# Smithsonian Magazine vs HISTORY Vault

The clearest difference is rating: Smithsonian Magazine at 4.7 against HISTORY Vault's 3.9. Smithsonian Magazine also leads on chart position (#179 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). HISTORY Vault's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smithsonian Magazine sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and HISTORY Vault sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Smithsonian Magazine holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 428 and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 22% of Smithsonian Magazine's written reviews are positive against 29% of HISTORY Vault's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Smithsonian Magazine ships an update every 5 months, HISTORY Vault monthly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smithsonian Magazine | HISTORY Vault |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (428 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-magazine/id484193368/reviews)** | [3.9 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/history-vault/id1076619087/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 428 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 22.1% of reviews | **29.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#179** | — |
| Size | 62 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Smithsonian Institution](https://appshunter.io/developer/370564865) | [A+E Global Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/366448555) |

## What reviewers say

### Smithsonian Magazine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-magazine/id484193368)

**Currently charting:** #179 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access a digital version of a renowned magazine covering history, science, culture, and travel. Enjoy in-depth articles, photos, and departments. Purchase single issues or subscribe for ongoing access to engaging content.

**Highlights:** Digital magazine issues, History and archaeology articles, Cutting-edge science reporting, Virtual travel and culture features, In-app subscriptions and single purchases

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smithsonian Annual Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Smithsonian Magazine Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Smithsonian Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| 12-Month Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Smithsonian Magazine | $3.99 | one-time |
| Smithsonian Magazine - February 2014 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Smithsonian Magazine - September 2014 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Smithsonian Magazine 07/2024 | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to navigate
- 🔍 Great content
- 👍 Intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔒 Difficult to authenticate subscription
- 💰 Requires separate digital subscription
- 🔧 Clunky and buggy
- 🗂️ Loses downloaded issues

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to download new issues
- Fails to remember last read position
- Incompatible with newer iOS versions
- Incorrect issue labeling in library

**Requested features**

- Allow login with existing subscription
- Restore previously downloaded issues
- Improve stability and performance
- Provide better customer support


### HISTORY Vault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/history-vault/id1076619087)

Explore thousands of documentaries and specials about history, from ancient times to modern conflicts. Watch full-length, commercial-free videos on demand, with new content added weekly. Access classic series and discover the events and people that shaped our world.

**Highlights:** Thousands of documentaries and specials, Commercial-free viewing, New videos added weekly, Classic HISTORY Channel series, No TV provider needed, On-demand streaming

**Features:** Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| History Vault | $5.99 | per month |
| History Vault | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great content
- 🚀 Interesting documentaries
- 👍 Variety of historical topics
- 👍 Reasonable subscription price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent crashes
- 🐛 Streaming and downloading issues
- 🐛 Inconsistent user experience across devices
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🔒 Billing and account issues

**Reported bugs**

- Login and password reset problems
- Incompatibility with certain devices
- Inconsistent content availability

**Requested features**

- Add more recent and popular shows
- Improve search and navigation
- Implement resume playback and favorites
- Add Chromecast/casting support
- Provide multi-language options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smithsonian Magazine free?

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

### Is HISTORY Vault free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Smithsonian Magazine or HISTORY Vault?

Smithsonian Magazine is rated higher. Smithsonian Magazine averages 4.7 out of 5 from 428 ratings, while HISTORY Vault averages 3.9 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Smithsonian Magazine or HISTORY Vault have ads?

Neither Smithsonian Magazine nor HISTORY Vault shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smithsonian Magazine or HISTORY Vault?

Smithsonian Magazine ships an update every 5 months, and HISTORY Vault monthly. Most recently, Smithsonian Magazine was updated on November 1, 2026 and HISTORY Vault 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.*