New Scientist vs Utne Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
New Scientist
Access award-winning journalism on science and technology. Read daily news, watch videos, and listen to podcasts covering topics from AI to quantum physics. Log in with your subscription for full access.
- Daily news updates
- Latest issue access
- Science videos
- Weekly podcast
- Audio articles
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Discover award-winning journalism with the New Scientist app. From artificial intelligence to climate change, and the latest innovations in healthcare to the mysteries of quantum physics and the human mind, New Scientist is your trusted, impartial source of information about what is going on in the world. Read daily news updates and our latest issues Watch fascinating videos – from robotics to rare animal behaviour Listen to our weekly podcast and audio articles Download the app for free now. Already a subscriber? Log in with your newscientist.com account to unlock your full access. Need help? Visit newscientist.com/help Terms of Use: https://www.newscientist.com/terms/
Utne Reader
This app curates essential stories from independent voices, focusing on environmental issues, marginalized communities, and political events. It also highlights the impact of art, philosophy, and spirituality.
- Independent voices
- Cultural zeitgeist focus
- Environmental crisis coverage
- Marginalized communities spotlight
- Political strife analysis
- Art, philosophy, spirituality appreciation
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Utne Reader assembles the most relevant stories of the day with a focus on independent voices – agents of change working from the trenches of the cultural zeitgeist. We profile the issues that matter most, shining a spotlight on environmental crises, marginalized communities, and political strife. Plus, we make time to appreciate the regenerative power of art, philosophy, and spirituality in all its forms.
Screenshots
Verdict
New Scientist and Utne Reader both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 69% of New Scientist's written reviews are positive against 0% of Utne Reader's. New Scientist also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (5.6K vs 16). Utne Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. New Scientist sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Utne Reader sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per 6 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for New Scientist against 4.9 for Utne Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: New Scientist has 5.6K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of New Scientist's written reviews are positive against 0% of Utne Reader's.
New Scientist ships an update every 2 months, Utne Reader every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | New Scientist | Utne Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (5.6K ratings) | 4.9 (16 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.7% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5.6K — better | 16 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #97 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 48 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | New Scientist Ltd | Ogden Publications, Inc. |
Customer experience
New Scientist
Utne Reader
Bugs and requests
New Scientist
Reported bugs
4 issues- App fails to recognize active subscriptions
- Downloading and accessing content is unreliable
- Frequent crashes and performance issues
- Inconsistent user experience across platforms
Requested features
4 requests- Add dark mode option
- Improve navigation and ability to resume reading
- Implement better syncing and cross-device access
- Provide more customization options for text size and font
Utne Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
New Scientist
- 1 Month Subscription1 Month trial$9.991 Month
- 3 Month Subscription$49.993 Months
- 1 Year Subscription$99.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- 12 Month Subscription$179.991 Year
- August 30 2014$1.99
- October 04 2014$1.99
- July 16 2016$1.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- September 03 2016$1.99
- October 01 2016$1.99
- November 19 2016$1.99
- Essential Guide 10$9.99
Utne Reader
- Utne Reader - The best of the alternative press1 Month trial$17.996 Months
- Utne Reader - The best of the alternative press1 Month trial$35.991 Year
- November/December 2013$6.99
- March/April 2014$6.99
- Winter 2014$6.99
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- September 2016 Digital$6.99
- Utne Reader Feed 2$6.99
- Utne Reader Feed 3$6.99
- Winter 2016$9.99
- Winter 2017$9.99
- Summer 2018$9.99
Questions
Is New Scientist free?
Is Utne Reader free?
Which has better reviews, New Scientist or Utne Reader?
Do New Scientist or Utne Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, New Scientist or Utne Reader?
Other comparisons
