Comparison

Architectural Digest vs The Absolute Sound

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

The Absolute Sound

Explore expert reviews, features, and commentary on high-performance audio and music. This app guides enthusiasts to components and recordings that faithfully reproduce concert hall sounds. Access digital editions through purchases and subscriptions.

Highlights
  • Expert audio reviews
  • Music journalism
  • Component recommendations
  • Concert hall sound reproduction
  • Digital editions
  • Subscription access
Features
Read full description

The Absolute Sound is the world’s preeminent source of expert reviews, features, and commentary on high-performance audio and music. Since 1973, TAS has set the standard for quality audio and music journalism, helping to shape the industry and guiding audio enthusiasts and music lovers to components and recordings that faithfully reproduce the sounds one might hear in a good concert hall. Download our app for free, and get access to your digital editions via a purchase. Available subscription: • 1 Year Subscription for US $9.99 Or single issues can be purchased for US $1.99 LATINA Attitude publishes every month. By subscribing, you’ll never miss an issue and each new issue will automatically be available for download to your device as soon as it is released. Please note the following: • Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period • You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for that product • You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription • The app may offer a free trial. At the end of the free trial period, the full price of the subscription will be charged thereafter • The subscription will include the current issue and subsequently published future issues. The subscription will still include the current issue even if that issue has been purchased separately. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase You can find our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use here: Privacy policy: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/privacy Terms of use: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/terms

Screenshots

Architectural Digest4 screens
The Absolute Sound4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Architectural Digest at 4.7 against The Absolute Sound's 2.8. Architectural Digest also leads on review sentiment (29% vs 6%) and chart position (#156 vs unranked). The Absolute Sound's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 The Absolute Sound sells 49 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. 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 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 432 and 93 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Architectural Digest's written reviews are positive against 6% of The Absolute Sound's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Architectural Digest versus The Absolute Sound: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArchitectural DigestThe Absolute Sound
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (432 ratings) — better2.8 (93 ratings)
Positive reviews28.8% of reviews — better6.3% of reviews
Number of ratings432 — better93
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#156 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB79 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAdvance Magazine Publishers Inc.Nextscreen Services, LLC

Customer experience

Architectural Digest

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

The Absolute Sound

All ratings93 ratings
Positive45.2%
Neutral2.2%
Negative52.7%
Written reviews63 reviews
Positive6.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative93.7%

User reviews

Architectural Digest

From 432 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

The Absolute Sound

From 93 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great magazine content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App constantly not working
  • 🐛 Subscription issues
  • 🐛 Lost access to purchased issues
  • 🐛 Login problems
  • 🐛 App crashes

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

The Absolute Sound

Reported bugs

47 issues
  • Perpetual spinning wheel
  • App not working
  • Constantly loses issues
  • Latest update removed current issues
  • App forgot subscription
Show 42 more
  • Lost decades of issues
  • Cannot restore purchases after update
  • Cannot login to subscription
  • Stopped working suddenly
  • Username and password no longer work
  • No support available
  • Cannot access issues
  • Blue background engages on page turn
  • Terrible viewer
  • Slow loading
  • Refuses to load new issue
  • Flashes between pages
  • Gets stuck on a page
  • Repeatedly sends to advertisers
  • Requires credentials, won't accept Apple account info
  • No means to reset password
  • No means to connect to publisher
  • Looks and feels amateurish
  • App crashed again
  • App not updated for 2 years
  • App updated automatically, does not allow restore of app store/iTunes subscription
  • New update locks subscription out
  • Login not recognized
  • New version is useless
  • Cannot access any issues from several years of subscribing
  • Suddenly don't have access to content
  • Cannot log in
  • App will not allow download of purchased mags
  • App crashes
  • App does not work
  • Instantly crashes
  • App keeps updating library
  • App won't work
  • App no longer works
  • Lost all previous issues
  • Updating library - never finishes
  • Hangs on "updating library"
  • App won't open on new iPad Pro
  • App crashes when trying to open a new issue
  • Cannot access purchased mags
  • App does not remember subscriptions
  • Request for advice ignored

Requested features

20 requests
  • Fix the app
  • Make the app work
  • Restore access to purchased issues
  • Allow restoration of iTunes purchases
  • Fix the perpetual spinning wheel
Show 15 more
  • Fix the login issues
  • Improve customer support
  • Update the app
  • Fix the flashing text on page load
  • Remove the blue background on page turn
  • Provide a way to reset password
  • Provide a way to connect to publisher
  • Make the app less amateurish
  • Allow downloading of purchased magazines
  • Address the "updating library" issue
  • Fix app crashes
  • Allow access to old magazines
  • Fix app not opening on new devices
  • Make the app remember subscriptions
  • Respond to help requests

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
49 purchases

The Absolute Sound

Subscriptions1
  • the absolute sound1 Month trial$9.991 Year
One-time48
  • 2022 November$1.99
  • Ultimate Directory$1.99
  • 2022 February$1.99
Show 45 more
  • 2024 January$1.99
  • 2023 December$1.99
  • 2023 November$1.99
  • May/June 2024$1.99
  • 2024 March$1.99
  • 2024 April$1.99
  • Sep-26$1.99
  • Fall 2026$1.99
  • Mar-26$1.99
  • Jan-26$1.99
  • 2022 April$1.99
  • June/July 2023$1.99
  • 2025 July$1.99
  • 2025 October$1.99
  • Feb-26$1.99
  • Apr-26$1.99
  • 2025 September$1.99
  • 2025 November$1.99
  • 2025 August$1.99
  • 2022 March$1.99
  • 2025 May$1.99
  • 2025 April$1.99
  • 2025 March$1.99
  • 2025 February$1.99
  • 2025 January$1.99
  • March 2023$1.99
  • 2024 December$1.99
  • 2024 November$1.99
  • 2022 September$1.99
  • 2023 September$1.99
  • 2024 October$1.99
  • 2024 September$1.99
  • 2022 October$1.99
  • Directory 2024$1.99
  • 2022 January$1.99
  • 2024 February$1.99
  • July/August 2024$1.99
  • Issue 251$4.99
  • Issue 257$4.99
  • Issue 261$4.99
  • Issue 263$4.99
  • Issue 267$4.99
  • Issue 271$4.99
  • Issue 254$4.99
  • Issue 262$4.99

Questions

Is Architectural Digest free?
Architectural Digest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Absolute Sound free?
The Absolute Sound is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Architectural Digest or The Absolute Sound?
Architectural Digest is rated higher. Architectural Digest averages 4.7 out of 5 from 432 ratings, while The Absolute Sound averages 2.8 from 93 ratings.
Do Architectural Digest or The Absolute Sound have ads?
Neither Architectural Digest nor The Absolute Sound shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Architectural Digest or The Absolute Sound?
Architectural Digest ships an update every 4 months, and The Absolute Sound every 4 months. Most recently, Architectural Digest was updated on September 23, 2026 and The Absolute Sound on September 19, 2026.

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