Comparison

FT Digital Edition vs Driftly

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
Currently charting
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

Driftly

Features
Read full description

Stop scrolling noise. Start reading what matters. Driftly is a privacy-first news reader built around one idea: your attention is valuable. No account. No algorithm selling your data. Just the stories you care about, in a clean full-screen feed. What makes Driftly different No account required, your feeds, saves, and settings live entirely on your device. Nothing leaves it. Full-screen immersive reading, swipe through news the way it's meant to be experienced, not crammed into a cluttered list. 7 AI-powered insight modes go beyond the headline. Ask Driftly to summarize, pull key takeaways, explain in plain English, tell you why it matters, who's involved, the other side of the story, or what happens next. Apple Intelligence integration for on-device AI summaries for iOS 26+ users, no data sent anywhere. 30+ curated sources across Technology, Business, World, Science, Sports, Entertainment, and Health with custom RSS, Reddit, and topic-based digest support for power users. The basics, done right - Save articles for later - Read aloud with text-to-speech - Instant sharing - Text size control

Screenshots

FT Digital Edition4 screens
Driftly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Driftly at every 8 days against FT Digital Edition's every 3 weeks. Driftly also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). FT Digital Edition's advantage is chart position (#199 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. FT Digital Edition sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $16.99 per month and Driftly sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FT Digital Edition ships an update every 3 weeks, Driftly every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
FT Digital Edition versus Driftly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFT Digital EditionDriftly
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews63.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings3K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#199 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB31 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperFinancial Times Ltd.Gallage Bihan Thilina Wijewickrama Karunaratne

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

Driftly

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
4 purchases

Driftly

Subscriptions4
  • Driftly Plus$2.991 Month
  • Driftly Pro Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Driftly Plus Annual$19.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Driftly Pro Annual$39.991 Year

Questions

Is FT Digital Edition free?
FT Digital Edition is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Driftly free?
Driftly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FT Digital Edition or Driftly have ads?
Neither FT Digital Edition nor Driftly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FT Digital Edition or Driftly?
FT Digital Edition ships an update every 3 weeks, and Driftly every 8 days. Most recently, FT Digital Edition was updated on October 25, 2026 and Driftly on October 25, 2026.

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