Comparison

FastBack vs Tom’s Guide

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

FastBack

This browser offers a unique "back" function that instantly displays the previous page without reloading. It's designed for a smoother news browsing experience, allowing users to navigate between articles and main pages seamlessly.

Highlights
  • Instant page recall on back
  • No reloads when navigating back
  • Smooth news browsing experience
  • Remembers frequently visited sites
Features
Read full description

"FastBack - the browser that doesn't reload when you go back." The name says it all. Amazingly, this is in contrast to all other iOS browsers. - When tapping "back", the previous page displays instantly. It does NOT reload, scroll, jump, redraw or update in any annoying way (as every other browser does), making the back step fast. - This is great for browsing news sites: You scroll down a long main page, tap a link, read, tap back, tap another link, tap back etc – and everything is just smooth. News browsing the way it was meant to be. - There are almost NO other features. OK, your frequently visited sites are remembered but that's it. Less is more. - I wrote this app so I could browse my morning news sites without going crazy. Enjoy!

About

Tom’s Guide

Features
Read full description

Tom’s Guide upgrades your life by helping you decide what technology to buy and how to get the most out of it. We've tested out all the latest products to help inform your buying decisions and work hard to surface the best deals to help you save money along the way. What to expect from the Tom’s Guide app: - Buying guides: We spend thousands of hours testing each product in our buying guides to find the best technology for every budget. - Personalize your feed: From AI to gaming, pick the topics you want to read about. - In-depth analysis: Every review we publish helps you stay equipped with the most information before making a purchase. - Maximize your tech: From finding hidden phone features to the best workout gear and exercises, we help you master your technology long after the initial buying process. - Save articles for later: tap the menu on any article to bookmark it. - Search: Use our smart search tool to find the tech you’re interested in. - Savings Squad: The Tom’s Guide Savings Squad is a crack team of tech money saving experts with the singular mission of helping you get what you want for the best price, every time. Auto-renewing subscriptions: - When you purchase a subscription payment will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. - Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user at auto-renewal and may be turned off by going to your Device Settings after purchase. - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. - The app may offer a free trial or introductory offer. At the end of the free trial or introductory offer period, the full price of the subscription will be charged thereafter. - For Future Publishing’s Privacy Policy please visit: https://www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy/ - For Future Publishing’s Terms of Use, please visit: https://www.futureplc.com/terms-conditions https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

FastBack2 screens
Tom’s Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: FastBack at none against Tom’s Guide's shown. FastBack also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). Tom’s Guide's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 16 months). On price, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. FastBack sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Tom’s Guide sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FastBack ships an update every 16 months, Tom’s Guide every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
FastBack versus Tom’s Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFastBackTom’s Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 16 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB130 MB
Age rating17+9+
DeveloperStudio MeeFuture Publishing Ltd.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

FastBack

One-time1
  • Unlock$1.99
2 purchases

Tom’s Guide

Subscriptions2
  • Tom's Guide Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
  • Tom's Guide Annual Subscription$19.991 Year

Questions

Is FastBack free?
FastBack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tom’s Guide free?
Tom’s Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FastBack or Tom’s Guide have ads?
Tom’s Guide shows ads; FastBack does not.
Which is updated more often, FastBack or Tom’s Guide?
FastBack ships an update every 16 months, and Tom’s Guide every 2 weeks. Most recently, FastBack was updated on October 5, 2026 and Tom’s Guide on October 21, 2026.

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