Nordstrom vs Madewell
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Nordstrom
Shop a wide selection of clothing, shoes, and accessories for the whole family. Get personalized recommendations, track orders, and enjoy convenient features like curbside pickup and app-only alerts for sales and restocks.
- App-only alerts for sales and restocks
- Personalized recommendations
- Contactless curbside pickup
- In-store QR code payment
- Order tracking and purchase history
- Wish list and favorite brands
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Since 1901, Nordstrom has been a leading fashion retailer known for our commitment to providing customers with the best possible service. The Nordstrom app is everything you love about the Nordstrom experience and more. Enjoy convenient shopping wherever you—and your phone—may be. Plus, get access to app-only features! ONLY IN THE APP • Alerts when your favorite items come back in stock or go on sale in your Wish List or Bag • Save your favorite brands for personalized recommendations and alerts about new arrivals • Easily filter searches by your brands to find exactly what you want • Request contactless Curbside Pickup at selected stores and we’ll bring your online order out to your car • Pay with your Nordstrom card in store using a QR code MORE THINGS TO LOVE • Free Shipping. Free Returns. Exclusions Apply. • A personalized experience with item recommendations tailored just to you • Trustworthy ratings and reviews from customers with verified purchases • Free personalized advice on fashion, beauty, gifts and more • Order tracking and purchase history ABOUT NORDSTROM Nordstrom offers our customers one of the most extensive selections of clothing, shoes and accessories for men, women, kids and the home. For more than 100 years, we've worked to deliver the best possible shopping experience, helping our customers express their style—not just buy fashion or gifts. Fashion changes. Shopping changes. Our commitment to happy customers doesn't. Download the Nordstrom app today for easy and convenient shopping.
Madewell
Discover and shop the latest fashion, from denim to accessories. Track your loyalty benefits, view order history, and get inspired by curated editorials. Save favorites and enjoy a seamless checkout experience.
- Shop latest arrivals
- Track Insider benefits
- View order history
- Save favorite styles
- Read customer reviews
- Discover editorials
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Introducing the best way to experience the world of Madewell. Sign in and start exploring the latest denim and forever essentials, plus easily track your Insider benefits, order history and more. DISCOVER: Get inspired by our latest editorials that you can shop the looks from, learn about our exclusive collaborations and in-store events, plus read helpful customer reviews. SHOP: Explore what’s new (from just-in jeans to accessories that make the outfit) and speed through our seamless checkout. Just browsing? You can save your favorite styles to a list for later. ACCESS: Easily track your Madewell Insider status, benefits and invites to exclusive Insider-only events in the app. Sign into your account to earn points as you shop and unlock new rewards along the way.
Screenshots
Verdict
Nordstrom and Madewell both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Nordstrom's written reviews are positive against 11% of Madewell's. Nordstrom also leads on ratings volume (1.5M vs 26K) and chart position (#66 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Nordstrom holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nordstrom has 1.5M ratings behind it against 26K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Nordstrom's written reviews are positive against 11% of Madewell's.
Nordstrom ships an update every 2 weeks, Madewell fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Nordstrom | Madewell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (1.5M ratings) — better | 4.8 (26K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 85.1% of reviews — better | 10.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.5M — better | 26K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #66 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 225 MB | 129 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nordstrom, Inc. | JCrew Group INC |
Customer experience
Nordstrom
Madewell
User reviews
Nordstrom
From 1.5M App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Excellent customer service
- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use app
- 💎 High-quality products and brands
- 🎁 Rewards and loyalty program
- 🏪 Seamless in-store and online experience
Room to improve
- 🐛 Issues with order cancellations and inventory tracking
- 🤔 Inconsistent returns and refund policies
- 🤯 Frustrating app navigation and login process
- 🙄 Lack of product reviews and customization options
Madewell
From 26K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💻 Great styles
- 🛒 Convenient app for shopping
Room to improve
- 🐛 Glitchy and buggy app
- 🔍 Inconsistent filtering and search
- 🔑 Login and account issues
- 🛒 Cart and order issues
- 🔍 Slow loading and performance
Bugs and requests
Nordstrom
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes and freezes
- Inaccurate inventory and pricing information
- Unreliable delivery and shipping updates
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to share wish lists and shopping carts
- Improved product filtering and search functionality
- Better integration between app and website experiences
- Enhanced order tracking and status updates
Madewell
Reported bugs
4 issues- App freezes and crashes
- Items disappear from cart
- Rewards not applying correctly
- Inconsistent login experience
Requested features
4 requests- Sync app and website data
- Improve account management
- Streamline checkout process
- Enhance filtering and search
In-app purchases
Nordstrom
No in-app purchases
Madewell
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Nordstrom free?
Is Madewell free?
Which has better reviews, Nordstrom or Madewell?
Do Nordstrom or Madewell have ads?
Which is updated more often, Nordstrom or Madewell?
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