# Stereophile vs Hemmings

The clearest difference is rating: Hemmings at 4.8 against Stereophile's 4.2. Hemmings also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 20) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). Stereophile's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.5). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Stereophile sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Hemmings asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hemmings holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hemmings has 7.3K ratings behind it against 138, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Stereophile's written reviews are positive against 31% of Hemmings's.

Stereophile ships an update every 2 months, Hemmings every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stereophile | Hemmings |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stereophile/id494421381/reviews) | **[4.8 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hemmings/id6444405557/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 138 | **7.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 17.1% of reviews | **31.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 85 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MyTimeMedia Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/543826829) | [HEMMINGS MOTOR NEWS, INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1654476542) |

## What reviewers say

### Stereophile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stereophile/id494421381)

This app provides authoritative reviews, informed recommendations, and helpful advice on audio components, judged by their music reproduction quality. It offers monthly issues with expert opinions and insights for audiophiles.

**Highlights:** Authoritative reviews of audio components, Informed recommendations, Helpful advice for audiophiles, Expert opinions on music reproduction, Monthly magazine issues

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

**In-app purchases (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month \| Stereophile | $2.99 | per month |
| Stereophile Magazine iPad Edition | $9.99 | per year |
| Annual | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2023 December | $4.99 | one-time |
| 2024 February | $4.99 | one-time |
| February 2012 | $6.99 | one-time |
| April 2012 | $6.99 | one-time |
| June 2012 | $6.99 | one-time |
| October 2012 | $6.99 | one-time |
| December 2012 | $6.99 | one-time |
| October 2013 | $6.99 | one-time |
| 2016 Buyer's Guide | $6.99 | one-time |
| March 2013 | $6.99 | one-time |
| February 2025 | $7.99 | one-time |
| April 2023 | $7.99 | one-time |
| December 2024 | $7.99 | one-time |
| November 2024 | $7.99 | one-time |
| October 2024 | $7.99 | one-time |
| August 2024 | $7.99 | one-time |
| July 2024 | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📖 High-quality magazine content and reviews
- 📱 Works well on iPad devices
- ✨ Professional layout resembles print edition
- 🎯 Comprehensive audio equipment coverage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App frequently crashes and becomes unresponsive
- 🔐 Subscription recognition failures despite active payments
- 📥 Issues fail to download or restore properly
- ⚠️ Inconsistent performance across iOS versions
- 🔄 Restore purchases function rarely works

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes every few minutes during use
- Subscription not recognized despite active payment
- Issues fail to download or load
- Restore purchases function non-functional
- App won't open on latest iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Access to searchable article archive
- Availability of older back issues with subscription
- Dynamic formatting for landscape and portrait modes
- Working hyperlinks to advertisers and external sites
- Better text resizing and font adjustment options


### Hemmings

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hemmings/id6444405557)

Discover and purchase classic and collector cars from a vast marketplace. Connect with sellers, save your favorites, and participate in auctions. Serving enthusiasts since 1954.

**Highlights:** Browse thousands of classic cars, Search by year, make, model, Save favorite listings, Save favorite searches, Contact car sellers, Participate in auctions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for finding classic cars
- 💡 Excellent source for collector car information
- 👍 Trusted and reliable platform

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy app experience
- 💢 Excessive and intrusive pop-up ads
- 🤯 Frustrating user interface and navigation

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to close video ads
- Inconsistent login and account management
- Unreliable search and filtering functions

**Requested features**

- Improve search and filtering capabilities
- Enhance account and login features
- Optimize app performance and stability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stereophile free?

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

### Is Hemmings free?

Hemmings is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Stereophile or Hemmings?

Hemmings is rated higher. Stereophile averages 4.2 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Hemmings averages 4.8 from 7.3K ratings.

### Do Stereophile or Hemmings have ads?

Neither Stereophile nor Hemmings shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stereophile or Hemmings?

Stereophile ships an update every 2 months, and Hemmings every 10 days. Most recently, Stereophile was updated on November 1, 2026 and Hemmings on October 30, 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.*