# Smithsonian Magazine vs MagellanTV Documentaries

The clearest difference is update cadence: MagellanTV Documentaries at every 3 weeks against Smithsonian Magazine's every 5 months. MagellanTV Documentaries also leads on review sentiment (37% vs 22%) and ratings volume (3.9K vs 430). Smithsonian Magazine's advantage is chart position (#165 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smithsonian Magazine sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and MagellanTV Documentaries sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Smithsonian Magazine against 4.6 for MagellanTV Documentaries. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MagellanTV Documentaries has 3.9K ratings behind it against 430, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 22% of Smithsonian Magazine's written reviews are positive against 37% of MagellanTV Documentaries's.

Smithsonian Magazine ships an update every 5 months, MagellanTV Documentaries every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smithsonian Magazine | MagellanTV Documentaries |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (430 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-magazine/id484193368/reviews)** | [4.6 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magellantv-documentaries/id1449628141/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 430 | **3.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 22.1% of reviews | **36.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#165** | — |
| Size | 62 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Smithsonian Institution](https://appshunter.io/developer/370564865) | [MagellanTV LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1449628140) |

## What reviewers say

### Smithsonian Magazine

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

**Currently charting:** #165 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 (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smithsonian Annual Subscription | $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 |

**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


### MagellanTV Documentaries

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magellantv-documentaries/id1449628141)

Access an extensive library of documentaries across various genres, including history, science, and true crime. Enjoy unlimited streaming on multiple devices with new content added weekly. This service is ad-free and offers exclusive playlists.

**Highlights:** Extensive documentary library, Unlimited streaming, Multi-device support, New content added weekly, Ad-free viewing, Casting to TV devices

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Membership | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Membership | $6.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Membership | $17.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual Membership | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great content and selection
- 💡 Diverse range of documentaries
- 🚀 Excellent customer service
- 🤩 Impressive content quality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent crashes
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and search
- 🔌 Inconsistent streaming performance
- 🤯 Frustrating login and account issues
- 🤔 Lack of basic features (e.g. continue watching, auto-play)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Videos freeze or have audio-only playback
- Login issues and inability to access account
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Download failures and unreliable offline viewing

**Requested features**

- Add skip forward/backward buttons
- Implement picture-in-picture mode
- Improve offline viewing and downloads
- Provide better content organization and search
- Add user profile and watch history features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smithsonian Magazine free?

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

### Is MagellanTV Documentaries free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Smithsonian Magazine or MagellanTV Documentaries?

Smithsonian Magazine is rated higher. Smithsonian Magazine averages 4.7 out of 5 from 430 ratings, while MagellanTV Documentaries averages 4.6 from 3.9K ratings.

### Do Smithsonian Magazine or MagellanTV Documentaries have ads?

Neither Smithsonian Magazine nor MagellanTV Documentaries shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smithsonian Magazine or MagellanTV Documentaries?

Smithsonian Magazine ships an update every 5 months, and MagellanTV Documentaries every 3 weeks. Most recently, Smithsonian Magazine was updated on November 6, 2026 and MagellanTV Documentaries on November 6, 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.*