theSkimm

• theSkimm — $2.99/month (derived from the IAP title)
• theSkimm — $29.99/year ($2.49/mo) (derived from the IAP title)

Last verified 5 Aug 2026

4.8 13229 ratings · App Store

1. 5/5Refreshing

   Worth the subscription money to read and hear news that is genuinely informative. If you love current events but get frustrated watching the news on TV, or if you feel like you have to listen to Fox News and CNN back-to-back to “get both sides” and “figure out what’s happening in the middle” .... theSkimm will make your life a whole lot easier. The subscription gives you access to a bunch of comprehensive guides on topics that are typically very polarizing (For example: The History of Labor Unions, the Hong Kong Protests, the Iran Nuclear Deal ....etc). The timeline of an issue is explained objectively to give context and then moments that are particularly controversial are pointed out. Then, both (or more) sides of the argument(s) surrounding the issue are presented. You know, like how news should be. My other favorite feature is the audio notes because I can just throw those on when I’m doing chores or when I’m driving. It’s crazy convenient - I don’t think I’ve ever in my life felt as deeply informed as I do now, and I barely have to try. Which is funny because I certainly used to spend a whole lot more time trying to figure out what’s going on in the world than I do now. Highly recommend.

   catie444 · 5 Aug 2026

2. 2/5Why pay for what’s already free and readily available?

   I respect the idea behind this. One stop shop for news snippets and such. However, I must rate this low for one reason. A subscription fee. No matter how low, what reason should anyone pay for this? I’m not saying this because the content is poor, or it’s a bad app. I say this because all this information is already out there. The idea of short news podcasts has been done to death. No matter your politics, all the major news networks in the U.S., and beyond, already put out 10-15 minute news digests, FOR FREE. If this app had no subscription fee, it would likely be excellent. However, for some reason, the creators of this app feel they need to charge you for information already provided for free. Information that you most likely already know. Football fan? You knew when the games are. Political junkie? You keep up with all the political news already. I just don’t see the reason to pay money monthly to have spam alerts put in my calendar, get news digests, and really that’s it. I don’t see the need for anyone to pay for information already readily available. Skimm, your app seems great, and I’d love to use it. However, I don’t forsee a long future for this. If you switched to a free with ads model, I think there would be a greater future for y’all. But a subscription fee to get what’s so readily available from so many sources? What reason should I have to pay for already free information?

   ScaledHams · 5 Aug 2026

3. 5/5Well worth it! My go to news!

   Hello, I just downloaded this app the other day and I have to say I’m really loving it. I’m a 27 year old stay at home mom and I can’t always have the news on or sit on my phone and read up on world affairs/daily news. This is one of the best apps I’ve ever come across. It covers everything and I love that it explains what certain things are like the (Nuclear deal) for example. That is my favorite part of the app. Since I tend to be out of the loop, I sometimes don’t know what things are about. I’m normally a Twitter user but this app goes far beyond because it takes the time to cover everything, stick with key points and explain what things are. I’m finding myself clicking on this app more so than Twitter now! I have no issues paying for this service whatsoever. Thank you to the creators of this app. I can tell a lot of love went into it and hard work on the daily. 5 stars from me!

   Bms1290 · 5 Aug 2026

4. 2/5“Sports calendar” = NWSL calendar

   Written in 2026: I started my Skimm subscription in 2016. I like the Skimm, I like what they provide, but I especially loved their calendar feature. I really enjoyed syncing my calendar with big events that are happening, movie releases, or other random things the Skimm added. One of their calendars focused on big things in the sports world. They described it as having events such as the Super Bowl or the start of a league’s season. Then new for 2026, they started including every NWSL game. Not just the start of the season, or the debut game for inaugural teams, but every game every week. It’s exhausting. It floods the calendar with events that do not align with what they advertise. I did not pay for a NWSL calendar. I subscribed because I wanted to hear when things like when the NWSL season started, not when Orlando plays Louisville week 5 of the season. I first brought this to customer service, but it’s clear they did not care. There’s no way to opt out of this; if you want to know when big things are happening in the world of sports, the Skimm will also ensure you know when EVERY SINGLE NWSL game is. It’s too bad that after 10 years, this is what made me cancel my subscription.

   AdeptSloth · 5 Aug 2026

5. 5/5Support quality and convenient journalism

   I’ve been subscribed to their emails for a while so now I battled with whether or not I wanted to subscribe for the app. The calendar and the little podcast snipers are fun but that’s pretty much all that’s extra on top of what you get in an email. They’re fun but I couldn’t decide if they were worth 3 dollars. Then I started to think about it as if the emails weren’t free. Each daily skimm would cost about 10 cents with the subscription, then with everything else thrown in as well I definitely think that’s worth it! It’s hard paying for something you can get for free, but this service has become something I depend on. It’s punny and informative and something I want to stick around so when I take that all into account, 3 dollars a month is a steal. Hooray for quality and convenient journalism!

   Madeline384 · 5 Aug 2026

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