Comparison

The Simple Things Magazine vs Lightning(ライトニング)

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

Head to head
About

The Simple Things Magazine

This magazine app offers inspiration for a well-lived life, focusing on mindful living, home, nature, and simple pleasures. Each issue provides seasonal content, recipes, projects, and creative ideas.

Highlights
  • Mindfulness and microadventures
  • Home life and slow moments
  • Seasonal content
  • Recipes and weekend projects
  • Poems, stories, and playlists
  • Digital issue purchases
  • Subscription options
Features
Read full description

The Simple Things is a beautiful, useful, quirky and fun magazine about taking time to live well. We cover eating and growing, mindfulness and microadventures, forgotten wisdom, home life and slow moments. It's for people who love their lives but want to take the pressure off and remember what’s really important. We like tea & cake, learning stuff, being outside and the satisfaction of a job well done. Do you? Every month we publish 132 pages of seasonal loveliness, ideas and inspiration to dip into. Includes a poem, a story and a playlist, plus our ‘could-do’ list, recipes and weekend projects. ---------------------------------------------- This is a free app download. Within the app users can purchase the current issue and back issues. Subscriptions are also available within the application. A subscription will start from the latest regular issue at the time of purchase. -The subscription will renew automatically unless cancelled more than 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for the product. -You may turn off the auto-renewal of subscriptions through your Account Settings, however you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period. -Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased. -If a subscription offers a free trial, at the end of the trial period, you will be charged the full price of the subscription. You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription settings on your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Users can register for/ login to a pocketmags account in-app. This will protect their issues in the case of a lost device and allow browsing of purchases on multiple platforms. Existing pocketmags users can retrieve their purchases by logging into their account. We recommend loading the app for the first time in a wi-fi area so that all issue data is retrieved. If your app will not load past the splash page after a first install or an update, please delete and reinstall the app from the App Store Help and frequently asked questions can be accessed in-app and on pocketmags. If you have any problems at all please do not hesitate to contact us: help@pocketmags.com -------------------- You can find our privacy policy here: http://www.pocketmags.com/privacy.aspx You can find our terms and conditions here: http://www.pocketmags.com/terms.aspx

About

Lightning(ライトニング)

This lifestyle magazine app offers curated content on American culture, including fashion, cars, and hobbies. It provides a digital reading experience with subscription options and automatic downloads for new issues.

Highlights
  • American culture focus
  • Fashion and car content
  • Hobby and leisure features
  • Digital magazine format
  • Subscription options
  • Automatic download of new issues
Features
Read full description

ファッション、クルマ、趣味や遊びなど、アメリカンカルチャーをベースに縦横無尽なアンテナで拾った情報を、遊び心たっぷりの誌面で紹介する、こだわりの大人たちに向けたライフスタイルマガジンです。 *本誌発売日は毎月30日で、電子版発売日は翌月4日の予定です。 *祝日他の理由で発売日が前後する場合がございますので、ご了承ください。 *電子版では、紙の雑誌と内容が一部異なる場合や、掲載されないページがある場合がございます。 本アプリケーションはNewsstandに対応しています。 アプリは無料でダウンロードできますが、コンテンツの購入は有料です。 コンテンツのダウンロードは、WiFi環境での接続を推奨いたします。 ■定期購読の期間と料金 1ヶ月(自動更新):600円 2ヶ月(自動更新):1200円 3ヶ月(自動更新):1800円 6ヶ月(自動更新):3600円 1年 (自動更新):6800円 お支払いは、お客様のApple IDにて行われます。 ■新刊の自動ダウンロード機能について iOSの設定の「通知」と「Appのバックグラウンド更新」をオンに設定すると、ライセンス期間中に新しいコンテンツが発行された際に自動的に端末(本棚)にダウンロードされます。 ■定期購読の自動更新と課金について  購読は「自動継続更新」となります。購読期間が終了する24時間以内に、購読が自動更新され、お客様のApple IDに課金されます。 ■定期購読の設定の確認と自動更新の停止について  ライセンス期間終了の24時間以上前に、お客様のアカウント設定画面から、自動更新をオフにしていただくことで、ライセンスの自動更新を停止することができます。  自動更新の設定は、「設定」 > 「Store」 > 「Apple IDタップ」 > 「Apple IDを表示からパスワードを入力」 > 購読の「管理」から行うことができます。 ■定期購読のキャンセルについて  定期購読期間中は、期間の変更やキャンセルをすることができません。 プライバシーポリシー及び利用規約:http://www.magastore.jp/inapp/newsstand/privacypolicy/lightning.html

Screenshots

The Simple Things Magazine4 screens
Lightning(ライトニング)2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: The Simple Things Magazine at every 16 months against Lightning(ライトニング)'s every 44 months. The Simple Things Magazine also leads on ratings volume (28 vs 2). Lightning(ライトニング)'s advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. The Simple Things Magazine sells 47 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 3 months and Lightning(ライトニング) sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for The Simple Things Magazine against 5.0 for Lightning(ライトニング). That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Simple Things Magazine has 28 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Simple Things Magazine ships an update every 16 months, Lightning(ライトニング) every 44 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
The Simple Things Magazine versus Lightning(ライトニング): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Simple Things MagazineLightning(ライトニング)
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (28 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings28 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 16 months — betterEvery 44 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.68.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIceberg Press LimitedDENTSU INC.

