# Old House Journal vs Architectural Digest

Old House Journal and Architectural Digest both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 29% of Architectural Digest's written reviews are positive against 6% of Old House Journal's. Architectural Digest also leads on ratings volume (462 vs 8) and chart position (#104 vs unranked). Old House Journal's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Old House Journal sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Architectural Digest sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Old House Journal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Architectural Digest has 462 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 6% of Old House Journal's written reviews are positive against 29% of Architectural Digest's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Old House Journal | Architectural Digest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/old-house-journal/id492726620/reviews)** | [4.7 (462 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/architectural-digest/id533890256/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **462** |
| Positive reviews | 6.3% of reviews | **28.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#104** |
| Size | 100 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Active Interest Media, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/419605844) | [Advance Magazine Publishers Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/289380416) |

## What reviewers say

### Old House Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/old-house-journal/id492726620)

This app provides practical advice and inspiration for restoring, renovating, and decorating homes built between 1700 and 1960. It features how-to articles, photography, design guidance, and reader stories, along with digital editions and an archive of past issues.

**Highlights:** Restoration and renovation advice, Decorating guidance, Digital magazine editions, Archive of back issues, How-to articles, Photography and design inspiration

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month \| Old House Journal | $2.99 | per month |
| Old House Journal Subscription | $16.99 | per year |
| Old-House Journal December-January 2012 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Old-House Journal October-November 2011 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Old-House Journal August-September 2011 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Old-House Journal June-July 2011 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Old-House Journal April-May 2011 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Old-House Journal February-March 2012 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Old-House Journal June-July 2012 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Old-House Journal December 2012-January 2013 | $3.99 | one-time |


### Architectural Digest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/architectural-digest/id533890256)

**Currently charting:** #104 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers, #173 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Explore the world's most stunning homes and get insights into architecture and interior design. Discover top talent and exclusive content from the international authority on design.

**Highlights:** Exclusive access to beautiful homes, Architecture and interior design insights, Information on art, antiques, and travel, AD100 list of top architects and designers, Complimentary articles for non-subscribers

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One Month Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Discounted Subscription Holiday 2015 | $14.99 | per year |
| One Year Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| December 2013 | $5.99 | one-time |
| April 2014 | $5.99 | one-time |
| June 2014 | $5.99 | one-time |
| July 2014 | $5.99 | one-time |
| December 2014 | $5.99 | one-time |
| February 2015 | $5.99 | one-time |
| March 2016 | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Inspiring content
- 🎨 Sophisticated design
- 📷 Excellent photography
- 🏠 Curated home tours

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult navigation
- 🔍 Unintuitive user interface
- 🔍 Lack of landscape mode
- 📱 Incompatibility with subscriptions
- 🔍 Confusing subscription management

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and stability issues
- Inability to download or access issues
- Subscription syncing problems across devices

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode for two-page spreads
- Improved navigation and content organization
- Seamless subscription management and linking
- Enhanced image viewing and zoom capabilities
- Accessibility features for visually impaired users


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Old House Journal free?

Old House Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Architectural Digest free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Old House Journal or Architectural Digest?

Old House Journal is rated higher. Old House Journal averages 4.9 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Architectural Digest averages 4.7 from 462 ratings.

### Do Old House Journal or Architectural Digest have ads?

Neither Old House Journal nor Architectural Digest shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Old House Journal or Architectural Digest?

Old House Journal ships an update every 4 months, and Architectural Digest every 4 months. Most recently, Old House Journal was updated on November 1, 2026 and Architectural Digest 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.*