The Economist is a news and analysis app for professionals, offering articles, podcasts, and digital editions on iOS and Android.
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users hire The Economist to decode complex global events through fact-checked reporting, replacing fragmented news feeds with a single, authoritative source.
For Professionals and global citizens seeking fact-checked, in-depth analysis of politics, economics, and technology.
What does it look like?
Key features
Full digital replica of the weekly print publication for offline reading.
Professional narration for hands-free listening.
Interactive puzzles including crosswords and history quizzes.
How much does it cost?
Monetization relies on a subscription-first model that gates deep-dive journalism and the weekly edition behind a paywall.
Velocity
Maintenance developmentperformanceUX improvementsShow more...
The Economist - World News currently operates on a maintenance cadence, shipping infrequent updates focused solely on stability and bug fixes. The latest release continues this trend of providing generic improvements rather than new feature development. There is no evidence of live-ops activity or significant feature expansion in the provided history. Development appears to be focused on sustaining existing functionality rather than active iteration.
Who built it?
The Economist Newspaper
2 apps tracked · News & Magazines
Espresso: World news in a shotUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Recent user voice shows a frustrated sentiment. Users appreciate high quality editorial and investigative journalism provides deep insight into complex global political events and audio playback features like the sleep timer and queue management improve the listening experience, but report persistent audio playback bugs and poor queue management disrupt the daily listening habit for subscribers.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- High quality editorial and investigative journalism provides deep insight into complex global political events
- Audio playback features like the sleep timer and queue management improve the listening experience
- CarPlay integration allows subscribers to listen to content safely and conveniently while driving
- Persistent audio playback bugs and poor queue management disrupt the daily listening habit for subscribers
60 of 99 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Frustrated overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 3 user requests, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for The Economist - World News
How's the News & Magazines market?
The Economist maintains a high rating of 4.88 across 261,955 total ratings. The current release cadence is maintenance-focused, prioritizing stability over new feature expansion.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By The New York Times Company
Both apps target intellectually curious professionals with subscription-based journalism, creating direct competition for the same premium reader's time and wallet.
- NYTimes bundles Games, Cooking, and The Athletic, while The Economist focuses on a singular weekly edition.
- NYTimes maintains a leading grossing position in News, whereas The Economist prioritizes investigative depth over scale.
SmartNews: Live News & RewardsContender
The Guardian - US & World NewsContender
Yahoo News: Daily News For YouContender
AP NewsContender
Bloomberg: Finance Market NewsContender
FOX News - Daily Breaking NewsContender
Breaking News - Live HeadlinesContender
BBC NewsContender
Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for The Economist - World News
Where is it heading?
The news app market is consolidating around high-utility, platform-integrated experiences. The Economist's reliance on maintenance-mode updates leaves it exposed to churn as competitors improve their cross-platform audio parity.
- Persistent audio-queue bugs disrupt the daily listening habit, which compounds the rating drag already visible on Android.
- CarPlay integration sustains high engagement among commuters, proving that platform-specific audio features drive retention.
The SWOT
- Editorial depth provides a defensible barrier against commodity news aggregators
- CarPlay integration sustains organic install velocity among high-value commuting segments
- Education partnerships offer untapped B2B distribution channels
- Granular audio speed controls could capture the power-user listening segment
Next best moves
Ship Android Auto support because it is the top-requested feature in reviews → reduce churn among Android commuters.
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The app's lack of Android Auto support is…
Read the full takeSince the last report: The report shows a shift toward prioritizing authentication and Android-specific feature parity to mitigate churn, while identifying new B2B distribution opportunities.
Bottom line
The Economist maintains a strong position through high-quality journalism, but technical instability in audio and authentication features threatens to erode the premium subscriber base, so the product team must prioritize stability fixes over new feature development to protect long-term retention.
Unlock 3 critical frictions, 2 market threats, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeSources
Report last updated