# New Republic vs Lion's Roar

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | New Republic | Lion's Roar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-republic/id454525980/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lions-roar/id950297065/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 1.6K |
| Positive reviews | 38.0% of reviews | **51.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#142** | — |
| Size | 62 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The New Republic](https://appshunter.io/developer/358816225) | [Lion's Roar Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/950297064) |

## What reviewers say

### New Republic

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

**Currently charting:** #142 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

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


### Lion's Roar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lions-roar/id950297065)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6 Months Subscription | $12.99 | per 6 months |
| Lion's Roar magazine | $24.99 | per year |
| November 2015 | $7.99 | one-time |
| January 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| March 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| May 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| July 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| September 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| November 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| January 2017 | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Highlighting and dictionary features
- Improved accessibility for visually impaired users


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*