Architectural Digest vs Sotheby's
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Architectural Digest
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.
- 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
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Architectural Digest (AD), the international authority on design and architecture, offers exclusive access to the world’s most beautiful homes and the fascinating people who live in them. Bringing its audience a wealth of information on architecture and interior design, art and antiques, travel destinations, and extraordinary products, its AD100 list of top architects and designers is one of the industry’s most relied-upon indexes of talent. The Architectural Digest digital edition app is free to download. Subscribers receive unlimited access. Non-subscribers may access a selection of complimentary articles each month. AUTOMATIC-RENEWAL: Your payment method will be automatically charged at the frequency and price noted in the subscription offer you select, until you cancel. To cancel, you must update your App Store Subscriptions settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription term. No refunds once payment is made.
Sotheby's
Access extraordinary art, precious objects, wine, and jewelry from auctions worldwide. Track bids, register for auctions, and explore past and upcoming sales with expert insights.
- Bid in live and online auctions
- Track bids and registrations
- Browse open, upcoming, and past auctions
- Search past and present lots
- Manage profile and view purchases
- Access favorite auctions and lots
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Extraordinary auctions. Exceptional finds. Anytime, anywhere. The Sotheby’s iOS app provides collectors with exceptional access to the world’s most extraordinary art, precious objects, wine and jewellery, together with the unparalleled expertise of our world-class specialists. Track your bids and registrations effortlessly. Bid in live and online auctions. Browse open, upcoming, and past auctions. Browse fixed price retail items in search results. Quickly access your favorite auctions and lots. Search past and present lots. Manage profile, view purchases, and customize your settings.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Architectural Digest at 4.7 against Sotheby's's 3.4. Architectural Digest also leads on ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#145 vs unranked). Sotheby's's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, review sentiment, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Architectural Digest sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Sotheby's asks for nothing beyond the download.
Architectural Digest holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 432 and 95 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Architectural Digest's written reviews are positive against 24% of Sotheby's's.
Architectural Digest ships an update every 4 months, Sotheby's every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Architectural Digest | Sotheby's |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (432 ratings) — better | 3.4 (95 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 28.8% of reviews — better | 24.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 432 — better | 95 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Best chart rank | #145 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 54 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. | Sotheby's |
Customer experience
Architectural Digest
Sotheby's
User reviews
Architectural Digest
From 432 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌟 Inspiring content
- 🎨 Sophisticated design
- 📷 Excellent photography
- 🏠 Curated home tours
Room to improve
- 🔍 Difficult navigation
- 🔍 Unintuitive user interface
- 🔍 Lack of landscape mode
- 📱 Incompatibility with subscriptions
- 🔍 Confusing subscription management
Sotheby's
From 95 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✨ Beautiful photography and content
- 👍 Easy to navigate (for some)
- ✅ Great for browsing and viewing auctions
- 🤩 Interactive and engaging
- 🖼️ Elegant design
Room to improve
- ❌ Core functionality missing
- 📉 Poor user experience
- 🚫 App is useless for many
- 😵 Confusing new format
- 📱 Not compatible with older phones
Bugs and requests
Architectural Digest
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent crashes and stability issues
- Inability to download or access issues
- Subscription syncing problems across devices
Requested features
5 requests- 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
Sotheby's
Reported bugs
10 issues- Cannot sort auction lots
- Cannot follow, view, or bid
- App crashes on launch
- ID verification camera not focusing
- Photo upload issues
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- Saved objects not displaying correctly
- App freezes or crashes during use
- Lot details never load
- AppleTV app fails to open
- App thinks it's on an iPhone on iPad
Requested features
8 requests- Allow sorting of auction lots
- Improve search functionality
- Enable calendar integration
- Make app landscape compatible
- Simplify personalization options
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- Improve account integration
- Allow file uploads for ID verification
- Fix AppleTV app issues
In-app purchases
Architectural Digest
- One Month Subscription$3.991 Month
- Discounted Subscription Holiday 2015$14.991 Year
- One Year Subscription1 Month trial$29.991 Year
- December 2013$5.99
- April 2014$5.99
- June 2014$5.99
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- July 2014$5.99
- December 2014$5.99
- February 2015$5.99
- March 2016$5.99
Sotheby's
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Architectural Digest free?
Is Sotheby's free?
Which has better reviews, Architectural Digest or Sotheby's?
Do Architectural Digest or Sotheby's have ads?
Which is updated more often, Architectural Digest or Sotheby's?
Other comparisons
