# Poolside vs Aesthetica

The clearest difference is ads: Aesthetica at none against Poolside's shown. Aesthetica also leads on update cadence (every 6 months vs every 28 months). Poolside's advantage is iOS requirement (11.2 vs 16.6). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Poolside sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 6 months 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.

Poolside ships an update every 28 months, Aesthetica every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Poolside | Aesthetica |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aesthetica/id888670809/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 28 months | **Every 6 months** |
| Monetization | — | Subscription |
| Size | 44 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.2** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Universal Magazines Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/602657493) | [Aesthetica Magazine Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1665906983) |

## What reviewers say

### Poolside

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/poolside/id667937445)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Poolside Auto-Renewable Subscription | $2.99 | per 6 months |
| Poolside Auto-Renewable Subscription | $3.99 | per year |
| Poolside Auto-Renewable Subscription | $5.99 | per year |
| Nov Issue#46 Y/Bk 15 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Poolside Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| ISSUE 56 Poolside | $2.99 | one-time |
| February Issue#41 2013 | $3.99 | one-time |
| April Issue#43 2014 | $3.99 | one-time |
| October Issue#42 Y-BOOK 2013 | $3.99 | one-time |
| May Issue#45 2015 | $4.99 | 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 Poolside free?

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

### Is Aesthetica free?

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

### Do Poolside or Aesthetica have ads?

Poolside shows ads; Aesthetica does not.

### Which is updated more often, Poolside or Aesthetica?

Poolside ships an update every 28 months, and Aesthetica every 6 months. Most recently, Poolside was updated on September 16, 2026 and Aesthetica on September 29, 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.*