Comparison

FT Digital Edition vs The Air Current

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

Head to head
About

FT Digital Edition

Access the daily Financial Times newspaper delivered to your device. Enjoy exclusive digital magazines, translated articles, and a decade of archives. Listen to audio versions of top stories and read offline.

Highlights
  • Daily newspaper delivered to device
  • Exclusive digital magazines
  • Translated articles in 30+ languages
  • Browse 10 years of previous editions
  • Audio versions of top stories
  • Download for offline reading
  • Global editions and classic layout
Features
Read full description

Your daily Financial Times newspaper, delivered to your device when it goes to print. Now with search to quickly find and save articles across editions. WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM THE FT APP • View global print editions editions in 3 reading modes • Editor-curated news in a classic newspaper layout • Exclusive digital access to FT magazines normally available only in print • Translate articles into 30+ languages • Access previous editions of the newspaper dating back 15 years APP FEATURES: • Search for and save articles across editions • Listen to articles with AI audio • Download editions to read offline • Set alerts to stay ahead of the day's news • Change the font size for easier reading EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINES INCLUDE: • HTSI (formerly ‘How To Spend It’): The FT's weekly, multi-award-winning luxury lifestyle magazine covering fashion, design, and the arts • FT Weekend Magazine: A supplement to the weekend edition of the Financial Times, featuring long-form journalism, investigations, photography, and international reporting • FT Wealth: Insights into wealth management and luxury living • The Art of Fashion: A special edition exploring the intersection of art and fashion • Business Education: Insights into executive education, MBA programs, and leadership development READING MODES • Headline view for quick browsing • Article view optimized for reading • Replica view to enjoy the full newspaper layout IS FT DIGITAL EDITION FOR YOU? Whether you're navigating global markets, exploring culture, or seeking fresh perspectives, the FT Digital Edition delivers expert, independent journalism you can trust. From Wall Street to Hong Kong, FT covers markets, politics, technology, climate policy, and industry-leading social research. Track economic shifts, follow business trends, and explore cultural movements with FT’s analysis and expertise. With reporting from over 50 countries, translation available in 30+ languages, and exclusive magazine content—including HTSI, FT Weekend Magazine, and FT Wealth—the FT Digital Edition is for those who think critically about the world. Whether you're planning your next trip to a cultural capital, deepening your understanding of global finance, or seeking fresh literary and lifestyle insights, stay engaged, informed, and inspired with FT. FINANCIAL TIMES ADVANTAGE: • Accurate, independent, and insightful journalism since 1888 • Unbiased reporting: expert commentary and analysis on business, politics, economics, finance, and more • Coverage across arts, real estate, fashion, food, books, technology, and beyond WHAT DOES IT COST? The FT Digital Edition offers comprehensive coverage and great value. Monthly pricing starts from $12.99, with discounts available for longer terms. Subscribe via the app or at https://www.ft.com/todaysnewspaper Terms and conditions apply. Read them at ft.com/terms We respect your privacy. Read our privacy policy at ft.com/privacy

About

The Air Current

Access in-depth aviation news and intelligence with a focus on technical detail and journalistic rigor. Features exclusive scoops, breaking industry news, and an AI-powered news aggregator. Aviation safety reporting is provided as a public service.

Highlights
  • In-depth aviation reporting
  • Exclusive scoops
  • Breaking industry news alerts
  • AI-powered news aggregator
  • Mobile-first reader experience
  • Aviation safety reporting
Read full description

The Air Current is an aviation news service that combines the highest standards of journalism with the level of technical detail and rigor expected by a sophisticated industry audience. Drawing on deep expertise in the subjects we cover and an outstanding network of sources, we break important stories that are typically overlooked by other publications.

 This free-to-download app brings our aviation intelligence platform to the iPhone and iPad, with most reporting accessible via a subscription to The Air Current.
Aviation safety reporting is made freely available as a public service. Subscriber features include: - A mobile-first reader experience, designed to bring aviation insights in the palm of your hand, optimized for iPhone and iPad - Exclusive scoops and in-depth reporting on global aviation, from business strategy to technology development and regulatory policy - Push notifications for timely alerts on deeply-researched features and breaking industry news via TAC/Intel, our real-time intelligence feed - Scan the headlines faster with Airflow, an AI-powered aviation news aggregator Privacy policy: We do not sell any user data to third parties or use it for targeted advertising purposes. Our full privacy policy is available here: https://theaircurrent.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

FT Digital Edition4 screens
The Air Current4 screens

Verdict

The call

FT Digital Edition and The Air Current both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of The Air Current's written reviews are positive against 63% of FT Digital Edition's. The Air Current also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). FT Digital Edition's advantage is ratings volume (3K vs 10). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. FT Digital Edition sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $16.99 per month. The Air Current asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Air Current holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FT Digital Edition has 3K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of FT Digital Edition's written reviews are positive against 100% of The Air Current's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
FT Digital Edition versus The Air Current: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFT Digital EditionThe Air Current
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3K ratings)5.0 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3K — better10
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB84 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperFinancial Times Ltd.JAO Aero Media LLC

Customer experience

FT Digital Edition

All ratings2,876 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews93 reviews
Positive63.4%
Neutral7.5%
Negative29.0%

The Air Current

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

FT Digital Edition

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to log in and access the subscription
  • Rendering issues with hyphens and other special characters
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between online and offline modes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Implement a full-screen mode for better reading experience
  • Add a dark mode option for comfortable reading
  • Improve the text-to-speech (audio) functionality to handle non-text elements better
  • Introduce a search feature to easily find articles and content
  • Enhance the offline reading capabilities to ensure consistent availability

The Air Current

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

FT Digital Edition

Subscriptions2
  • FT Digital Edition Monthly$16.991 Month
  • FT Digital Edition$45.003 Months
None

The Air Current

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FT Digital Edition free?
FT Digital Edition is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Air Current free?
The Air Current is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FT Digital Edition or The Air Current?
The Air Current is rated higher. FT Digital Edition averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while The Air Current averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.
Do FT Digital Edition or The Air Current have ads?
Neither FT Digital Edition nor The Air Current shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FT Digital Edition or The Air Current?
FT Digital Edition ships an update every 3 weeks, and The Air Current every 3 weeks. Most recently, FT Digital Edition was updated on October 25, 2026 and The Air Current on October 2, 2026.

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