Head-to-head · News and Digital Magazine Subscriptions
Financial Times vs The Economist
Financial Times leads on 1 check, The Economist on 0, and 0 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreFinancial Times · 9.3/10
- Free planonly Financial Times
Financial Times scores higher on our rubric for news and digital magazine subscriptions: 9.3 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #5.
Financial Times offers free plan; The Economist doesn't.
Financial Times is the better fit for global business and financial news readers. The Economist is the better fit for readers of global affairs and analysis.
- Financial Times fits best
Global business and financial news readers
- The Economist fits best
Readers of global affairs and analysis
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Side by side
| Feature | Financial Times 9.3/10 Visit ↗ | The Economist 9.0/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.3 | 9.0 |
| Ranking | #2 in News and Digital Magazine Subscriptions | #5 in News and Digital Magazine Subscriptions |
| Best for | Global business and financial news readers | Readers of global affairs and analysis |
| Pricing model | Free plan + paid | Paid |
| Starting price | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | ✓ (best) | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Cloud, Mobile | Cloud, Mobile |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Support | Live chat, Phone, Email | Email, Phone, Live chat |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Solo, Small business |
| Features Financial Times 0/5 · The Economist 0/5 | ||
| Publication bundle | Not published | Not published |
| Archive access | Not published | Not published |
| Audio content | Not published | Not published |
| Ad-free access | Not published | Not published |
| Gift subscription | Not published | Not published |
| Specs | ||
| Publication type | Not published | Not published |
| Our review | ||
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| Our verdict | Financial Times brings business, finance, economics, politics and culture reporting to readers through its website and reader apps. It is suited to people who want global business and financial news alongside wider coverage, rather than a… Read the review → |
The Economist brings its reporting and analysis on international affairs, politics, economics, business, science, technology and culture to a subscription app. It suits readers who want a single publisher’s perspective across global… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Financial Times — where it wins
- Covers business, finance, economics, politics and culture
- MyFT creates a personalised topic feed, with saved and offline reading
- Adds podcasts, video journalism, AI audio and market information
Where it doesn't
- Expanded article access requires a subscription
- FT Digital Edition is a separate app from the main FT app
- The $12.99 monthly price applies to the Digital Edition and may vary
The Economist — where it wins
- Covers politics, economics, business, science, technology and culture
- Download weekly editions for offline reading
- Combine articles with podcasts, narrated stories and daily updates
Where it doesn't
- Subscription paywall; no free plan
- Listed starting price is $24.90
- Coverage is limited to The Economist's publishing
- Financial Times9.3/10 · Free plan
A broad news subscription with personalised reading, offline access and market coverage.
Try Financial TimesFull verdict → - The Economist9.0/10 · 28-day trial
A subscription for global affairs coverage across articles, audio, video and weekly editions.
Visit The EconomistFull verdict →
More comparisons
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- Financial Times vs The Guardian
- The Wall Street Journal vs The Economist
All news and digital magazine subscriptions comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update