# Flipster vs StarCat

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Flipster | StarCat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[2.2 (211 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flipster-digital-magazines/id797106282/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starcat-launch-tracker/id6469060028/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **211** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 15.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #197 | **#106** |
| Size | 16 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [EBSCO Publishing](https://appshunter.io/developer/433269590) | [Hubert Jozwiak](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526690991) |

## What reviewers say

### Flipster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flipster-digital-magazines/id797106282)

**Currently charting:** #197 Top Free · News (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Solid and functional
- 👍 Simplicity and minimalism
- 👍 Reading magazines with relative ease

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent 'service unavailable' errors
- 🐛 Inability to change text size
- 🐛 Crashing and not working on certain devices
- 🐛 Outdated magazine selection
- 🐛 Inconsistent user experience

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starcat-launch-tracker/id6469060028)

**Currently charting:** #106 Top Paid · News (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Live Activity tracking on Dynamic Island, Detailed mission information, Launch reminders and notifications, Spaceflight news section, Starship development updates, Reusable rocket landing info

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Flipster free?

Flipster is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is StarCat free?

StarCat costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Flipster or StarCat?

Flipster is rated higher. Flipster averages 2.2 out of 5 from 211 ratings, while StarCat averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Flipster or StarCat have ads?

Neither Flipster nor StarCat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Flipster or StarCat?

Flipster ships an update every 3 months, and StarCat every 5 weeks. Most recently, Flipster was updated on September 25, 2026 and StarCat on September 14, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Flipster or StarCat?

Flipster currently peaks at #197 in the App Store charts, and StarCat at #106. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*