# Mathrubhumi Illustrated vs Aaro Ananda

The clearest difference is update cadence: Aaro Ananda at every 5 weeks against Mathrubhumi Illustrated's every 12 months. Aaro Ananda also leads on ratings volume (114 vs 2) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Mathrubhumi Illustrated's advantage is review sentiment (40% vs 30%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mathrubhumi Illustrated sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year and Aaro Ananda sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Aaro Ananda holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aaro Ananda has 114 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of Mathrubhumi Illustrated's written reviews are positive against 30% of Aaro Ananda's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Mathrubhumi Illustrated ships an update every 12 months, Aaro Ananda every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mathrubhumi Illustrated | Aaro Ananda |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathrubhumi-illustrated/id587717402/reviews) | **[4.8 (114 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aaro-ananda/id1576922858/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **114** |
| Positive reviews | **40.0% of reviews** | 29.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Magzter Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/406791755) | [ABP PRIVATE LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1274363063) |

## What reviewers say

### Mathrubhumi Illustrated

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathrubhumi-illustrated/id587717402)

This app offers a digital version of a popular Malayalam magazine, covering culture, politics, cinema, literature, and lifestyle. Enjoy thought-provoking articles, interviews, and photography on the go. Subscribe to access a wide range of content.

**Highlights:** Culture and lifestyle content, Politics and cinema coverage, Literature and art articles, Exclusive interviews, Stunning photography, Current affairs in-depth

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mathrubhumi Illustrated 30 | $3.99 | per year |
| Mathrubhumi Illustrated | $4.49 | per 3 months |
| Mathrubhumi Illustrated | $9.49 | per 6 months |
| 1 Year Digital Subscription | $19.49 | per year |
| Mathrubhumi Illustrated June 26 2016 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mathrubhumi Illustrated July 3 2016 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mathrubhumi Illustrated December 14 2016 | $0.99 | one-time |
| January 28 2018 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Feb 25 2018 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mathrubhumi Illustrated | $0.99 | one-time |


### Aaro Ananda

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aaro-ananda/id1576922858)

Explore the richness of Bengali culture through literature, music, movies, and more. Access Pujabarshiki editions and popular Bengali magazines covering entertainment, women's interests, literature, and children's content. Discover engaging sections with games, photos, news, and historical archives.

**Highlights:** Pujabarshiki editions, Bengali magazines (Anandalok, Sananda, Desh, Anandamela), Literature and news, Entertainment and current affairs, Games and photo galleries, Science updates and knowledge snippets, Historical archives

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter Plan | $0.99 | per month |
| Economi | $0.99 | per month |
| Silver | $1.49 | per 3 months |
| Gold | $2.49 | per 6 months |
| Silver | $2.99 | per 3 months |
| Platinum | $4.49 | per year |
| Gold | $4.49 | per 6 months |
| Platinum | $7.49 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mathrubhumi Illustrated free?

Mathrubhumi Illustrated is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Aaro Ananda free?

Aaro Ananda is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Mathrubhumi Illustrated or Aaro Ananda?

Aaro Ananda is rated higher. Mathrubhumi Illustrated averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Aaro Ananda averages 4.8 from 114 ratings.

### Do Mathrubhumi Illustrated or Aaro Ananda have ads?

Neither Mathrubhumi Illustrated nor Aaro Ananda shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mathrubhumi Illustrated or Aaro Ananda?

Mathrubhumi Illustrated ships an update every 12 months, and Aaro Ananda every 5 weeks. Most recently, Mathrubhumi Illustrated was updated on November 1, 2026 and Aaro Ananda on November 11, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*