Comparison

The Week US vs Utne Reader

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

Head to head
About

The Week US

This app curates the week's most important news from U.S. and international media into a concise digest. It offers provocative perspectives and in-depth insights into vital stories, designed for busy readers. Enjoy a seamless reading experience with various formatting options and offline access.

Highlights
  • Curated news digest
  • Print magazine format
  • Audio versions of articles
  • Twice-daily news digests
  • Adjustable text size and background color
  • Offline reading
Features
Read full description

The Week curates the most important, interesting news and analysis from dozens of trusted US and international sources into a concise, informative and entertaining read. Join our 350,000 readers and try The Week today. FEATURES: - Read the magazine in print format or on mobile-friendly article pages - Get twice-daily digests of the latest news, comment and culture in the Daily Editions tab - Listen to audio versions of articles - Easy to browse: scroll through the magazine by tapping the 'pages' icon at the top right - Save your favourite articles, reviews or quotes to the Saved Articles section - Easy to adjust the text size in the Settings menu Digital and print+digital subscribers have access to each week's edition and all digital back issues. Print subscribers should contact The Week to add digital access to their subscription. Details about auto-renewing subscriptions: - When you purchase a subscription payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user at auto-renewal and may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. - For Future Publishing’s Privacy Policy please visit: https://www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy/ - For Future Publishing’s Terms of Use, please visit: https://www.futureplc.com/terms-conditions *Note: Monthly subscription will be charged to your iTunes account upon confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew each month unless the auto-renew in your account settings is turned off 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. You can manage your subscription preference in your account settings after purchase. For App Store subscription purchases, no cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period and any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication. Feedback is always welcome. Please contact theweekapp@theweek.com with any issues or suggestions. For further information on privacy, please visit our Privacy Policy and Terms: http://theweek.com/privacy http://theweek.com/terms

About

Utne Reader

This app curates essential stories from independent voices, focusing on environmental issues, marginalized communities, and political events. It also highlights the impact of art, philosophy, and spirituality.

Highlights
  • Independent voices
  • Cultural zeitgeist focus
  • Environmental crisis coverage
  • Marginalized communities spotlight
  • Political strife analysis
  • Art, philosophy, spirituality appreciation
Features
Read full description

Utne Reader assembles the most relevant stories of the day with a focus on independent voices – agents of change working from the trenches of the cultural zeitgeist. We profile the issues that matter most, shining a spotlight on environmental crises, marginalized communities, and political strife. Plus, we make time to appreciate the regenerative power of art, philosophy, and spirituality in all its forms.

Screenshots

The Week US4 screens
Utne Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Week US at 52% against Utne Reader's 0%. The Week US also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (6.6K vs 16). Utne Reader's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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. The Week US sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and Utne Reader sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per 6 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Utne Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Week US has 6.6K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 52% of The Week US's written reviews are positive against 0% of Utne Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Week US ships an update every 2 months, Utne Reader every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
The Week US versus Utne Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Week USUtne Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (6.6K ratings)4.9 (16 ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.3% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings6.6K — better16
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#97 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB48 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperFuture plcOgden Publications, Inc.

Customer experience

The Week US

All ratings6,630 ratings
Positive94.0%
Neutral1.7%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews151 reviews
Positive52.3%
Neutral7.9%
Negative39.7%

Utne Reader

All ratings16 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

The Week US

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices
  • Frequent crashes
  • Unreliable downloads
  • Syncing issues across devices
Show 2 more
  • Inconsistent font size and display
  • Navigation issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard
  • Text to speech option
  • Ability to adjust font size
  • Offline reading mode

Utne Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

The Week US

Subscriptions3
  • 1 Month - The Week$12.991 Month
  • 6 Months - The Week$59.996 Months
  • 1 Year - The Week$89.991 Year
One-time7
  • The Week Single Issue 570$3.99
  • The Week Single Issue 571$3.99
  • The Week Single Issue 575$3.99
Show 4 more
  • The Week Single Issue 577$3.99
  • The Week Single Issue 578$3.99
  • The Week Single Issue 579$3.99
  • The Week Single Issue 580$3.99
11 purchases

Utne Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Utne Reader - The best of the alternative press1 Month trial$17.996 Months
  • Utne Reader - The best of the alternative press1 Month trial$35.991 Year
One-time9
  • November/December 2013$6.99
  • March/April 2014$6.99
  • Winter 2014$6.99
Show 6 more
  • September 2016 Digital$6.99
  • Utne Reader Feed 2$6.99
  • Utne Reader Feed 3$6.99
  • Winter 2016$9.99
  • Winter 2017$9.99
  • Summer 2018$9.99

Questions

Is The Week US free?
The Week US is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Utne Reader free?
Utne Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Week US or Utne Reader?
Utne Reader is rated higher. The Week US averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.6K ratings, while Utne Reader averages 4.9 from 16 ratings.
Do The Week US or Utne Reader have ads?
Utne Reader shows ads; The Week US does not.
Which is updated more often, The Week US or Utne Reader?
The Week US ships an update every 2 months, and Utne Reader every 3 months. Most recently, The Week US was updated on October 19, 2026 and Utne Reader on October 9, 2026.

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