Customer experience

The Simple Things Magazine

All ratings28 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral3.6%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

Lightning(ライトニング)

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

47 purchases

The Simple Things Magazine

Subscriptions2
  • The Simple Things$14.993 Months
  • The Simple Things$55.991 Year
One-time45
  • November 2015 (pp:756676)$6.99
  • January 2017 (pp:756662)$6.99
  • December 2016 (pp:756663)$6.99
Show 42 more
  • November 2016 (pp:756664)$6.99
  • September 2016 (pp:756666)$6.99
  • April 2016 (pp:756671)$6.99
  • March 2016 (pp:756672)$6.99
  • February 2016 (pp:756673)$6.99
  • May 2017 (pp:756658)$6.99
  • December 2022 –... (pp:792269)$6.99
  • February 2023 –... (pp:895688)$6.99
  • January 2024 (id:708140)$6.99
  • November 2023 (id:708142)$6.99
  • December 2023 (id:708141)$6.99
  • April 2024 (pp:1011730)$6.99
  • January 2018 (pp:756650)$6.99
  • Mar-26 (pp:1130605)$6.99
  • January 2026 (pp:1109281)$6.99
  • November 2014 (pp:756688)$6.99
  • November 2020 ... (pp:756616)$6.99
  • February 2022 –... (pp:792309)$6.99
  • October 2023 (id:708143)$6.99
  • July 2025 (pp:1109287)$6.99
  • June 2025 (pp:1109288)$6.99
  • May 2025 (pp:1109289)$6.99
  • April 2025 (pp:1109290)$6.99
  • April 2023 – 130 (pp:895680)$6.99
  • March 2025 (pp:1109291)$6.99
  • February 2024 ... (pp:1011738)$6.99
  • February 2018 (pp:756649)$6.99
  • February 2025 (pp:1109292)$6.99
  • January 2025 (pp:1011694)$6.99
  • December 2024 (pp:1011698)$6.99
  • December 2020 –... (pp:756615)$6.99
  • November 2024 (pp:1011702)$6.99
  • November 2019 (pp:756628)$6.99
  • October 2020 – 100 (pp:756617)$6.99
  • September 2024 (pp:1011710)$6.99
  • October 2024 (pp:1011706)$6.99
  • September 2017 (pp:756654)$6.99
  • September 2020 (pp:756618)$6.99
  • August 2024 (pp:1011714)$6.99
  • July 2019 (pp:756632)$6.99
  • June 2018 (pp:756645)$6.99
  • June 2024 (pp:1011722)$6.99
10 purchases

Lightning(ライトニング)

Subscriptions3
  • Lightning(ライトニング)$6.991 Month
  • Lightning(ライトニング)$19.993 Months
  • Lightning(ライトニング)$39.996 Months
One-time7
  • Lightning(ライトニング) 2015年5月号 Vol.253$3.99
  • Lightning(ライトニング) 2015年7月号 Vol.255$3.99
  • Lightning(ライトニング) 2016年3月号 Vol.263$3.99
Show 4 more
  • Lightning 2018年8月号 Vol.292$4.99
  • Lightning 2018年9月号 Vol.293$4.99
  • Lightning 2018年10月号 Vol.294$4.99
  • Lightning 2018年11月号 Vol.295$4.99

Questions

Is The Simple Things Magazine free?
The Simple Things Magazine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lightning(ライトニング) free?
Lightning(ライトニング) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Simple Things Magazine or Lightning(ライトニング)?
Lightning(ライトニング) is rated higher. The Simple Things Magazine averages 4.9 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while Lightning(ライトニング) averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do The Simple Things Magazine or Lightning(ライトニング) have ads?
Neither The Simple Things Magazine nor Lightning(ライトニング) shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Simple Things Magazine or Lightning(ライトニング)?
The Simple Things Magazine ships an update every 16 months, and Lightning(ライトニング) every 44 months. Most recently, The Simple Things Magazine was updated on September 28, 2026 and Lightning(ライトニング) on September 22, 2026.

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