# Bead Magazine vs Aesthetica

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Aesthetica at 100% against Bead Magazine's 43%. Aesthetica also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 6 months vs every 14 months). Bead Magazine's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (16 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bead Magazine sells 23 in-app purchases, starting at $39.99 per year and Aesthetica sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per 2 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Aesthetica holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bead Magazine has 16 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Bead Magazine's written reviews are positive against 100% of Aesthetica's.

Bead Magazine ships an update every 14 months, Aesthetica every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bead Magazine | Aesthetica |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bead-magazine/id616019934/reviews) | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aesthetica/id888670809/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 6 months** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 19 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Ashdown Broadcasting](https://appshunter.io/developer/558519375) | [Aesthetica Magazine Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1665906983) |

## What reviewers say

### Bead Magazine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bead-magazine/id616019934)

Discover beautiful beadwork, wirework, and lampwork projects. This app offers stylish designs and tutorials for jewelry making enthusiasts. Explore new techniques and inspiration for your creative endeavors.

**Highlights:** Beadwork projects, Wirework tutorials, Lampwork designs, Stringing projects, Metal clay designs, Polymer clay designs

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

**In-app purchases (23)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bead Magazine Auto-Renewable Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Bead Issue 51 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bead Issue 53 (id:737062) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bead Issue 50 (id:741773) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bead Issue 48 (id:739411) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bead Issue 46 (id:741772) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bead Issue 45 (id:738863) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bead Issue 40 (id:740379) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bead Issue 36 (id:740301) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bead Issue 54 (id:738344) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 126 (id:726372) | $5.99 | one-time |
| Issue 112 (id:782117) | $5.99 | one-time |
| Aug/Sep 20 (id:785123) | $5.99 | one-time |
| Issue 115 (id:780786) | $5.99 | one-time |
| Issue 117 (id:780782) | $5.99 | one-time |
| Issue 71 (id:798877) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Bead & Jewelle... (pp:1120060) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Issue 133 (pp:1083889) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Issue 129 (pp:1043386) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Issue 131 (pp:1043374) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Issue 132 (pp:1083898) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Bead Magazine 3 Back Issue Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| Bead & Jewellery CYC 50 | $89.99 | one-time |


### Aesthetica

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aesthetica/id888670809)

This app delivers a visually stunning mix of contemporary art and visual culture through a bi-monthly digital magazine. It explores global art, film, music, and performance, offering critical debate and engaging content. Subscribers can sync back issues for offline reading and access content from registered IP ranges.

**Highlights:** Sync back issues for offline reading, Searchable archive, Interactive page navigation, Bookmark favorite pages, Share content via social media, Institutional IP access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aesthetica | $5.49 | per 2 months |
| Aesthetica | $25.49 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bead Magazine free?

Bead Magazine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Aesthetica free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bead Magazine or Aesthetica?

Aesthetica is rated higher. Bead Magazine averages 3.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Aesthetica averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Bead Magazine or Aesthetica have ads?

Neither Bead Magazine nor Aesthetica shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bead Magazine or Aesthetica?

Bead Magazine ships an update every 14 months, and Aesthetica every 6 months. Most recently, Bead Magazine was updated on October 21, 2026 and Aesthetica on October 26, 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.*