# New Scientist vs Utne Reader

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | New Scientist | Utne Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (5.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-scientist/id671845403/reviews) | **[4.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utne-reader/id735180387/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.6K** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | **68.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#114** | — |
| Size | 36 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [New Scientist Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1259836343) | [Ogden Publications, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/450808661) |

## What reviewers say

### New Scientist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-scientist/id671845403)

**Currently charting:** #114 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #148 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers, #160 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Daily news updates, Latest issue access, Science videos, Weekly podcast, Audio articles

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| 3 Month Subscription | $49.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| 12 Month Subscription | $179.99 | per year |
| August 30 2014 | $1.99 | one-time |
| October 04 2014 | $1.99 | one-time |
| July 16 2016 | $1.99 | one-time |
| September 03 2016 | $1.99 | one-time |
| October 01 2016 | $1.99 | one-time |
| November 19 2016 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Essential Guide 10 | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fascinating and informative content
- 🚀 Accessible and easy to read
- 🤓 Covers a wide range of scientific topics
- 📚 Valuable source of up-to-date science news

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with login and subscription issues
- 🔒 Difficult to manage subscriptions and access content
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🙄 Forced subscription model and lack of transparency

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to recognize active subscriptions
- Downloading and accessing content is unreliable
- Frequent crashes and performance issues
- Inconsistent user experience across platforms

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utne-reader/id735180387)

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.

**Highlights:** Independent voices, Cultural zeitgeist focus, Environmental crisis coverage, Marginalized communities spotlight, Political strife analysis, Art, philosophy, spirituality appreciation

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Utne Reader - The best of the alternative press | $17.99 | per 6 months |
| Utne Reader - The best of the alternative press | $35.99 | per year |
| November/December 2013 | $6.99 | one-time |
| March/April 2014 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Winter 2014 | $6.99 | one-time |
| September 2016 Digital | $6.99 | one-time |
| Utne Reader Feed 2 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Utne Reader Feed 3 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Winter 2016 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Winter 2017 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Summer 2018 | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is New Scientist free?

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

### Is Utne Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, New Scientist or Utne Reader?

Utne Reader is rated higher. New Scientist averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.6K ratings, while Utne Reader averages 4.9 from 16 ratings.

### Do New Scientist or Utne Reader have ads?

Utne Reader shows ads; New Scientist does not.

### Which is updated more often, New Scientist or Utne Reader?

New Scientist ships an update every 2 months, and Utne Reader every 3 months. Most recently, New Scientist was updated on October 15, 2026 and Utne Reader on October 9, 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.*