Comparison

Welding Journal vs Straight Arrow | SAN

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Welding Journal

This publication delivers news and insights into the welding and metal fabricating industry. Stay updated on the latest products, trends, technology, and events through in-depth articles and advice.

Highlights
  • Industry news and trends
  • Latest products and technology
  • In-depth articles
  • Photos and illustrations
  • Cost-saving advice
  • Related activities coverage
Features
Read full description

The WELDING JOURNAL is the monthly publication of the American Welding Society (AWS), delivering news of the welding and metal fabricating industry. Stay informed on the latest products, trends, technology and events via in-depth articles, photos and illustrations, and timely, cost-saving advice. Also featured are articles and supplements on related activities, such as testing and inspection, maintenance and repair, design, training, personal safety and brazing and soldering. The WELDING JOURNAL app is free to download but you must be an AWS member in order to access the content (member ID and password required).

About

Straight Arrow | SAN

Access unbiased, fact-based news and in-depth context to understand current events. Discover original video podcasts and reporting often missed by mainstream media, providing a more complete picture of the world.

Highlights
  • Unbiased news delivery
  • Fact-based reporting
  • Original video podcasts
  • Media Miss™ and Media Landscape tools
  • In-depth context
  • Cross-topic coverage
Features
Read full description

Straight Arrow fearlessly exposes the hard truths about the stories that matter most to you. No manipulation. No bias. No agenda. We go beyond the headlines to bring you the context and clarity you deserve — without spin or manipulation. From immigration to the cost of living, education to health care, Straight Arrow reports the facts you need to form your own opinions. Register in the app to become a founding member and get unlimited access to the stories that matter. Plus, discover reporting you're not seeing from mainstream media outlets. Straight Arrow’s Media Miss and Media Landscape tools highlight stories right- and left-leaning outlets aren't covering — giving you  a complete picture of the news. Independent media ratings groups like AllSides have described Straight Arrow’s reporting as Certified Balanced™. Join the Straight Arrow movement as we raise the bar on journalism in a time of media bias and mistrust. Having trouble? Please reach out to support@san.com. Follow Straight Arrow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X and YouTube. https://www.facebook.com/straightarrownews/ https://www.instagram.com/straightarrownews/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/straight-arrow-news/ https://www.tiktok.com/@straightarrownews https://x.com/straightarrow__ https://www.youtube.com/c/straightarrownews

Screenshots

Welding Journal3 screens
Straight Arrow | SAN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Straight Arrow | SAN at 65% against Welding Journal's 23%. Straight Arrow | SAN also leads on ratings volume (9.9K vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Welding Journal's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Straight Arrow | SAN sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.95 per month. Welding Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Welding Journal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Straight Arrow | SAN has 9.9K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 23% of Welding Journal's written reviews are positive against 65% of Straight Arrow | SAN's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Welding Journal ships an update every 2 months, Straight Arrow | SAN fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Welding Journal versus Straight Arrow | SAN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWelding JournalStraight Arrow | SAN
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.7 (9.9K ratings)
Positive reviews23.1% of reviews65.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings19.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#81 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB112 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperNxtbook Media, LLC.Straight Arrow News, LLC

Customer experience

Welding Journal

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive23.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative76.9%

Straight Arrow | SAN

All ratings9,862 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral3.3%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews494 reviews
Positive65.2%
Neutral7.1%
Negative27.7%

Bugs and requests

Welding Journal

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Straight Arrow | SAN

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashing on launch
  • Video playback issues
  • Inconsistent UI behavior

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved search functionality
  • Expanded international news coverage
  • Customizable news feed preferences

In-app purchases

None

Welding Journal

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Straight Arrow | SAN

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$12.951 Month
  • Yearly$99.901 Year

Questions

Is Welding Journal free?
Welding Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Straight Arrow | SAN free?
Straight Arrow | SAN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Welding Journal or Straight Arrow | SAN?
Welding Journal is rated higher. Welding Journal averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Straight Arrow | SAN averages 4.7 from 9.9K ratings.
Do Welding Journal or Straight Arrow | SAN have ads?
Neither Welding Journal nor Straight Arrow | SAN shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Welding Journal or Straight Arrow | SAN?
Welding Journal ships an update every 2 months, and Straight Arrow | SAN fortnightly. Most recently, Welding Journal was updated on November 1, 2026 and Straight Arrow | SAN on November 8, 2026.

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