Flipster vs StarCat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Flipster
Access a wide selection of digital magazines for free through your local library. Explore, download, and read titles offline on your Apple device, with features like offline reading and article navigation.
- Locate participating libraries
- Browse and download magazines
- Read magazines offline
- Digital table of contents
- Article text view
- Jump to articles and websites
- Track reading progress
Read full descriptionHide full description
Flipster is a free digital magazine service provided courtesy of your library. Find libraries near you that offer Flipster, then explore, download, and read magazines any time on your Apple devices. If you find that your library does not offer Flipster, encourage them to sign up today. Features: - Locate participating libraries - Browse, search, and download popular magazines to read offline - Access digital table of contents for each magazine - Read articles in text view - Tap highlighted areas to jump to articles and related websites - Track percentage of magazine read Now it’s time to relax, put your feet up and read your favorite magazines with Flipster!
StarCat
Stay updated on global rocket launches with real-time information and detailed mission specifics. Receive launch reminders and access a dedicated news section for spaceflight updates. Features Dynamic Island integration for live tracking.
- Live Activity tracking on Dynamic Island
- Detailed mission information
- Launch reminders and notifications
- Spaceflight news section
- Starship development updates
- Reusable rocket landing info
Read full descriptionHide full description
Track your favorite rockets with StarCat - your ultimate companion for staying in the loop on rocket launches worldwide. Whether you're a seasoned space enthusiast or just curious about the wonders of space exploration, StarCat brings you real-time information and comprehensive details about upcoming rocket launches. 1. Live Activity - Track every launch leveraging your Dynamic Island, best way to receive latest updates on tracked launch, regardless if it's a scrub or delay. 2. Mission Details - Dive deep into the specifics of each mission. Learn about the payload, launch vehicle, mission objectives, orbit information, location of the launch pad and landing information of reusable rockets, such as Falcon 9. 3. Launch Reminders - Never miss a launch again! Get notified before every launch with push notifications (customizable notifications coming in the future). 4. News Section - Get access to latest and featured articles about world of spaceflight with option to save articles you liked. 5. Starship Section - Latest news about Starship and Starbase with specially selected articles about development of our favorite spacecraft. Discover list of all prototypes developed at Starbase and list of all launches up to date - both orbital and sub-orbital - with respective information about their outcomes.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Flipster at Free against StarCat's $1.99. Flipster also leads on rating (2.2 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (211 vs 1). StarCat's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). On ads, in-app purchases, chart position 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
Flipster is free to download; StarCat costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Flipster holds the better App Store score, 2.2 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Flipster has 211 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Flipster ships an update every 3 months, StarCat every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Flipster | StarCat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 2.2 (211 ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 15.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 211 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #184 | #105 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | EBSCO Publishing | Hubert Jozwiak |
Customer experience
Flipster
StarCat
Bugs and requests
Flipster
Reported bugs
5 issues- Login issues and credential errors
- Frequent crashes and service unavailability
- Incompatibility with newer OS versions
- Inability to exit full-screen mode
- Outdated magazine content
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to bookmark specific publishers or categories
- Adjustable font sizes and text view options
- Notifications for expiring magazines
- Dark mode support
- Improved navigation and magazine management
StarCat
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Flipster
No in-app purchases
StarCat
No in-app purchases
