * Read the complete magazine—10 issues a year * Read our latest web content * Access three free articles before subscribing * With a monthly or annual subscription, enjoy unlimited access to any TNR article in the app or on the TNR website * Share articles to your favorite social networks—or via email or text—using our Share or Clip tools * Bookmark articles to read later—or offline * Listen to The Politics of Everything, our new podcast * Subscribe to our newsletters: TNR Daily, The Soapbox, Critical Mass, Apocalypse Soon, Sold Short, American Jitters, and Listen Up. The New Republic Pricing: • Subscription 1 Month - USD 2.99* • Subscription 1 Year - USD 10.99* * For non-US app stores, the equivalent currency charges will apply. 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 billing period. To turn off auto-renewal, please find details on the FAQ page (Subscriptions) in the TNR app. • Account will be charged for the renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current billing period. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the user’s active subscription period. Privacy Policy - https://newrepublic.com/pages/privacy Terms of Use - http://www.mazsystems.com/outputs-terms/ • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription.

About

Lion's Roar

Access Buddhist teachings and insights on modern life through a digital magazine. Explore practical wisdom, philosophy, and meditation techniques from renowned teachers and writers. Enjoy enhanced readability and social sharing features.

Highlights
  • Digital magazine edition
  • Easy-to-read design
  • Social sharing functionality
  • Integrated website content
  • Buddhist teachings
  • Practical life insights
Features
Read full description

The Lion's Roar digital edition delivers all the same great content from the print edition, now enhanced with an easy-to-read design, social sharing functionality, and integrated with must-reads from the website. Today’s most widely-read Buddhist magazine, Lion's Roar offers accessible, practical, and profound teachings from across the Buddhist spectrum. Lion's Roar applies Buddhist insight, philosophy, and meditation techniques to all the important issues in life today—from livelihood, parenting, and relationships to politics, social action, and the arts. In the pages of Lion's Roar, ancient wisdom shares the stage with some of today’s finest writers, thinkers, and teachers, including Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Dalai Lama, Sylvia Boorstein, bell hooks, Pico Iyer, Diane Ackerman, George Saunders, Charles Johnson—and many others. Lion's Roar Pricing: • Subscription 6 Month - USD 12.99* • 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://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

New Republic4 screens
Lion's Roar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: New Republic at freemium against Lion's Roar's subscription. New Republic also leads on chart position (#142 vs unranked). Lion's Roar's advantage is review sentiment (51% vs 38%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. New Republic sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Lion's Roar sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per 6 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lion's Roar holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.6K and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of New Republic's written reviews are positive against 51% of Lion's Roar's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

New Republic ships an update every 4 months, Lion's Roar every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
New Republic versus Lion's Roar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNew RepublicLion's Roar
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.6K ratings)4.9 (1.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews38.0% of reviews51.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.6K — better1.6K
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#142 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe New RepublicLion's Roar Foundation

Customer experience

New Republic

All ratings2,554 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral1.7%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews108 reviews
Positive38.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative53.7%

Lion's Roar

All ratings1,627 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive51.3%
Neutral10.3%
Negative38.5%

User reviews

New Republic

From 2.6K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Lion's Roar

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Excellent publication and app
  • 🤗 Insightful, accessible, and user-friendly
  • 🙏 Wisdom and authentic words
  • 💻 Great content and format

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app and login issues
  • 🔒 Subscription and access problems
  • 🖥️ Lack of dark mode and accessibility features

Bugs and requests

New Republic

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Issues downloading new issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Login and subscription problems

Requested features

3 requests
  • Audio version of articles
  • Ability to adjust font size
  • Landscape mode support

Lion's Roar

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App not functioning or loading content
  • Subscription issues and inability to access past issues
  • Login problems and app crashes

Requested features

3 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Highlighting and dictionary features
  • Improved accessibility for visually impaired users

In-app purchases

10 purchases

New Republic

Subscriptions4
  • The New Republic for iPad$2.991 Month
  • TNR for iPad (Current Subscribers)$2.991 Month
  • TNR for iPad (Current Subscribers)$10.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • The New Republic for iPad1 Month trial$34.991 Year
One-time6
  • 25 Historical Covers$0.99
  • February 25, 2013$4.99
  • April 08, 2013$4.99
Show 3 more
  • May 27, 2013$4.99
  • June 10, 2013$4.99
  • August 5, 2013$4.99
10 purchases

Lion's Roar

Subscriptions2
  • 6 Months Subscription$12.996 Months
  • Lion's Roar magazine1 Month trial$24.991 Year
One-time8
  • November 2015$7.99
  • January 2016$7.99
  • March 2016$7.99
Show 5 more
  • May 2016$7.99
  • July 2016$7.99
  • September 2016$7.99
  • November 2016$7.99
  • January 2017$7.99

Questions

Is New Republic free?
New Republic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lion's Roar free?
Lion's Roar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, New Republic or Lion's Roar?
Lion's Roar is rated higher. New Republic averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Lion's Roar averages 4.9 from 1.6K ratings.
Do New Republic or Lion's Roar have ads?
Both New Republic and Lion's Roar show ads.
Which is updated more often, New Republic or Lion's Roar?
New Republic ships an update every 4 months, and Lion's Roar every 6 months. Most recently, New Republic was updated on November 6, 2026 and Lion's Roar on November 1, 2026.

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