# Utne Reader vs Democracy Now!

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Democracy Now! at 66% against Utne Reader's 0%. Democracy Now! also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11) and ads (none vs shown). Utne Reader's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.4) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.4). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Utne Reader sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per 6 months. Democracy Now! asks for nothing beyond the download.

Utne Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Democracy Now! has 416 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of Utne Reader's written reviews are positive against 66% of Democracy Now!'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Utne Reader ships an update every 3 months, Democracy Now! every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Utne Reader | Democracy Now! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utne-reader/id735180387/reviews)** | [4.4 (416 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/democracy-now/id959877465/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **416** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **65.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 48 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Ogden Publications, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/450808661) | [DEMOCRACY NOW PRODUCTIONS INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/633548597) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Democracy Now!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/democracy-now/id959877465)

Access award-winning independent news with daily global headlines and in-depth interviews. This app offers content in video, audio, and transcript formats, including web exclusives and a live video stream.

**Highlights:** Daily news headlines, In-depth interviews, Web exclusives, Audio and video on-demand, Live video stream

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent news coverage
- 🚀 Easy to navigate app
- 💡 Appreciate audio-only option
- 🚀 Streamlined interface
- 👍 Trustworthy news source

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Streaming issues and buffering problems
- 🐛 Sync issues between audio and video
- 🐛 Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
- 🐛 Glitchy scrolling and article loading

**Reported bugs**

- Refresh issues on headlines tab
- App not optimized for larger screens
- Occasional audio/video desync
- Crashes when trying to share content

**Requested features**

- Push notification support
- Landscape mode support
- Chromecast/AirPlay integration
- Ability to download episodes for offline viewing
- Improved sharing capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Utne Reader free?

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

### Is Democracy Now! free?

Democracy Now! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Utne Reader or Democracy Now!?

Utne Reader is rated higher. Utne Reader averages 4.9 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Democracy Now! averages 4.4 from 416 ratings.

### Do Utne Reader or Democracy Now! have ads?

Utne Reader shows ads; Democracy Now! does not.

### Which is updated more often, Utne Reader or Democracy Now!?

Utne Reader ships an update every 3 months, and Democracy Now! every 6 weeks. Most recently, Utne Reader was updated on October 9, 2026 and Democracy Now! on October 16, 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.*