# SPH Mag vs Lion's Roar

SPH Mag and Lion's Roar both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 51% of Lion's Roar's written reviews are positive against 0% of SPH Mag's. Lion's Roar also leads on ratings volume (1.6K vs 1). SPH Mag's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SPH Mag sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per year and Lion's Roar sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 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 — 5.0 for SPH Mag against 4.9 for Lion's Roar. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lion's Roar has 1.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 0% of SPH Mag's written reviews are positive against 51% of Lion's Roar's.

SPH Mag ships an update every 3 weeks, Lion's Roar every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SPH Mag | Lion's Roar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sph-mag/id818152515/reviews)** | [4.9 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lions-roar/id950297065/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **1.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **51.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 77 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Magzter Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/406791755) | [Lion's Roar Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/950297064) |

## What reviewers say

### SPH Mag

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sph-mag/id818152515)

Access a wide selection of popular Asian magazines covering fashion, lifestyle, and business. Subscribe to your favorite titles for digital delivery and manage your subscriptions easily.

**Highlights:** Access to popular Asian magazines, Fashion, lifestyle, and business titles, Magazine subscriptions available, Automatic renewal options, Subscription management via account settings

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| World Of Watches Indonesia | $8.99 | per year |
| GlobeAsia 1 Year | $21.99 | per year |
| Majalah Investor 1 Year | $33.99 | per year |
| Investor Daily 1 Year | $69.99 | per year |
| The Peak Indonesia 1 Year | $199.99 | per year |
| Digital Magazine Issue | $0.99 | one-time |
| Digital Magazine Issue | $1.99 | one-time |
| Digital Magazine Issue | $2.99 | one-time |
| Digital Magazine Issue | $3.99 | one-time |
| Digital Magazine Issue | $5.99 | one-time |


### Lion's Roar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lions-roar/id950297065)

Access Buddhist teachings and insights on modern life through a digital magazine. Explore practical wisdom, philosophy, and meditation techniques from renowned teachers and writers. Enjoy enhanced readability and social sharing features.

**Highlights:** Digital magazine edition, Easy-to-read design, Social sharing functionality, Integrated website content, Buddhist teachings, Practical life insights

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6 Months Subscription | $12.99 | per 6 months |
| Lion's Roar magazine | $24.99 | per year |
| November 2015 | $7.99 | one-time |
| January 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| March 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| May 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| July 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| September 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| November 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| January 2017 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Lion's Roar Feed 72 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Lion's Roar Feed 67 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Lion's Roar Feed 70 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Lion's Roar Feed 71 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Lion's Roar Feed 65 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Lion's Roar Feed 63 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Lion's Roar Feed 64 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Lion's Roar Feed 62 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Lion's Roar Feed 60 | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent publication and app
- 🤗 Insightful, accessible, and user-friendly
- 🙏 Wisdom and authentic words
- 💻 Great content and format

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app and login issues
- 🔒 Subscription and access problems
- 🖥️ Lack of dark mode and accessibility features

**Reported bugs**

- App not functioning or loading content
- Subscription issues and inability to access past issues
- Login problems and app crashes

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Highlighting and dictionary features
- Improved accessibility for visually impaired users


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SPH Mag free?

SPH Mag is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Lion's Roar free?

Lion's Roar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SPH Mag or Lion's Roar?

SPH Mag is rated higher. SPH Mag averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Lion's Roar averages 4.9 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do SPH Mag or Lion's Roar have ads?

Lion's Roar shows ads; SPH Mag does not.

### Which is updated more often, SPH Mag or Lion's Roar?

SPH Mag ships an update every 3 weeks, and Lion's Roar every 6 months. Most recently, SPH Mag was updated on October 18, 2026 and Lion's Roar on October 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*