Comparison

Architectural Digest vs Men's Journal

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

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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.

About

Men's Journal

Discover in-depth stories on travel, gear, entertainment, automotive, design, style, food, and health. This app profiles inspiring men and offers guidance for navigating the world and performing at your best.

Highlights
  • Award-winning stories
  • Travel and adventure guides
  • Gear reviews
  • Entertainment and automotive features
  • Style and design inspiration
  • Food and health content
  • Profiles of accomplished men
Features
Read full description

Men’s Journal, your guide to adventure and the pursuit of life’s greatest experiences, packed with in-depth, award-winning stories on travel, gear, entertainment, automotive, design, style, food, health, and profiles on the men who personify action and accomplishment. Men’s Journal provides the essential guide for navigating the world and performing at an optimal level. Men's Journal Pricing: • Subscription 1 Month - USD 2.99* • Subscription 1 Year - USD 19.99* * For non-US app stores, the equivalent currency charges will apply. Please note: App subscriptions do not include access to subscription-only content on our website. Additional Subscription Information: • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Privacy Policy - https://bit.ly/2J5Ujfh Terms of Use - https://bit.ly/2J1YZqL • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.

Screenshots

Architectural Digest4 screens
Men's Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Architectural Digest at free with in-app purchases against Men's Journal's subscription. Architectural Digest also leads on chart position (#156 vs unranked). Men's Journal's advantage is ratings volume (1.4K vs 460) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Architectural Digest sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Men's Journal sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Architectural Digest holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 460 and 1.4K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Architectural Digest's written reviews are positive against 24% of Men's Journal's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Architectural Digest ships an update every 4 months, Men's Journal every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Architectural Digest versus Men's Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArchitectural DigestMen's Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (460 ratings) — better4.5 (1.4K ratings)
Positive reviews28.8% of reviews — better24.3% of reviews
Number of ratings4601.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#156 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB48 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAdvance Magazine Publishers Inc.The Arena Platform, Inc.

Customer experience

Architectural Digest

All ratings432 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral1.9%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews118 reviews
Positive28.8%
Neutral7.6%
Negative63.6%

Men's Journal

All ratings1,385 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews70 reviews
Positive24.3%
Neutral4.3%
Negative71.4%

User reviews

Architectural Digest

From 460 App Store ratings

What 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

Men's Journal

From 1.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Excellent magazine
  • 🗞 Great content and variety
  • 📱 Well-formatted for iPhone

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and issues downloading
  • 🔍 Difficulty accessing content with subscription
  • 🕰 Slow to update with new issues
  • 📞 Poor customer support and responsiveness

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

Men's Journal

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Issues not downloading with valid subscription
  • Account not recognized or issues restoring purchases
  • App freezing and requiring reinstallation

Requested features

3 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to save reading progress
  • Improved navigation and page-turning

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Architectural Digest

Subscriptions3
  • One Month Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Discounted Subscription Holiday 2015$14.991 Year
  • One Year Subscription1 Month trial$29.991 Year
One-time7
  • December 2013$5.99
  • April 2014$5.99
  • June 2014$5.99
Show 4 more
  • July 2014$5.99
  • December 2014$5.99
  • February 2015$5.99
  • March 2016$5.99
10 purchases

Men's Journal

One-time10
  • Men's Journal Magazine Issue 240 March$5.99
  • Men's Journal Magazine Issue 252 March 2015$5.99
  • Men's Journal Magazine Issue 253 March 2015$5.99
Show 7 more
  • Men's Journal Magazine Issue 261 December 2015$5.99
  • Men's Journal Magazine Issue 264 March 2016$5.99
  • Men's Journal Magazine Issue 265 April 2016$5.99
  • Men's Journal Magazine Issue 266 May 2016$5.99
  • Men's Journal Magazine Issue 270 September 2016$5.99
  • Men's Journal Magazine Issue 273 December 2016$5.99
  • Men's Journal Magazine Issue 249 December$6.99

Questions

Is Architectural Digest free?
Architectural Digest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Men's Journal free?
Men's Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Architectural Digest or Men's Journal?
Architectural Digest is rated higher. Architectural Digest averages 4.7 out of 5 from 460 ratings, while Men's Journal averages 4.5 from 1.4K ratings.
Do Architectural Digest or Men's Journal have ads?
Neither Architectural Digest nor Men's Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Architectural Digest or Men's Journal?
Architectural Digest ships an update every 4 months, and Men's Journal every 3 months. Most recently, Architectural Digest was updated on November 1, 2026 and Men's Journal on October 23, 2026.

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