Comparison

Foreign Affairs Magazine vs BDN e

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

Head to head
About

Foreign Affairs Magazine

Access award-winning commentary on global news and international affairs. Stay informed with daily articles, digital issues, podcasts, and videos from influential thinkers and world leaders. Enjoy offline access and accessibility features for a comprehensive news experience.

Highlights
  • Daily international news articles
  • Bi-monthly digital magazine issues
  • Podcasts with leading scholars
  • Video content on global topics
  • Audio versions of select articles
  • Offline reading and listening
  • Bookmark and share articles
Features
Read full description

Get award-winning commentary on global news daily with the Foreign Affairs app. Download the Foreign Affairs app to stay up-to-date on the latest international news, commentary, and policy analysis from influential thinkers and world leaders. Foreign Affairs offers insightful articles, digital issues, podcast episodes, videos, and audio content on critical topics related to geopolitics, security, economics, science and technology, climate change, and more. Foreign Affairs has published globally renowned thinkers and world leaders over the past 100 years from around the world and across the political spectrum, including W. E. B. Du Bois, Eleanor Roosevelt, George Kennan, Madeleine Albright, Henry Kissinger, Nelson Mandela, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, Jill Lepore, Eric Schmidt, Samantha Power, Fareed Zakaria, and more. Get new, relevant articles on international topics of interest daily. Subscribers get additional access to digital magazine issues. Podcasts and event videos are free for all users. Quality Content -New articles every weekday on pertinent international news topics -Subscriber-only access to Foreign Affairs magazine issues on a bi-monthly basis -Podcasts and videos featuring insightful conversations with leading scholars, historians, editors, and authors Anytime, Anywhere -Audio for select articles—perfect for listening on-the-go -Download options for offline reading and listening at all times -Bookmark for saving and sharing articles -Accessibility tools for a better reading experience for everyone, including light or dark display and text resizing

About

BDN e

Access Maine's state and local news with this fast, easy-to-use e-paper application. Enjoy award-winning coverage of homestead, outdoors, sports, and politics with a light ad experience and quick page loads.

Highlights
  • State and local news coverage
  • Fast and easy navigation
  • Light ad experience
  • Quick page load times
  • Homestead and Outdoors coverage
  • Sports and politics news
Features
Read full description

Bangor Daily News Maine news, local stories & breaking updates For more than 135 years, the Bangor Daily News has told Maine's story — without fear and without favor. Now it's easier than ever to take our journalism with you. The BDN app brings you breaking news from across the state of Maine featuring award-winning journalism covering politics, outdoors, sports, investigative reporting, and more. We’re here for you. Built for how you read: • Save stories to read offline, wherever the day takes you • Customize alerts so you only hear about what matters to you • Dark mode for late nights and early mornings • Fast, clean, and easy to navigate on iPhone and iPad The app is free to download. Create an account to access a selection of free articles each week, or subscribe for unlimited access to everything the BDN publishes. Either way, you're supporting the independent journalism Maine has relied on since 1889. Terms of Service: bangordailynews.com/terms Privacy Policy: bangordailynews.com/privacy

Screenshots

Foreign Affairs Magazine4 screens
BDN e4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Foreign Affairs Magazine at 4.8 against BDN e's 4.3. Foreign Affairs Magazine also leads on review sentiment (61% vs 33%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 7 months). BDN e's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, ads, chart position 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. Foreign Affairs Magazine sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $39.99 per year. BDN e asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Foreign Affairs Magazine holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Foreign Affairs Magazine has 14K ratings behind it against 469, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Foreign Affairs Magazine's written reviews are positive against 33% of BDN e's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Foreign Affairs Magazine ships an update every 6 weeks, BDN e every 7 months. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Foreign Affairs Magazine versus BDN e: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForeign Affairs MagazineBDN e
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (14K ratings) — better4.3 (469 ratings)
Positive reviews60.9% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings14K — better469
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#101 — better#128
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCouncil on Foreign RelationsBangor Daily News

Customer experience

Foreign Affairs Magazine

All ratings14,431 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews276 reviews
Positive60.9%
Neutral10.5%
Negative28.6%

BDN e

All ratings369 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral5.7%
Negative11.9%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

Foreign Affairs Magazine

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashing when switching between articles
  • Subscription not recognized, requiring repeated logins
  • Inability to access previously downloaded content
  • Outdated content not updating properly
  • Formatting and layout issues on larger devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to sync reading progress across devices
  • More audio playback controls (speed, rewind, etc.)
  • Highlight and note-taking functionality
  • Improved search and browsing of past issues
  • Offline article downloads

BDN e

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Foreign Affairs Magazine

Subscriptions1
  • Foreign Affairs$39.991 Year
One-time9
  • Iran and the Bomb$8.99
  • Foreign Affairs Summer Reading$8.99
  • Masters of International Relations$8.99
Show 6 more
  • Foreign Affairs Best of 2013$8.99
  • JAN/FEB 2013$9.99
  • July$9.99
  • September/October 2014$9.99
  • March/April 2016$9.99
  • November/December 2016$9.99
None

BDN e

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Foreign Affairs Magazine free?
Foreign Affairs Magazine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BDN e free?
BDN e is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Foreign Affairs Magazine or BDN e?
Foreign Affairs Magazine is rated higher. Foreign Affairs Magazine averages 4.8 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while BDN e averages 4.3 from 469 ratings.
Do Foreign Affairs Magazine or BDN e have ads?
Neither Foreign Affairs Magazine nor BDN e shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Foreign Affairs Magazine or BDN e?
Foreign Affairs Magazine ships an update every 6 weeks, and BDN e every 7 months. Most recently, Foreign Affairs Magazine was updated on October 30, 2026 and BDN e on October 30, 2026.
Which is more popular, Foreign Affairs Magazine or BDN e?
Foreign Affairs Magazine currently peaks at #101 in the App Store charts, and BDN e at #128. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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