# Canal Boat Magazine vs Computeractive

The clearest difference is monetization model: Canal Boat Magazine at free with in-app purchases against Computeractive's subscription. Computeractive's advantage is review sentiment (43% vs 20%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Canal Boat Magazine sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Computeractive sells 48 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 3 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Canal Boat Magazine ships an update every 8 months, Computeractive every 16 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Canal Boat Magazine | Computeractive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.2 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/computeractive/id631329420/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **9** |
| Positive reviews | 20.0% of reviews | **43.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 months** | Every 16 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 18 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kelsey Publishing Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/551665757) | [Future plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/378460265) |

## What reviewers say

### Canal Boat Magazine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canal-boat-magazine/id487216568)

Explore Britain's inland waterways with this magazine app. Discover new boat designs, cruising guides, and articles on life aboard. Access a vast archive of past issues and search for specific content.

**Highlights:** Full free issue access, Preview editions before purchase, Archive of 100 back issues, New search functionality, Account registration for purchase protection, Cross-platform browsing of purchases

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Canal Boat | $2.99 | per month |
| Canal Boat Monthly | $3.49 | per month |
| Canal Boat | $8.99 | per 3 months |
| Canal Boat 3 Months | $8.99 | per 3 months |
| Canal Boat | $17.99 | per 6 months |
| Canal Boat | $26.99 | per year |
| Canal Boat Annual | $28.49 | per year |
| Canal Boat September 2014 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Mar-16 (id:687209) | $4.99 | one-time |
| May 2019 (id:687247) | $4.99 | one-time |


### Computeractive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/computeractive/id631329420)

Your friendly guide to PCs, gadgets, and the web. Get regular news updates, project ideas, and expert advice on popular reader queries, anti-virus software, and consumer rights. Learn to get the most out of your computer with clear, plain English explanations.

**Highlights:** News updates, Project ideas, Help and advice, Anti-virus software articles, Consumer rights features, PC and gadget guides

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

**In-app purchases (48)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 Month Subscription | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| 6 Month Subscription | $14.99 | per 6 months |
| 6 Month Subscription | $16.49 | per 6 months |
| 12 Month Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Issue 414 of Computeractive Replica App | $1.99 | one-time |
| Issue 405 of Computeractive Replica App | $1.99 | one-time |
| Issue 396 of Computeractive Replica App | $1.99 | one-time |
| Issue 394 of Computeractive Replica App | $1.99 | one-time |
| Issue 479 of Computeractive Replica App | $1.99 | one-time |
| Issue 477 of Computeractive Replica App | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 670 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 672 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 673 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 674 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 675 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 678 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 679 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 683 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Issue 744 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Issue 740 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Issue 739 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Issue 735 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Issue 734 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 726 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 722 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 723 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 720 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 718 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 716 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 712 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 710 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 709 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 708 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 707 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 706 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 705 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 704 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 695 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 692 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 693 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 691 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 690 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 689 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 688 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 687 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 684 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 686 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Active Issue 685 | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great magazine content
- 👍 App now working again
- 👍 Good customer service
- 👍 Excellent read every fortnight
- 👍 Superb app for reading

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App not working
- 🐛 Error messages
- 🐛 Cannot access digital mags
- 🐛 App stopped working
- 🐛 No longer loading magazines

**Reported bugs**

- App not working
- Saying wrong format
- Cannot receive information
- Not showing any magazines
- Says turn on Java and cookies

**Requested features**

- Fix app to show magazines
- Sort out login issues
- Fix error messages
- Make links clickable
- Improve iPad display


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Canal Boat Magazine free?

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

### Is Computeractive free?

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

### Do Canal Boat Magazine or Computeractive have ads?

Neither Canal Boat Magazine nor Computeractive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Canal Boat Magazine or Computeractive?

Canal Boat Magazine ships an update every 8 months, and Computeractive every 16 months. Most recently, Canal Boat Magazine was updated on October 23, 2026 and Computeractive on October 26, 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.*